One Direction fans share verdict on Harry Styles ‘fanfic’ film The Idea of You

‘I’m having uncanny experiences watching this,’ one viewer said

Anne Hathaway’s latest film The Idea of You has been released on Prime Video and One Direction fans are sharing their verdict of the adaptation on social media.

The Idea of You by Robinne Lee, which was published 2017 and became a TikTok-aided smash in 2020, tells the story of a mother (Hathaway) who falls in love with a pop star (Nicholas Galitzine) who is based on former One Direction member Harry Styles.

Following the film’s release, fans of the band noted the movie’s fictional group August Moon is eerily similar to One Direction.

“The One Direction consultant on The Idea of You did their job kind of scarily well,” wrote one person on X/Twitter, adding they were having “uncanny experiences” watching the film.

“This movie would put 15 year old One Direction obsessed me in a coma,” another viewer joked.

Further fans were shocked at how accurate Galitzine’s performance of the Styles inspired character is. “He’s exactly like Harry,” wrote one user, while another added the film is the “closest thing” fans will get to a One Direction reunion “any time soon”.

Other viewers disliked the One Direction based story line, calling the premise “cringe” and “so cheesy” they had to stop watching.

Nicholas Galitzine and Anne Hathaway in ‘The Idea of You’ (© Amazon Content Services LLC)

“The band in The Idea of You is supposed to be a One Direction dupe but they just sound like Maroon 5 to me,” one person claimed.

Available to stream on Prime Video now, the film follows the unexpected romance between a 40 year old divorcee and a pop star in his 20s.

The Idea of You has received solid reviews with The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey praising the film for striking a “nice balance between wholesome and sultry”.

Lee, who wrote the source text, has confirmed the pop star character was inspired by Harry Styles, as well as Prince Harry and her ex-boyfriends.

The author told The Independent she is fed up of being asked about Harry Styles. “It’s very frustrating,” she said. “I’m like, come on guys! What happened to the 22 other men I used to make this character? It feels very reductive.”