Regretting You, a movie based on Colleen Hoover’s novel, stars McKenna Grace and Mason Thames and will be extremely popular among teenagers. Some of the subject material is mature in the book and film as it deals with grief, betrayal, forgiveness, and love. Is Regretting You kid friendly? Here’s what parents need to know.
Regretting You Parents Guide
Morgan Grant (Allison Williams) and her daughter Clara (Mckenna Grace) must navigate a new life as two of the people closest to them die as a result of a devastating accident. However, the accident also reveals a shocking betrayal and forces them to confront family secrets. Clara is angry with her mom and relies on new friend and love interest, Miller Adams (Mason Thames) to help her through it. But Miller also doesn’t want to be used as Clara’s pawn to get back at her mother.
Age Rating: Why is Regretting You Rated PG-13?
Regretting You is rated PG-13 for sexual content, teen drug and alcohol use, and strong language. Some content may not be suitable for kids under 13 years old.
Parents need to know that there is no nudity in Regretting You, but there are scenes showing couples making out and implying sex.
Language
There is strong language including many uses of sh*t, several uses of damn and bi*ch, and a use of a**hole and f*cking. There are also uses of Deity including g-d, g-ddammit, and Jesus.
Mature Content
A couple is having an affair and betrays their loved ones. Couple are seen kissing and making out.
There is no nudity, but a male takes off his shirt and a female is seen in her bra in bed. They kiss passionately and are seen on top of each other with some minimal thrusting. Another couple is seen wrapped in sheets and sex is implied.
There are conversations about sex between minors. Underage partying and drinking is seen. Teens smoke pot and an adult smokes cigarettes.
Mature themes of betrayal, affairs, surprise pregnancy, forgiveness, complicated family relationships, and grief are explored.
A character starts hitting a car to destroy it with a weapon.
Is Regretting You Appropriate for Kids Under 13?
Sometimes Colleen Hoover books are sexually explicit, so I was nervous about this film for teens, because I didn’t read the book first. Yes, there is sexual content that is not appropriate for kids under 13. And even 13 is pushing it if you are more conservative about what your children watch. Due to mature themes and sexual content, Regretting You is kid friendly for ages 13 and older.
It’s not just about teens having sex, but the premise of the affair and devastation it causes within a family is a lot for younger kids to process. Watching Allison Williams’s anger is heartbreaking, but she handles it well while also being able to bring some light into the grief.
The cast is extremely talented, but the story itself is kind of a mess. Life is messy, too. The characters aren’t written with a lot of depth, but in some odd way, they are relatable in their flaws and trauma. Can someone please tell me why the older actors are playing their teenage selves in flashbacks? That was just weird.
There’s also a lot of unresolved issues within this family that are glossed over, and the ending is abrupt.
Perhaps the focus was making a film for tweens and teens, because they will be adding this movie to their couples’ goals lists as Thames and Grace are adorable together. Maybe I was just thankful it was better than It Ends With Us, but I enjoyed Regretting You. And my teenage daughters were enthralled the whole time. While it does falls short in storytelling, the performances from the cast provide enough escapism to keep audiences entertained.
