Movie · 2024 · Music, Comedy, Romance, Drama · 1h 56m · R · English
Curator score: 1.2/10 (828.7K ratings)
When the last thing you expect becomes the only thing you want.
Overview
40-year-old single mom Solène begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell, the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet. As they begin a whirlwind romance, it isn't long before Hayes' superstar status poses unavoidable challenges to their relationship, and Solène soon discovers that life in the glare of his spotlight might be more than she bargained for.
Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Ella Rubin, Annie Mumolo, Reid Scott, Perry Mattfeld, Jordan Aaron Hall, Mathilda Gianopoulos, Meg Millidge, Cheech Manohar, Raymond Cham Jr., Jaiden Anthony, Viktor White, Dakota Adan, Roxy Rivera, Graham Norton, Grace Junot, Jon Levine, Demián Castro, Trevor David
Where to watch
Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Curator Review
Verdict
A glossy, fantasy-forward romance built around age-gap chemistry, celebrity wish fulfillment, and a very online sense of self-awareness. It works best if you want an escapist, emotionally uncomplicated swoon with a few sharper observations about fame, motherhood, and public scrutiny; it will frustrate viewers looking for depth, realism, or a more even power dynamic.
Best for
romance fans who enjoy celebrity fantasy
viewers in the mood for a light, glossy streaming movie
fans of age-gap melodrama
people who like stories about fandom and public-image pressure
audiences who want a charming lead performance over narrative complexity
Skip if
you want grounded relationship drama
age-gap romances make you uncomfortable
you prefer messy, morally ambiguous storytelling
you need strong supporting-character development
you are looking for a truly original romance premise
Overview
The Idea of You is essentially a polished wish-fulfillment romance with a self-aware wink, built to deliver chemistry, glamour, and a steady stream of fantasy scenarios. Anne Hathaway gives the film its most grounded energy, and Nicholas Galitzine sells the pop-star allure well enough that the movie’s central conceit lands as a glossy daydream rather than a hard sell.
Worth noting
What keeps it from becoming more than that is the script’s reluctance to fully interrogate the imbalance at its center. It gestures toward the pressures of fame, motherhood, and public judgment, but mostly treats them as obstacles to be breezed through on the way to another romantic beat. The result is breezy and watchable, but also thin.
Bottom line
If you’re here for a modern, internet-era romance that understands its own fanfic-adjacent appeal, it does the job. If you want emotional bite or a more credible relationship arc, this one is likely to feel like a very expensive fantasy novel come to life.
Top Letterboxd reviews
carley :) (2★) · 67872 likes
this is what 13 year old me thought was gonna happen when i shaved my pussy for the one direction concert
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help imagine if ur mom started dating jungkook
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ella ౨ৎ (1★) · 17460 likes
if my mom lived my dream wattpad love story i would’ve k1lled myself