Age-gap romances usually feel a little bit creepy or, at the very least, incredibly trope-heavy. But then Prime Video dropped The Idea of You, and suddenly everyone was talking about Solène and Hayes Campbell like they were a real-life tabloid scandal. It’s based on Robinne Lee’s 2017 novel. People love to say it’s based on Harry Styles. Robinne Lee has said it was inspired by him—and a few other guys—but the movie honestly feels like its own beast entirely. It stars Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine. They have chemistry that actually works.
If you haven't seen it yet, or if you just binged it and need to process what happened to that art gallery owner and the boy band heartthrob, you're in the right place. We're getting into why this film hit differently than the usual Wattpad-to-screen pipeline.
The Chemistry in The Idea of You is Actually Relatable
Most movies about a "regular person" dating a superstar feel like a fever dream. You know the vibe. The star is perfect, the regular person is "clumsy" but gorgeous, and they live happily ever after in a montage. The Idea of You takes a more grounded approach to the chaos.
Solène is 40. She’s a mom. She owns an art gallery in Silver Lake. She’s got baggage from a messy divorce with a guy who cheated on her. When she meets Hayes Campbell—the 24-year-old lead singer of August Moon—at Coachella, it doesn't feel like destiny. It feels like an accident. She was just trying to get her daughter to the VIP tent.
The movie handles the power dynamic surprisingly well. Usually, the younger person is the one being "groomed" or led, but here, Hayes is the one with the global power, while Solène has the emotional maturity. It creates this weird, friction-filled tension. You see it when he visits her gallery. He buys every single piece of art just to get her attention. It’s a total "famous person" move, but it’s also kind of desperate.
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Nicholas Galitzine plays Hayes with this weary, "I'm tired of being a product" energy. He’s not just a set of abs. He’s a guy who’s been famous since he was a teenager and has no idea how to be a real person. Anne Hathaway, on the other hand, is basically the anchor. She portrays the hesitation of a woman who knows exactly how the world is going to judge her for dating a guy sixteen years younger.
Why the Harry Styles Comparisons Won't Die
You can't talk about The Idea of You without talking about the One Direction of it all. Robinne Lee has been very open about the fact that she was scrolling through YouTube late at night, saw a video of Harry Styles, and fell down a rabbit hole. She wondered what would happen if he dated an older woman who wasn't impressed by his fame.
- The tattoos on Hayes are very Styles-esque.
- The boy band August Moon has the exact same "five guys on stools" energy as early 1D.
- The fan hysteria depicted in the film mirrors the "Larries" and the intense scrutiny Harry's real-life partners (like Olivia Wilde) faced.
But here is where it gets interesting. The movie actually deviates from the book's ending. In the book, it's much bleaker. The movie gives us a bit more hope, which caused a massive divide in the fandom. Some felt the movie "softened" the reality of how society treats older women. Others were just happy to see Anne Hathaway get a win.
Honestly, the Harry Styles connection is just the hook. The actual story is about the double standards of aging. When a 40-year-old man dates a 24-year-old woman, nobody blinks. When Solène does it, she’s called a "cougar" and her daughter gets bullied at school. It's brutal. The film doesn't shy away from the comments section of the internet, which basically becomes a secondary villain in the plot.
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Let's Talk About That Ending (Spoilers Ahead)
If you’ve seen the film, you know it skips forward five years. Five. Long. Years.
In the novel, Solène ends things because the pressure is too much for her daughter. She tells Hayes she doesn't love him (a lie) to set him free. It's a gut-punch. The movie, directed by Michael Showalter, decided we’d all been through enough. It gives us a reunion.
Is it realistic? Probably not. A 29-year-old pop star waiting five years for his ex-girlfriend while he continues to be the most famous man on earth is a stretch. But in the world of The Idea of You, it works because the movie establishes that Hayes is looking for an exit strategy from his manufactured life. He wants something real. She is the only "real" thing he’s found.
The ending works because it centers Solène’s agency. She decides when she’s ready. She doesn't just drop everything for him the second he asks. She makes him wait until her life is stable again. That’s a subtle but huge shift from typical romance tropes where the woman just follows the man's lead.
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The Cultural Impact of the Older Woman Narrative
We are seeing a shift in how Hollywood treats actresses over 40. For a long time, you hit 40 and you were playing the "mom" or the "boss" and your romantic life was over. The Idea of You joins movies like Good Luck to You, Leo Grande in saying that's nonsense.
The "August Moon" fans in the movie are scary. They represent the parasocial relationships people have with celebrities today. It’s not just about the music; it’s about ownership. The fans feel they own Hayes, and by dating Solène, he’s "betraying" them. It’s a very 2024-2026 problem.
The film also captures the specific vibe of Silver Lake and the Los Angeles art scene. It feels lived-in. Solène’s house isn't some sterile mansion; it’s a beautiful, cluttered, mid-century home that looks like a person actually lives there. This attention to detail is why it's ranking so well on streaming platforms. It feels high-quality, even if the premise sounds like something you'd find on a fanfiction site.
How to Get the Most Out of The Idea of You
If you're planning a rewatch or checking it out for the first time, keep an eye on the soundtrack. The songs for August Moon were written by Savan Kotecha, the guy who actually wrote hits for One Direction and Ariana Grande. That’s why the music doesn't sound like "fake movie music." It sounds like actual radio hits.
- Read the book first if you want a more cynical, realistic take on the story. Robinne Lee's prose is much more focused on the internal monologue of a woman losing her identity.
- Watch the Coachella scenes closely. They actually filmed some of this during a real festival to get the scale right.
- Compare it to Notting Hill. The movie is essentially a gender-flipped version of the 90s classic, but with the added layer of social media toxicity.
Actionable Steps for Fans
If you've finished the movie and are looking for what's next, here is how to dive deeper into the world of Solène and Hayes Campbell:
- Listen to the soundtrack on Spotify. "Guard Down" and "Dance Before We Walk" are legitimate bops that hold up outside of the movie's context.
- Check out Nicholas Galitzine’s other work. If you liked his "sensitive guy" vibe, Red, White & Royal Blue is the natural next step. It’s another adaptation with a massive cult following.
- Follow the fashion. Solène’s wardrobe is a masterclass in "Quiet Luxury." Look for brands like The Row or Jenni Kayne if you’re trying to replicate that Silver Lake art gallery owner aesthetic.
- Understand the "Fanfic" debate. Research the history of "Real Person Fiction" (RPF). Understanding how stories like After and The Idea of You started helps you see why the writing focuses so much on the "secret life" of celebrities.
The Idea of You succeeded because it stopped treating the "older woman/younger man" dynamic as a joke or a fetish. It treated it as a complicated, messy, and occasionally beautiful relationship between two people who just happened to meet at the wrong time. It’s a fun watch, sure, but it’s got enough teeth to make you think about how we treat women in the public eye.