The Idea of You is a steamy, untamed A03-era fanfic come to life—though the smitten narrator in this case is not a crazed preteen, but that preteen’s 40-year-old mother. Based on the novel of the same name from Robinne Lee, The Idea of You sees Solène (Anne Hathaway), owner of a renowned art gallery, fall for the 24-year-old worldwide heartthrob Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine) after taking her daughter Izzy (Ella Rubin) to a Coachella meet-and-greet for her once-favorite band, Hayes’ August Moon.
Though Lee listed Harry Styles as one of her many inspirations for the character of Hayes, a thorough exploration of the character—brought from page to screen by director Michael Showalter and his co-writer Jennifer Westfeldt—proves that the five-piece boy band is not a One Direction spoof, and Hayes is not a Harry Styles analogue. That said, there are some easy-to-spot parallels: An age gap controversy (a la Styles’ short-lived romance with Olivia Wilde), a briefly depicted evolution from boy band star to acoustic soloist, and even a patchwork tattoo sleeve. The teenybop tracks played throughout the movie, like trailer feature “Dance Before We Walk,” replicate the catchiness and PG sexiness of 2010s boy band mania.
However, songwriter Savan Kotecha (who fittingly wrote 1D hit “What Makes You Beautiful”) penned enough earworms to give August Moon an independent identity. The original songs are nothing more than supermarket ambience and nauseating radio replays in the world of August Moon, but for us, the boy band frenzy feels nostalgic and charming. The songs are easily placed as music to make preteens (and their moms, in this case) swoon, and Galitzine’s suave presence helps make the act believable, leaving us newly recruited Moonheads insisting that “he was singing straight to me!”
Hathaway, who produced The Idea of You, provides a solid center to the film, with the steamy romance plot coming second only to Solène’s character development. As is the case for pretty much any role, it’s impossible to not leave The Idea of You won over by Hathaway’s charm, but with such a multidimensional female protagonist in the driver’s seat, it’s refreshing to see a rom-com lead take so much agency in her love story. Turning 40 and at the top of her career, Soléne carries so much depth beyond her whirlwind romance: We get to know her as she runs her own art studio, helms one of the sweetest mother-daughter relationships in recent memory, and braves the aftershock of her past marriage to her cheating ex-husband (the hilarious Reid Scott). As much as it’s fun (and funny) to watch Soléne play groupie for these teenyboppers and frolic around Europe with her young bad-boy beau, the exploration of her character and her relationships—especially with her daughter—come before the steamy romance. Soléne even makes it clear that she has no intention to steal her daughter’s celeb crush, pointing out that Izzy’s favorite was always Rory, anyway.
The unexpected relationship is less coated in comedy and more in earnest romance thanks to the striking chemistry between Hathaway and Galitzine. It’s no surprise that Hathaway, a veteran romance star, and Galitzine, a rising YA male lead, can excel at playing familiar archetypes, but their palpable on-screen connection is a remarkable accomplishment. The Idea of You doesn’t make a joke of the affair, 16-year age gap notwithstanding, instead showing the lovers in a more serious light, striking a tonal balance of melodrama and maturity, indulging in their inane circumstances for better and worse. Solène and Hayes confess secrets over coffee, console each other in parked cars and navigate the public scrutiny of their relationship behind closed doors, allowing us to intrude on their coveted privacy and understand their independent identities. Galitzine brings a coolness to his Hayes while Hathaway brings a softness to Solène, together building an empowering story about the shame and criticism that women face while dating at an older age. Hathaway and Galitzine are all-in on Solène and Hayes (#Solayes? #Holène?), making their impassioned love affair all the more sexy.
The breezy beach read concept pulls you in, but the heartfelt emotional beats and tonal fluctuations leave you breathless until the very end. Both Hathaway and Galitzine master the lingering stare by the last scene, fleeting looks conveying their fluctuating feelings from one scene to the next. As resistance surfaces to disrupt their honeymoon trance, the will-they-won’t-they question maintains a breathless effect until the last second, defying the predictable ebbs and flows of a typical rom-com. Building tension with twist upon twist in the last act, Showalter’s daydreamy sequences and tight-framed glances give the film an everlasting tenderness, echoed by a sentimental score from Siddhartha Khosla.
With Solène living every fangirl’s dream, The Idea of You delivers empowering messaging, a titillating love story and a recollection of boy band delirium that will be relatable for anyone who has been struck by anything ranging from Bieber Fever to Beatlemania. You’ll leave a Moonhead, and possibly even a bigger Anne Hathaway fan.
Director: Michael Showalter
Writers: Michael Showalter, Jennifer Westfeldt
Starring: Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine
Release Date: May 2, 2024
Sage Dunlap is a journalist based in Austin, TX. She currently contributes to Paste as a movies section intern, covering the latest in film news.