10 Things I Love About You (2025) – A Fresh Take on a Classic Romance
In 2025, 10 Things I Love About You makes a charming and timely return, reimagining the 1999 teen classic for a new generation. Directed by Olivia Wilde and featuring a dynamic young cast, this modern adaptation brings fresh energy, deeper emotional resonance, and updated social commentary, while preserving the wit and heart of the original.
Set in a contemporary, culturally diverse high school in Portland, Oregon, the story once again revolves around two sisters with very different personalities and perspectives. Kat Stratford (played by Auliʻi Cravalho), a fiercely independent and outspoken feminist with a love for punk music and poetry, clashes daily with the shallow social norms of high school. Her younger sister Bianca (Lola Tung), is popular, image-conscious, and eager to start dating—but their overprotective mother, a recently divorced professor (played by Rashida Jones), insists that Bianca can’t date unless Kat does too.
Enter Cameron James (Michael Cimino), the sweet and awkward new kid, who instantly falls for Bianca. Determined to find a way around the dating ban, he and his friend enlist bad boy Patrick Verona (played with quiet intensity by Charles Melton), a mysterious senior with a rebellious streak and a past no one fully knows. The plan: pay Patrick to woo Kat. The complication? Kat is not so easily impressed—and Patrick slowly realizes he may be falling for her for real.
What sets this 2025 version apart is its updated approach to character development and relationships. Kat is no longer just the “angry feminist”; she’s a layered, thoughtful young woman struggling with grief, self-doubt, and the pressure of always having to speak out. Auliʻi Cravalho delivers a performance that balances toughness with emotional depth, making Kat instantly relatable for modern audiences. Her chemistry with Charles Melton’s Patrick is electric, especially as their guarded exteriors begin to fall away.
The script, penned by Jenny Han (To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before), is sharp, funny, and refreshingly honest. It nods to the original film’s Shakespearean roots (The Taming of the Shrew), while giving its female characters more autonomy and voice. Kat and Bianca’s relationship takes center stage as well, shifting the narrative focus toward sisterhood and healing, not just romance.
Musically, the film shines with a blend of indie-pop, modern punk, and nostalgic throwbacks. Olivia Rodrigo contributes an original song for the soundtrack that perfectly captures the push-pull of teen love and identity. Visually, Wilde’s direction is bold and contemporary, using color and lighting to emphasize mood swings, social divides, and emotional growth.
Where the original relied heavily on late-’90s charm and sarcasm, 10 Things I Love About You (2025) grounds its humor in realism and emotional nuance. It still delivers the laughs—the awkward promposals, sharp banter, and iconic poem scene are all here—but now with a more reflective edge that asks: How do we let others in without losing ourselves?
In the end, the remake honors its source material while becoming something entirely its own: a warm, smart, and heartfelt teen film that speaks to love, agency, and the beautiful mess of growing up.
