Reminders of Him is a heartfelt movie that reminds us of the importance of human relationships in order to be happy. Like all Colleen Hoover movies, there is melodrama, specifically with classic rain-soaked confessions, but there is just as much of a focus on human relationships, making the movie stay with you long after you leave the theater. Reminders of Him was released in mid-March, and will remain in theaters until May of 2026.
The movie plot, based on Hoover’s 2022 novel, follows Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe) returning to her hometown after serving five years in prison for the reckless mistake that killed her boyfriend, Scotty Landry (Rudy Pankow). Desperately wanting to reconnect with her daughter, who has been raised by Scotty’s parents, Kenna struggles to prove to the town that she is not a villain and is worthy of knowing her daughter. The only person she feels she can confide in is Ledger Ward (Tyriq Withers), the local bar owner and close friend of her late boyfriend. As Kenna and Ledger become closer, their relationship becomes complicated, and Kenna struggles between doing what is best for her daughter, even if that means staying away from her, or fighting to be part of her life. As she struggles with this, Kenna’s past, and the truth about the night Scotty died, come to light.
This movie was beautifully and dramatically written, making it enjoyable to watch. I thought the acting was excellent, and throughout the movie felt empathy for Kenna, even though she was a charged felon. There were multiple flashbacks throughout the film, and Monroe did a great job of portraying Kenna’s character differently before and after she was arrested, showing profound character change. Monroe has been praised for portraying the main character with vulnerability and resilience, diving into the complexity of moral ambiguity, something I noticed and appreciated while watching. While the acting may be strong, there is a lack of originality with the plot, and at some points the film felt repetitive.
I’m pretty sure I was one of the only people who didn’t cry at the end, though. This is Hoover’s third novel that has been adapted into a movie. The other two movies, It Ends With Us and Regretting You, were both extremely well written and made me cry, so it was interesting that Reminders of Him, which was said to likely be a tear-jerker, didn’t.
Movie critics tend to hate predictability, and gave the film a rating of 46-50%, whereas audiences love it, and have rated the movie an 89%, averaging 54% on Rotten Tomatoes. Working on a smaller budget, the main characters were still able to do a phenomenal job of relaying themes of loss, love, and complexities of human relationships, and the movie was able to generate $18.3 million the weekend it was released.
Overall, I don’t think this is the best Colleen Hoover movie adaptation, but I think it is definitely worth a watch. The movie is just under two hours long. Get tickets here.
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