Miss You, Love You Movie Review (2026)

A character-driven drama about a grieving widow unexpectedly forming a bond with her estranged son’s assistant while planning her husband’s funeral, Miss You, Love You is an intimate film with stunning chemistry and a relationship that grows in deeply satisfying ways.

I was raised both in the theatre and on the theatre. I started doing plays as a child, and continued through my early college years, sure that I would go on to be a professional actress. But I quickly discovered that I was better at stage management, so I turned my focus there, and after various other jobs and interests, I am now a Chicago theatre critic. If there is a play to see, I am an amazingly engaged audience member, always open to the experience.

Miss You, Love You is about Diane, a woman who has just lost her husband, who gets notified that her semi-estranged son, Tyler’s assistant, Jamie, will be arriving to help her plan the funeral. Tyler is working on location in a dangerous situation and may not be able to attend, but keeps in contact with Jamie by text. Jamie stays with Diane, completing tasks each day, trying to walk a fine line between the prickly Diane and his absent boss.

I really enjoyed this movie. From the first two minutes, you see the dynamics of a two-person play, and I was absolutely here for it.

Miss You, Love You is the type of film that would be forgettable if you didn’t cast the right people, but Allison Janney and Andrew Rannells are both accomplished stage performers (although most people know each of them from their work in movies and television), and they are magic together. The unspoken words, the odd circumstances, and the occasional baring of souls in a situation where conversation is essentially the entire film – kudos to the casting director.

There are a few other very small roles played by Bonnie Hunt and a few other actors you may recognize, but there is a third main character: Tyler. His history, presence, and relationships with each of these two people are the primary driving forces in the movie. Without Tyler and the continual will-he/wo n’t-he question (in all of its iterations) hanging over each day, the tension that begins with his absence and slowly morphs into Diane and Jamie diving deep into their memories doesn’t exist. It’s a beautiful, unique catalyst.

Miss You, Love You is a slow-burning, dialogue-heavy character study that explores parent-child relationships and the changes and expectations that exist. It brings up a lot of concepts that I haven’t seen addressed quite the same way, including feeling alone, wanting more for yourself, and really knowing who your children are as humans. It is theatrical at its core and richly nuanced, featuring two spectacular performers with electric chemistry. And although it is quiet and minimalistic, it is also extremely compelling. Good stuff.

Runtime: 97 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: TV-MA

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? Nope, but I felt emotional

My Rating: 3.75/5 Stars

Available: Free on Hulu and Max, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms