Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Music soars in so-so romcom about how a heart will go on.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Love Again
What's the Story?
Two years after the death of her boyfriend, John (Arinzé Kene), children's book author Mira Ray (Priyanka Chopra Jonas) is still mired in grief, unable to move forward with her life. To work through her feelings, she starts texting them to John's old number, unaware that it's been reassigned to Rob (Sam Heughan), a music critic at the New York Chronicle. Céline Dion co-stars as a guardian angel-like version of herself, using her music and her own experiences of love and loss to guide Mira and Rob. (And, in a cute wink, Chopra Jonas' real-life husband, Nick Jonas, humorously pops in as a bad date.)
Is It Any Good?
It may inspire more hanky use than hilarity, but, as a heart grabber, this Céline Dion-powered musical romance dramedy works. Don't misunderstand: There's plenty to clog the pipes. Chopra Jonas is so electric with Kene and her real-life husband, Nick Jonas, that her mismatch with Heughan becomes impossible to ignore. And New York is treated like a character in the story ... which makes the fact that it clearly wasn't filmed in the Big Apple distracting (and then there's the fact that most of the cast is from the United Kingdom, and some are trying to disguise their accents).
But in a world in which movies like Mamma Mia!, Yesterday, and Blinded by the Light have already explored ways of making a movie inspired by a single artist or group's music, a romance that co-stars Dion as a sort of guardian angel makes its own sense. The film concept is strong, the dialogue is good, and the music is amazing. Viewers may well find themselves singing, laughing, and crying along to Dion's ballads -- and realizing anew that while great music helps us through challenges, the soundtrack of our lives is love.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Love Again's use of Céline Dion and her music and how that compares to other movies you've seen in which a single artist or group's music is used to tell a story. Do you like that concept? Why, or why not?
Why is music so often powerfully tied to our emotions? How can song lyrics be interpreted differently depending on your situation and mood?
How does Rob's curiosity lead to his finding love? How did this character trait conflict with his integrity, and how do you think you would have handled the situation? Do you think Rob's behavior -- tracking down the person who's sending him texts -- could be considered stalking? How would you feel if you were Mira?
Did you spot anything that looked like product placement? When you see characters or actors using a product or wearing a brand, does it affect your buying choices?
A lot of love advice is given throughout the film. What stuck with you?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 5, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : May 23, 2023
- Cast : Priyanka Chopra , Sam Heughan , Céline Dion
- Director : Jim Strouse
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Sony Pictures
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Book Characters , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Character Strengths : Curiosity
- Run time : 104 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some sexual material and some strong language
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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