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The Idea of You

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2:20

The Idea of You

R

Released May 2, 2024

1h 55m

Romance

Drama

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

Tomatometer

181 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Based on the acclaimed, contemporary love story of the same name, The Idea of You centers on Solène (Anne Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mom who begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet. When Solène must step in to chaperone her teenage daughter's trip to the Coachella Music Festival after her ex bails at the last minute, she has a chance encounter with Hayes and there is an instant, undeniable spark. 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.

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Critics Consensus

The Idea of You offers a welcome reminder that Anne Hathaway remains a thoroughly delightful romcom lead -- and reaffirms that few filmmakers understand the genre better than Michael Showalter.

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Alejandra Martinez

TheWrap

Galitzine and Hathaway anchor the film and their chemistry is palpable, making every touch feel electric.

Aug 8, 2024

Full Review

Dwight Brown

DwightBrownInk.com

Within ten minutes, the story’s charm, beguiling characters and awkward situations are in full bloom.

Rated: 3/4

May 31, 2024

Full Review

Robert Levin

Newsday

This is a substantial movie with the veneer of a frothy romantic comedy.

Rated: 3/4

May 21, 2024

Full Review

Kylie Cheung

Jezebel

The Idea of You is a surprisingly thoughtful feminist ode to female happiness later in life, when women’s only acceptable source of fulfillment is supposed to be their children, and any other loves are regarded as selfish and at odds with motherhood.

Mar 20, 2025

Full Review

Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat

Spirituality & Practice

The unlikely relationship of a middle-aged art dealer and a young rock star that has all the elements of a rom-com.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 9, 2025

Full Review

Kevin Bourne

SHIFTER

The "Idea of You" follows in the footsteps of modern romantic comedies that forego the over-the-top fairytale endings of the 90’s to early 2000’s. This is a must-see for romantic comedy junkies and fans of stories of loving against the odds.

Sep 11, 2024

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Maria D

This movie sucked. Don't get me wrong, I love Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway. But this movie was so stupid because in my opinion, why make a romance movie if the characters aren't gonna end up together? You really learn to love the characters and their relationship, but then it ends way too fast and painfully. The movie will make you cry because of the characters relationship not working out. This movie was a waste of my time and I wouldn't wish this pain upon anyone.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/30/25

Full Review

Rich S

The trouble with The Idea of You is that it's working with a low degree of difficulty. It asks you to simply believe a 40-year-old woman could fall in love with a 24-year-old man. That is believable. But can we buy into the fact that a 24-year-old man might actually feel something more than loin-tingling with each time they touch? Cue Eric Carmen. ... And count me as a believer.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

05/13/25

Full Review

Audience Member

One of favorite romance movies I’ve watched in a long time. Great acting and the chemistry was phenomenal. Even the boy band sounded good.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/11/25

Full Review

Melissa D

Thought I’d hate it but, once we were past the mildly cheesy ‘meet cute’ (thanks ‘The Holiday’, for explaining that!!) it moved on to another level. The chemistry between them was entirely believable.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/28/25

Full Review

Audience Member

anh dep trai qua so the film is very handsome!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/28/25

Full Review

Kymesha J

Me and my fiancé are having a movie night right now and watching it I really enjoyed it ❤️❤️!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

04/21/25

Full Review

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Michael Showalter

Director

Anne Hathaway

Solene

Nicholas Galitzine

Hayes

Ella Rubin

Izzy

Annie Mumolo

Tracy

Reid Scott

Daniel

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The Idea of You: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

Based on the acclaimed, contemporary love story of the same name, The Idea of You centers on Solène (Anne Hathaway), a 40-year-old single mom who begins an unexpected romance with 24-year-old Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the lead singer of August Moon, the hottest boy band on the planet. When Solène must step in to chaperone her teenage daughter's trip to the Coachella Music Festival after her ex bails at the last minute, she has a chance encounter with Hayes and there is an instant, undeniable spark. 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.

Director: Michael Showalter
Producer: Cathy Schulman, Gabrielle Union, Anne Hathaway, Robinne Lee, Eric Hayes, Jordana Mollick, Michael Showalter
Screenwriter: Michael Showalter, Jennifer Westfeldt
Distributor: Amazon Studios
Production Co: Somewhere Pictures, Amazon Studios, I'll Have Another, Welle Entertainment
Rating: R (Some Language|Sexual Content)
Genre: Romance, Drama, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 2, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 2, 2024
Runtime: 1h 55m

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