Just as the seasons have changed and the sun has shone and set, audiences have been treated to yet another Colleen Hoover adaptation. Some would say that this was a risky production move, considering the lengthy social media and legal feud that came about with It Ends with Us. Despite this, my sister and I recently decided to give this film a go this last week. Was it genuine excitement that led us to our cinema seats, or the £5 ticket deal scored? Who knows, but alas we found ourselves strapped in for a 1 hour 57-minute ride.
The story unfolds in a dual manner, both with the excruciatingly predictable Colleen Hoover recipe of love, betrayal and loss. The two protagonists are mother and daughter Clara and Morgan, who must deal with the death of Morgan’s husband and sister. Whilst Morgan and her sister’s partner Jonah discover that the two were having an affair, they begin to realise that they all should have done a partner swap all along. This of course rattles Clara, who is herself being wooed by Miller, the most popular boy in school. Whilst there are many arguments and bumps in the road, all kinks are ironed out by the end.
The central message of the film is that it is never too late to start again, whether in relationships or in Morgan’s case, revamping your image from a ‘predictable’ housewife. This may sound inspiring, but what comes along with it is a strong justification of emotional cheating. This can be seen with Miller being in love with Clara even when in another relationship, and Jonah being in love with Morgan whilst agreeing to raise a family with her sister. Is this really a positive moral for the many tweens watching? Not exactly, but with this we must remember the very low quality of material the studio was working with.
That being said, the actors really tried their best given the abysmal script given. Along with next gen teen heartthrobs Mason Thames and Mckenna Grace, a special shoutout goes to Sam Morelos’ role as Lexie, whose delivery as a stereotypical comic relief best friend actually made me laugh. This may seem reductive but again, think of what we’re working with.
Overall, I would give this a 7/10 , merely because of the escapism factor. We laughed, we teared up a bit, and we spent 70% of the time hiding under our jumpers cringing. However, at least I forgot about my deadlines for a couple hours.
