Beautiful Disaster

Abby, who never miscalculates at a card table, arrives at college to get away from her past. She meets Travis, who fights in underground bouts, and starts by telling him she is not interested. A wager is made: Abby will stay in Travis's apartment for a month. Her estranged father and gambling debts come into it. Roger Kumble directed, from Jamie McGuire's 2011 novel. Dylan Sprouse plays Travis and Virginia Gardner plays Abby. The adaptation took a long road. Warner Bros optioned the rights in 2012 and dropped the project; the option passed to Voltage Pictures in 2020 and shooting began in 2021. It played in limited release through Fathom Events on 12 and 13 April 2023, went to digital platforms on 3 May 2023 and reached Hulu in August 2023. The international box office was 6.9 million dollars. Rotten Tomatoes sits at 29 percent from 7 reviews with a 4.5 average. A sequel, Beautiful Wedding, followed on 24 January 2024. Who it is for: readers of the book and anyone who likes new adult romantic adaptations. Who it is not for: viewers who expect jealousy and controlling behaviour to be questioned. The film presents them as signs of romance.