As with most of Colleen Hoover’s books, the storylines are often messy in some way and can involve a traumatic trigger. Reminders of Him meets that expectation. However, the film focuses more on heartwarming and heartbreaking moments than on a steamy romance build. Instead, it is a story driven by a mother who wants to reunite with her daughter.
Reminders of Him follows Kenna (Maika Monroe, Longlegs), who makes an unbearable mistake after a car crash involving her boyfriend that sends her to prison. Seven years later, Kenna returns to her hometown in Wyoming, hoping to rebuild her life and earn a chance to reunite with her young daughter, Diem, whom she has never known.
When Diem’s custodial grandparents refuse Kenna’s attempts to see her, Kenna finds unexpected compassion, and then something deeper, with Ledger (Tyriq Withers, HIM), a former NFL player and local bar owner. As their secret romance develops, the risks grow for both of them, leading Kenna toward heartbreak and, ultimately, the hope of a second chance.
“Reminders of Him has more emotional baggage with it.”
I was mainly familiar with director Vanessa Caswill’s work on the Netflix production of Love at First Sight, starring Haley Lu Richardson (Split, The White Lotus) and Ben Hardy (The Conjuring: Last Rites). The casting for both movies felt on par, leaning heavily on the main leads’ chemistry to make Caswill’s movies a better romantic experience. But Reminders of Him has more emotional baggage with it.
At first, Monroe and Withers’ on-screen chemistry was a little stale, mostly because the film began with their opposing ideas of one another. And like most romantic movies, it built up their inevitable urge to embrace one another. Arguably, it was the best-written couple in the last three Hoover books-turned-films, It Ends With Us and Regretting You, because it did not lose sight of the film’s focus: Kenna trying to see her daughter at all costs.
Consistently throughout the movie, I enjoyed Withers’ chemistry with rising kid actress Zoe Kosovic (The Smashing Machine), who played Diem. Their chemistry as a pseudo-father and daughter worked extremely well, with the movie showing their inside jokes. With a combination of camera work and acting, their scenes together felt intimate. The filming style of this movie reminded me of how the NBC show This Is Us was filmed with a free, handheld style that made the audience connect more with the family’s most private life moments.
“Reminders of Him tells a more believable and emotional story than the last two Hoover adaptations.”
Withers’ chemistry with his best friend at work, Roman (Nicholas Duvernay), creates a believable male friendship. Both actors bring out candid moments with each other and with the rest of the cast, especially when Monroe is added to the mix.
In a similar vein, Monroe and Monika Myers (Lady Diana) share several funny moments that fit Monroe’s character as someone new to town. Their friendship grows into something like a sisterhood. As a viewer, it helped me believe Kenna is genuinely trying to right her wrongs, even when others cannot see it.
Some gags, however, feel a little exploitative of Myers’ disability. They lean on a stereotype that people with Down syndrome are always direct and honest. That framing can imply that people with Down syndrome are less emotionally intelligent than those who do not have Down syndrome. Still, Reminders of Him is better than that at its best, especially in deeper conversations between Lady Diana and Kenna.
Where the film falls short is in showing why Scotty is seen as such a good partner to Kenna. Even in Ledger’s childhood memories, Scotty seems like a good guy, but there is little on screen to support the idea that he was exceptional. If the book handles this the same way, fair enough. The film, however, has room to fill those narrative gaps. Doing so would have made Kenna’s loss and Ledger’s loss of his best friend land with more weight.
Overall, Reminders of Him tells a more believable and emotional story than the last two Hoover adaptations. While It Ends With Us was a production nightmare and Regretting You made some questionable romance choices, this film has a stronger throughline and clearer messaging. The central conflict can still feel uneven at times. The tone is reminiscent of Nicholas Sparks films such as Dear John and The Longest Ride. For fans of those movies, this could be your next romance drama to watch.
