It feels like just yesterday that I had no idea who Colleen Hoover was. That was the past. Now, after three film adaptations of her work, I’m pretty familiar with what she brings to the table. So far we’ve gotten It Ends With Us—a movie that became more known for what happened during filming than what ended up on screen—and Regretting You, which left me with pretty mixed feelings. While I know Hoover’s books are hugely popular, I can’t really speak to how the adaptations land with readers. I’m just not plugged into that world.
Now we get Reminders of Him, which, for me, feels like the saddest of the bunch so far.
Kenna (Maika Monroe) has just been released from prison after serving seven years for the biggest mistake of her life. After celebrating her boyfriend Scotty’s (Rudy Pankow) birthday, the two are involved in a car accident on a remote road that leaves Scotty dead. Kenna is held responsible, and after serving her sentence she returns to the town she once called home with one goal: to see the daughter she and Scotty had together.
That’s easier said than done. Scotty’s parents, Grace (Lauren Graham) and Patrick (Bradley Whitford), blame Kenna for their son’s death and have no intention of letting her anywhere near their granddaughter.
While trying to reconnect with the life she left behind, Kenna visits the bookstore she and Scotty used to frequent—only to find it’s now a bar. Behind the counter is Ledger (Tyriq Withers), who just happens to have been Scotty’s best friend. When Ledger realizes who Kenna is, he initially wants nothing to do with her. But Kenna is determined. She wants to see her daughter, no matter what it takes.
Before long, the two begin spending time together, and feelings start to develop. Despite everything working against her, Kenna begins to wonder if Ledger might be the one person who can help her reach the only thing she truly wants.
Written by Lauren Levine and Colleen Hoover, adapting Hoover’s novel, Reminders of Him tells its story from three different perspectives while trying to balance that emotional weight with a budding romance. At its core, the film is about grief, and one thing it actually does well is allowing the audience to understand—and experience—the grief of each character. Because of that, the story doesn’t really have a clear villain. Instead, it’s a world filled with people trying to survive the aftermath of the same tragedy.
Unfortunately, while Reminders of Him gets those emotional beats right, the story itself is still pretty formulaic. It’s a tale of remorse, responsibility, and second chances, but it struggles to overcome weaknesses in its narrative. Sadness reigns supreme here, complete with slow, melancholy covers of classic songs that make the whole thing feel like a melodrama you might stumble across on late-night television.
One thing you probably wouldn’t find there, though, is Maika Monroe’s performance. She carries the film with a quiet, restrained sadness and is easily the best thing about it. She’s genuinely convincing in the role, and for stretches she almost elevates the material around her.
Almost.
Unfortunately, it’s not enough to save the movie. The film spends too much time telling you how you should feel instead of trusting the audience to feel something on their own. I honestly think this would have been a much better movie if it had focused solely on the grief and left the love story out of it entirely.
That’s ultimately why I can’t get behind Reminders of Him. I didn’t need a story about a grieving woman who ends up hooking up with her dead boyfriend’s best friend—especially when the film goes so far as to have them compare who was better in bed at one point. We deserved better, and so did Monroe.
Instead, it ends up being yet another reminder that I probably won’t be picking up a Colleen Hoover novel anytime soon. If the movies are any indication, the stories just aren’t very good.
