Prime Video’s original romance drama is a surprise hit — and you can stream it now

Nicholas Galitzine and Anna Hathaway in Prime Video's original romance drama "The Idea of You"
(Image credit: Prime Video)

Prime Video is climbing up the pedestal of the best streaming services, with several original TV shows and movie successes boosting the platform and reaching more audiences around the world. “Fallout” took over the month of April with its incredible praise and ratings, but something else is currently stealing some of the spotlight, and that's the romance drama “The Idea of You”. 

Anne Hathaway is the leading star in this steamy romance movie. Hathaway recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about “The Idea of You” and how the initial screening reminded her of the praise she received for another drama flick back in 2001. She said: “This one, we really made it for everyone and to just feel everyone love it, I hadn’t had that feeling quite in that same way since The Princess Diaries.” 

If that isn’t enough to convince you to stream the romance now, then its high rating on Rotten Tomatoes just might. Here we delve more into the plot and what critics think of Hathaway’s juicy drama.  

What is 'The Idea of You' about?

Based on the novel of the same name by Robinne Lee, “The Idea of You” focuses on a 40-year-old single mom Solène (Anne Hathaway) who instantly connects with boyband singer Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine). After meeting by chance, the two feel a connection and begin an unexpected romance. However, life in the limelight isn’t always as perfect as it seems, and Solène must decide whether the relationship is worth the challenging obstacles being thrown at them. 

This fresh rom-com gets steamy, but it’s not just about the romance and tension. The movie is supposed to explore Solène’s journey through older womanhood and standing above societal expectations. Hathaway explained more about her personal experience with Eyewitness News Entertainment, saying: “This one feels different. This is a feel-everything movie.” 

“The Idea of You” is there to celebrate women taking control of their happiness no matter their age, occupation, or personal journey. Plus, there are some spicy scenes that truly show the chemistry between the characters.  

'The Idea of You' reviews — what the critics are saying

“The Idea of You” has a pretty decent score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes (as of May 2). This rating came from critics who saw early screenings of the movie in the theater. 

Rafael Motamayor from indieWire said: “The adaptation of the viral 2017 novel offers poignant commentary in a fresh take on the rom-com genre." Meanwhile, another positive review by Empire Magazine’s Ella Kemp states it has a “Deceptively courageous and perceptive on parasocial celebrity culture — and on the fallacy that women have expiration dates — The Idea Of You has good, clean fun with two characters it’s impossible not to love.” 

This romance drama has clearly won the hearts of several critics, including Kristomania’s Kristen Lopez, who said: “Hathaway and Galitizine make their characters’ drama fresh and sexy as hell, a fact enhanced by a strong script that treats its characters like people.” 

Of course, not every review is going to be sunshine and rainbows. Fred Topel from United Press International believes: “There are better movies both about dating a celebrity and about romance with a younger partner. There should be room for more than one of each, but The Idea of You is not it.” 

'The Idea of You' is now available to stream

Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway in Prime Video's original romance drama "The Idea of You"

(Image credit: Prime Video)

“The Idea of You” goes outside the social norms by exploring an age-gap relationship, which hasn’t been covered much in the movie industry. Hathaway and Galitzine have clear chemistry in the trailer alone, and they were able to show that beautifully on the screen. This romance flick actually makes the characters feel like real people who experience a rollercoaster of emotions together.

If you’re looking for something easy to watch that will still take your breath away, make sure to stream “The Idea of You” on Prime Video today. This romance drama received praise and high ratings even in its early screenings, so it’s definitely worth adding to your list. 

Want more movies and series to stream? Check out our guide on the top new shows to watch this week, or, if you’re a Marvel fan like me and need a good streaming marathon, here’s how to watch the Marvel movies in order

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Alix Blackburn
Staff Writer, Streaming

Alix is a Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, which basically means watching the best movies and TV shows and then writing about them. Previously, she worked as a freelance writer for Screen Rant and Bough Digital, both of which sparked her interest in the entertainment industry. When she’s not writing about the latest movies and TV shows, she’s either playing horror video games on her PC or working on her first novel.