Wish You Were Here (2025): Review and Summary | A Romance With Good Intentions But Iffy Execution
While Isabelle Fuhrman creates a connection with viewers, her connection with Mena Massoud is tainted too early in “Wish You Were Here” to remain in love with the idea of these two.
Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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Plot Summary
When “Wish You Were Here” begins, Charlotte is single, living with her best friend Helen, and working only part-time. She relies on her parents for financial support and is doing what originally was a gap year that has now extended to her, just trying to figure herself out. From what it seems, her parents’ grace is running out, just like her college fund.
Enter Adam, a smooth-talking guy who wanders in front of Charlotte and Helen’s home. He is flirty and cute, and Helen encourages Charlotte to hang out with him—which she does. Initially, she was against it, including having a one-night stand, but things were so beautiful and romantic that she ended up committing to it.
But with things going left the next morning, Charlotte finds herself stuck on Adam, even as another guy comes about, leaving her in a place where she can no longer remain in analysis paralysis if she wants to experience joy.
Film Details
| Film Length | 1 Hour 39 Minutes |
| Release Date | January 17, 2025 |
| Initially Available On/Via | Theatrical |
| Advisory Rating | Rated PG-13 |
| Genre(s) | Romance, Young Adult |
| Distributor | Lionsgate, Grindstone Entertainment Group |
| Director | Julia Stiles |
| Writer | Julia Stiles, Renée Carlino |
| Based On Work By | Renée Carlino |
| Actor(s) | Kelsey Grammer, Jennifer Grey, Jimmie Fails, Mena Massoud, Gabby Kono-Abdy, Isabelle Fuhrman |
Content Information
- Dialog: Cursing
- Violence: Nothing Notable
- Sexual Content: Nothing Notable
- Miscellaneous: Drinking
External Links
Character Descriptions
Charlotte (Isabelle Fuhrman)
After taking an extended break to determine what she wants to do with her life, her father sees her as a bit fickle. But, like many, Charlotte sees herself rushed into a lifelong decision when she barely understands who she is. However, while she doesn’t fully know who she is, as we see through the film, she does seem to know who and what she likes.
- The actor is also known for their role in “The Novice.”
Helen (Gabby Kono-Abdy)
Helen is Charlotte’s free-spirited friend and her roommate.
Adam (Mena Massoud)
Adam is an artist with a slight attitude, but it appears that is partly due to his illness and the pain it causes him.
- The actor is also known for their role in “The Royal Treatment.”
Seth (Jimmie Fails)
Seth is a guy Charlotte matches with on a dating app who tries his best to be her potential love interest. However, Charlotte struggles to move on from Adam despite that appearing to be a one-night stand.
Review
Our Rating for “Wish You Were Here” (76/100): Mixed (Divisive)
“Wish You Were Here” has its heart in the right place, but by placing when a character blows up the relationship too early on in the film, it is forced to try to claw and fight its way back to simpler times and never quite reach the heights it was at.
Highlights
You Can See The Intentions
When it comes to “Wish You Were Here,” it’s clear it is supposed to show a love story complicated by lousy timing or circumstances. Sometimes, the circumstances could be Charlotte not being in the headspace for a relationship for reasons viewers are sometimes aware of, or circumstances, like what Adam is going through, making it so his ability to be the man Charlotte deserves is a challenge.
Yet, even with you acknowledging the imperfections, the intentions shine through, especially early in the movie, and can take you to a place where you can swoon, be envious, if not want to play out certain moments with your current or future partner. For one, Massoud is a very charming man. While primarily known for playing Aladdin in Disney’s live-action version, I’d submit he has the presence to make a career in the romance genre.
As Adam, an artist, he is given everything necessary to dismantle Fuhrman’s Charlotte, and as you see her go from just a walk to being playfully curved from a kiss, then the two are so comfortable they pretend they shared a life before? The way things progress is wonderful and enchanting, and it sets you up in such a way that you enter Charlotte’s state of mind, thinking Adam could be the meet-cute who becomes the one.
On The Fence
The Challenge Of Getting Into Adam and Charlotte After The Initial Bubble Pop
But then comes the issue that, fairly early in the film, that bubble pops and because you are so invested in Charlotte, her joy, her happiness, it taints Adam in such a way he never really recovers from. I’d compare it to when your best friend is hurt by their partner and tells you all about it, and despite them forgiving their partner, you can’t because you didn’t get to see moments that matched or eclipsed the pain caused.
Mind you, the film tries its best to get you to forgive Adam by revealing why he suddenly turned mean and turned what could have been seen as Charlotte and Adam’s first night together into a one-night stand. However, while Massoud plays a love interest well, he isn’t able to play on Adam’s sickness to the point that it matches films like “The Fault of Our Stars” or “Five Feet Apart,” which are also book adaptations.
Instead, as he and others in Charlotte’s life fear, the movie starts to lean heavily toward sympathy. It presents a relationship partly based on guilt and Adam’s trauma, to the point that the love we initially witnessed doesn’t feel like it has evolved or followed the fantasy we were being sold. Instead, what we get is a nice girl who likes a boy and wants his potentially final days or weeks alive to be nice, which ultimately feels a bit bland.
Oh, and to make matters worse, they try to introduce another guy into the picture after Adam’s screw-up, and seeing how Charlotte reacts to him after one single night with Adam could make you question if something is going on with her and that whoever came before Adam did a significant number on her which makes love, or just dating, something that she doesn’t need right now. Especially considering she is 29, has a part-time job, is reliant on her parents, and seemingly hasn’t put notable thought into her life, career, or independence.
Your Investment In Supporting Characters
I would submit that the people in Charlotte’s life, from Helen to her family, have strong personalities but aren’t strong characters. Helen, who is extroverted, lacks certain inhibitions and might just be impetuous; you will take note of what she does and says, but why she is that way isn’t really explored. Never mind what she wants out of life and who she is outside of when in service to Charlotte.
But that’s how most characters are in “Wish You Were Here.” They are Charlotte’s ribs, all pieces of her, in service to her, and while they are treated as worth knowing or interesting, they don’t say much about themselves to justify your initial interest. This makes it so, even if played by Kelsey Grammar or Jennifer Grey, their characters don’t necessarily feel worthy of their legacies.
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