Reminders Of Him Review: The Best Colleen Hoover Movie Is Here

In the paperback fiction world, Colleen Hoover has consistently put out big hits in the romance genre. And in the past few years, Hollywood has been trying to replicate that viral success with a series of adaptations of her bestselling works. However, that endeavor quickly went a bit sideways with the controversial media frenzy surrounding It Ends With Us, followed by last year’s Regretting You not making much of an impact to overshadow it. However, the latest Hoover adaptation, Reminders Of You, shows that sometimes the third time’s a charm.

Based on the 2022 novel of the same name, Reminders Of Him, follows Kenna (Maika Monroe) as she returns to her former home of Paradise, Wyoming after seven years in prison for charges related to the death of her boyfriend Scotty (Rudy Pankow). She has to start from scratch with a barebones studio apartment and knock on doors for literally any job that will take someone with a record. Just as the audience starts to ask why she’d return to a place that seems to be rejecting her, we learn that she’s there in hopes of meeting the young daughter that was taken away from her before she could even lay her eyes on her.

Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers’ chemistry delivers on a level deeper than typical Hollywood romances.

Monroe, who is best known by horror fans for her roles in Longlegs and It Follows, gives a well-rounded and believable performance that’s devoid of the kind of melodrama a movie like this could easily become led by another actress. She gives an introverted performance helped by the letters her character writes and narrates the movie with to her former love in composition notebooks that she carries everywhere with her. Kenna’s quietly captivating presence is noticed by a local bartender Ledger (Tyriq Withers) when she stumbles into his establishment hoping for a late-night cup of coffee.

Withers, who has also made a name for himself recently in scary movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer and Him, also gets to show a different side of his range with his sweet, vulnerable performance as Ledger, who happened to be Scotty’s best friend and like a pseudo father to Kenna’s daughter since his old buddy passed. While the attraction between Kenna and Ledger is immediate, there’s an innocence to it, and it’s something that feels natural to the storyline as they get to know each other. It’s a nice change of pace from a lot of Hollywood romances lately that have felt more like producers smashed together two bankable stars in hopes sparks will fly for the heck and cash of it all.

As the movie goes on, Kenna and Scotty bond over a shared love for the same little girl, and their shared loss of Scotty. In a world where love stories can often be dramatized as being toxic or impossible, there’s a wholesome and serendipity about the story of these two that feels grounded – while also having a smidge of the kind of fantasy-like, passionate love affair one would hope from a big-screen romance. But, perhaps the biggest surprise of the movie is how it’s more of an endearing family drama before being a romance at all. Those movies are certainly few and far between on a major studio’s slate, and it’s nice to experience again.

Vanessa Caswill’s direction gracefully balances the story's light and darkness.

One thing that sets Reminders Of Him apart from the other Colleen Hoover adaptations is it's the first script the writer worked on herself. She penned the screenplay alongside movie producer Lauren Levine (on top of earning her own typical producer credit).

Another major strength of the movie director Vanessa Caswill, whose last film Love At First Sight, was also a very strong book adaptation of a modern romance novel. Caswill has an affinity for capturing the delicate human moments that can make the genre so good and cry-worthy in a way that quietly boils within you as you watch. She uses everything from the wistful score, breathtaking shots of the setting and some gorgeous framing of shots to make us feel the movie's emotions even more.

The movie is also filled with a lot more funny moments (that work) in between. One highlight is the use of Monika Myers, who made history for being Canada’s first runway model with Down syndrome. The actress brings a sweet round of laughs throughout the film as Kenna’s neighbor and co-worker as Kenna struggles to be granted the ability to see her daughter.

Then, there’s the young actress who plays Kenna’s daughter Diem, Zoe Kosovic, who’s completely adorable, and presence in the film really helps anchor everything else going on. The only shortcoming among the cast perhaps is how Reminders Of Him beautifully casted Lauren Graham and Bradley Whitford as Diem’s grandparents (and Scotty’s parents) but doesn’t really fully know what to do with them or weave them effectively into the storyline. Throughout the movie, there’s a coldness to them that doesn’t match the rest of the story, and one has to wonder if some of their scenes were cut for time.

Reminders Of Him has a meaningful message about parenthood, too.

Now, the third act's explanation of things aren't exactly well-constructed, but as the movie’s buttery premise chugs along, and if you're in on the emotional stakes, it won't bother you too much. The movie ends up having quite a bit to say, from the story of a mother’s bond with her child despite never meeting her to shedding light on what it’s like for someone to start anew after serving time in prison. It feels like a worthy story to tell (albeit a more simplified exploration of the tale).

As Reminders Of Him goes on, there’s a longing from the audience that sets in over our hopes for Kenna and Diem to get to meet each other, and for forgiveness and healing to happen within the family. As you watch, there’s a warmth that bubbles up around each of the characters despite each of the chips on their shoulders that life has handed them. All in all, what we get from Reminders of Him is a lovely, life-affirming movie about how the complications of the world can drive families apart, and why they might need each other anyways.