What is Never Again, the movie with Blake Lively that is a hit in the United States?

Behind its rosy exterior, this romantic drama is much darker than it seems…

Before being adapted for the big screen, Never Again was THE phenomenon of “booktok”, this section of the social network where Internet users share reading advice and discover the latest trends in novels. Sold over 8 million copies worldwide, and written by Colleen Hoover, four years after breaking through on the web, and two years after its sequel, Never Again is making its way to the cinema where it started strong at the American box office. Released on August 9, it reached second position just behind Deadpool & Wolverine. In the first, Ryan Reynolds, in the second Blake Lively – Hollywood's leading couple.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively, married and king of the box office? The last time it happened was in 1990

And while we now know that it was the actor's partner in the Lady Deadpool costume, the latter revealed that her husband actively participated in writing one of the scenes in her film – the rooftop one – well known to readers. She told E!News :

“He works on everything I do and I work on everything he does. So his victories and celebrations are mine, and mine are his.”

In France, the film is released this Wednesday. But behind its flowery and smooth appearance of a rom-com where a love triangle is mixed, Never Again hides a much less rosy reality where a couple descends into domestic violence…

Lily Bloom (Blake Lively) moves to Boston to open a flower shop. There, she meets a neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid (Justin Baldoni), with whom she ends up getting along rather well. But when the two end up dating, the relationship that until then seemed fulfilling and full of tenderness slowly turns into a waking nightmare. Just like her mother before her, Lily is a victim of domestic violence, suffering the beatings and psychological and physical abuse of a jealous, possessive and intrusive man. Will she find the courage to leave? Or will she stay?

A plot inspired in part by the author's parents' abusive relationship:

“I want everyone to know how grateful I am to my mother who took us out of that awful situation when I was little and brought us here, to this house that doesn't really feel like a home, but is full of love and joy. So thank you mom for making that difficult choice.”

For the film, Justin Baldoni, who also plays Ryle, is at the helm. Presented at first as a romance, the trailer begins like any good romantic comedy: a young woman meets a charming and mysterious man, they seduce each other and let their bodies express their passion. Then, as the words of “My tears riochet” by Taylor Swift – a great friend of the main actress – the dark subject is revealed, behind love and roses hides a serious theme that affects one in ten women in France, according to figures from the Fondation des Femmes.

“Either we break the cycle of violence, or it breaks us,” Lily declares as she closes this first preview. For her interpreter, faced with such a problem and the success of the novel, the challenge was considerable:

“This book resonates with so many people that it's amazing to play this character that so many people have connected with. And it's also a huge responsibility, it's kind of terrifying because what you have in mind is kind of impossible to achieve and everyone's imagination is slightly different.”

Behind its spectacular start on the other side of the Atlantic, for some critics, it is nevertheless necessary to recall that, despite its presentation “summer romance” and the young adult audience it targets, it is a drama about domestic violence. Misleading, isn't it? As the BBCwho considers the film as a “controversial blockbuster”the novel itself covers this serious theme of love and ready-made images: Ryle is a violent man, like all bad boys. For Vulture, Never Again remains superficial, the conversations between the women on the subject are brief, and the decisions and motivations of the characters are not explored in depth – everything is based on trauma: that of Lily having lived through an abusive relationship through that of her parents, and that of Riley suffering from the death of her brother.

In order to avoid any confusion and to remind people of the importance of talking about a subject as serious as that of violence, Justin Baldoni shared an essential note on his Instagram profile: “If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, help is available. Visit @nomoreorg for more information.”

Never again is released this Wednesday in France, and no, it's not a rom-com filled with good feelings. Will the film have the same success here as it did in the United States?