Starring: Julia Stiles, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Larisa Oleynik, Jenna Ortega Genre: Dramedy / Romance / Coming-of-Age
Some Loves are Legendary. Parenting is a Battlefield.
10 Things I Still Hate About You brings the Stratford sisters back to the screen, 27 years after they first captured our hearts. The film explores what happens when the rebels grow up, only to find themselves fighting a new war on the home front.
The Rebel Becomes the Authority
Julia Stiles returns as Kat Stratford, now a fierce, renowned feminist author and professor. But life has delivered the ultimate twist of irony: Kat is now the overprotective parent. She is a single mother raising a 17-year-old daughter, Lena (played by the breakout star Jenna Ortega). Lena is the spitting image of her mother’s teenage self—abrasive, brilliantly opinionated, fiercely independent, and completely impossible to control. Kat finds herself in the shoes of her father, terrified of the world her daughter is navigating, leading to explosive, whip-smart verbal sparring matches that prove the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
The Cool Aunt & The Neurotic Uncle
Luckily, Kat isn’t alone. Joseph Gordon-Levitt returns as Cameron James, who has traded his schemes for a career as a slightly neurotic high school guidance counselor. He is happily married to the ever-bubbly Bianca (Larisa Oleynik), who now runs a successful lifestyle brand. Together, they form a chaotic support system, trying to help Kat navigate the horrors of modern dating apps—where chivalry is dead and ghosting is the norm—and the sheer terror of raising a Gen Z teen in a digital world.
A Tribute to a Legend
The emotional core of the film centers on grief and memory. The story handles the absence of Patrick Verona (originally played by the late Heath Ledger) with touching grace. It is revealed that Kat is a widow, and the shadow of that legendary high school romance still lingers over her life.
The nostalgia hits hard when Lena falls for an outsider with a familiar, charming grin and a bad reputation. This forces Kat to confront the beautiful, bittersweet memories of her own past. She must learn that protecting her daughter doesn’t mean locking her away, and that honoring the love she lost means allowing herself—and her daughter—to love again.
A Soundtrack for Two Generations
Filled with a soundtrack that blends 90s alt-rock bangers (Letters to Cleo, Save Ferris) with modern indie hits, the sequel captures the friction between generations. 10 Things I Still Hate About You is a story about the endurance of sisterhood, the messy reality of family, and how we can grow up without selling out. It reminds us that while people change, the things we hate—and love—about them remain the same.
Key Highlights:
- The Dynamic: The electric chemistry between Julia Stiles and Jenna Ortega as a mother-daughter duo who are too alike for their own good.
- The Tribute: A poignant subplot dedicated to the memory of Patrick Verona, handled with deep respect and emotional weight.
- The Comedy: Cameron (Gordon-Levitt) trying to understand TikTok trends and failing miserably as a guidance counselor.