Reminders of Him (2026) Movie Review: A Conventional Romantic Melodrama Undone by Unexamined Consequences

In an industry where popular IP is more powerful than any movie star, Colleen Hoover has become a franchise in her own right. The controversial writer of romantic fiction had her novel “It Ends With Us” turned into a divisive film that became an odd cultural and legal flashpoint, yet still raked in significant profits. Hollywood has responded abruptly by putting several Hoover adaptations into production, mirroring a similar trend that emerged two decades prior during the rise of Nicolas Sparks.

Hoover’s novels tend to have recurring themes of seemingly mismatched lovers who are told their relationship isn’t possible, women in danger, and flashback structures that reveal past trauma. “Reminders of Him” is slightly more functional than prior Hoover adaptations based on the strength of its performances, but the film raises so many questions about its convoluted story that it’s hard to buy into its authenticity.

Although it takes an oddly long time for the film to reveal what it is actually about, “Reminders of Him” is the story of Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe), an ex-convict who has just been released from her seven-year prison sentence after a drunk driving incident that claimed the life of her fiancé, Scott Landry (Rudy Pankow).

Kenna gave birth to a daughter, Diem (Zoe Kosovic), shortly after being imprisoned, but was prevented from having any contact by Scott’s parents, Grace (Lauren Graham) and Patrick (Bradley Whitford), who blamed her for their son’s death. Diem still has a strong paternal figure in her life in the form of Ledger Ward (Tyriq Withers), an ex-NFL player who was Scott’s best friend. Kenna’s first mission upon being released is to make contact with her daughter, but complications arise when she begins to fall for Ledger.

The core issue with Hoover’s work, or at least in the ways it’s been translated cinematically, is that it uses a seemingly formulaic premise of romantic tragedy to prompt a strained melodrama. At the heart of “Reminders of Him” is a difficult question about what people can do to be free of the “reminders” of the past; Ledger is reminded of his best friend’s death whenever he’s with Diem, and Kenna is attempting to move forward in her life whilst also preserving her husband’s legacy by protecting their daughter. The issue is that there’s not much learned about Scott that makes him a distinctive character, leaving the rest of his relationships feeling unfulfilled.

“Reminders of Him” dances around its more serious topics with distracting thematic strains. Ledger is strangely saddled with a degree of guilt because he was not present enough in Scott’s life, and had apparently been out of contact for long enough that he didn’t even recognize Kenna (which would seem impossible given public court records). Kenna’s role in the accident is justified as an accident that could have just as easily claimed her own life, but “Reminders of Him” is so desperate to victimize her that she’s never tasked with any feelings of responsibility.

There’s a potentially profound idea that “Reminders of Him” hints at regarding Kenna’s need for fulfillment by simply meeting with Diem, as she would not have been well-adjusted enough to take on the duties of maternity. However, once it becomes clear that her goal is to take custody of the child, despite having a completely fractured relationship with Scott’s parents, her intentions seem less pure.

Any film can be nitpicked for logical gaps, but “Reminders of Him” doesn’t address fundamental issues about the central relationship. Kenna and Ledger are able to keep their relationship secret from Grace and Patrick, despite making no efforts to hide it; there’s also a lack of interest in any other friends, colleagues, or co-workers in their lives beyond the barest of details, which makes both characters feel more insular.

Even though it supposedly takes place in a small town where they could live their lives more privately, “Reminders of Him” ignores the fact that this would be a big enough news story for Kenna to have some notoriety, and that Ledger would be a more significant figure of interest given his sports background.

Understanding the context of the characters’ lives is only part of the reason that their motivations don’t add up. That Ledger would take on the responsibilities of essentially raising a child is such a significant leap from their underdeveloped friendship that he can only be seen as a hero of indisputable chivalry, which makes it all the more grating when he’s occasionally framed as being unsympathetic for not wanting Kenna to be in contact with Diem. However, the more important issue is that there’s nothing that would suggest Kenna and Ledger would in any way be compatible; even when ignoring the tragedy that unites them, their personalities are so diametrically opposed that the only thing keeping them together is physical attraction.

That this glaring issue is even somewhat ignorable is a credit to the strength of the central performances, which elevate the material to such an alarming degree that it’s far easier to stomach the clumsier moments of “Reminders of Him.” Withers pulls off a minor magic trick; he’s a character who would seemingly be so perfect that he’d be obnoxious, but Withers brings out grace, humor, and humility to a character who has become burdened by his involvement in a different family. Monroe has a soft-spoken, disenfranchised quality to her performance that suits the somber notes that “Reminders of Him” should theoretically be aiming for. It’s maybe not the best fit for the tone that director Vanessa Caswill ended up making, but it’s hard to deny her chemistry with Withers.

Other than a strong monologue from Whitford, whose conviction hasn’t dipped at all since his most famous role on “The West Wing,” “Reminders of Him” plays out in the exact way that one might imagine, including a few hairbrained twists that sew up loose threads in an overly convenient way. While not incompetently made, the use of slowed-down cover songs and bright, poppy lighting makes it feel better suited for network television than a theatrical feature. It’s mildly impressive that “Reminders of Him” is in any way able to overcome its source material, but its rare flourishes of impact from the actors are enough to make it disappointing that they weren’t in a better film.

Read More: In Response to “They Don’t Make ‘Em Like They Used To”: Rom Com Edition

Reminders of Him (2026) Movie Links: IMDb, Rotten Tomatoes, Wikipedia, Letterboxd

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