Parents' Guide to Regretting You

Watching this stiff adaptation of Colleen Hoover's bestselling novel, you can't help but think the author is regretting the choice of director Josh Boone (who also helmed The Fault in Our Stars). Regretting You's premise is creative: It's twisty and undeniably original (not surprising, given that the novel was a juicy page-turner). But on screen, the spark fizzles. The dialogue doesn't pop, the phrases and cinematography feel dated, and, despite the cast's talent, the performances feel so stilted that they could join the circus. There's zero chemistry, and none of the romantic relationships feel lived-in or believable. In this case, it feels like the fault isn't in our stars, but rather in the director.

It's a let-down. But that doesn't mean that it doesn't have value to teens. No, it's not ultra captivating, but it is the kind of movie you can watch while fiddling on your phone. It's easy to picture a bunch of teens watching this together, reacting to scenes in which Clara smokes her first joint, gets drunk (and consequently hungover), and moves into intimacy too quickly. And the upside is that it's made clear that doing all of this isn't in her best interest, and the only one she's hurting is herself. Also, male love interests treat women with respect and restraint, putting their partners' needs above their own, with the occasional appreciated grand gesture. Most of all, there's a strong theme of needing to figure out how to do the right thing when everything around you feels wrong. Regretting You may not be good, but it's not half-bad, either—and here, both things can be true.