Reminders of Him Review: A Contrived Yet Slick Colleen Hoover Romance
The third major screen adaptation of BookTok-favorite author Colleen Hoover's novels arrives with Reminders of Him, a film that navigates a ludicrously plotted narrative with surprising slickness and emotional resonance. Directed by Vanessa Caswill from a script co-written by Hoover and Lauren Levine, this romance drama manages to find charm amidst its expected contrivances and overwrought trauma.
The Post-It Ends With Us Landscape
Nearly two years after the surprise success of It Ends With Us, Hollywood continues chasing that elusive adaptation magic. That earlier film proved that sentimental, female-led melodrama could still draw audiences, demonstrating that BookTok material needn't translate to schlocky cinema. However, the subsequent pipeline of follow-ups has faced diminishing returns, with last October's Regretting You nearly extinguishing enthusiasm for CoHo adaptations entirely.
Reminders of Him enters this complicated landscape, inviting both skepticism and lowered expectations from critics and audiences alike. Yet against these odds, the film delivers a surprisingly watchable experience that balances its problematic elements with genuine emotional moments.
Horror Actors Embracing Romance
The film's greatest strength lies in its casting of two primarily horror actors in dramatic romantic roles. Tyriq Withers, recently of Jordan Peele's Him, portrays Ledger, an ex-NFL player languishing in his Wyoming hometown. Opposite him, Longlegs star Maika Monroe plays Kenna, a woman recently released from prison after serving five years for vehicular manslaughter.
Withers demonstrates particular naturalism in his performance, bringing an alluring vulnerability to his character. Monroe, while slightly less convincing, still manages to ground her role in authentic emotion. Both actors successfully navigate the stock trauma elements of their characters, finding depth within what could have been one-dimensional roles.
A Plot Requiring Suspension of Disbelief
The central conflict demands significant audience accommodation. Set in 2026, the story hinges on the improbable premise that Ledger doesn't recognize Kenna as his late best friend's former girlfriend and the person responsible for his death. The script attempts to explain this through changed appearances and mugshot discrepancies, but the contrivance remains glaring.
Despite this foundational issue, the film develops a magnetic pull between these two haunted individuals. Ledger serves as surrogate father to the five-year-old daughter Kenna has never met, creating a complex tangle of grief, attraction, and forbidden connection. The combustible internal struggles of these characters become surprisingly compelling, with Monroe and Withers suggesting genuine emotional turmoil beneath the plot mechanics.
Technical Execution and Supporting Elements
Caswill's direction occasionally veers toward over-stylization, with music video-esque slow-motion sequences that sometimes undermine rather than enhance the mood. However, the film benefits from beautiful mountain vistas (Calgary standing in for eastern Wyoming) and an Americana soundtrack featuring Waxahatchee and Kacey Musgraves that casts a potent nostalgic spell.
The supporting cast, including Bradley Whitford and Lauren Graham as the grieving parents, along with country singer Lainey Wilson in an acting debut, provide solid performances despite limited screen time. A particularly sweet comic relief comes from Monika Myers as Kenna's roommate with Down syndrome.
Focus and Emotional Payoff
Where Reminders of Him succeeds most is in its tight focus on the central couple. Rather than expanding unnecessarily into broader social commentary about prison reintegration or other potential subplots, the film maintains laser concentration on the evolving relationship between Kenna and Ledger. This disciplined approach allows emotional moments to land effectively, from rain-soaked kisses to poignant voiceovers of Kenna's letters to her deceased boyfriend.
The $25 million studio budget shows in the production's lushness, with cinematography that genuinely befits the big screen experience. While the editing can feel choppy at times, the overall visual presentation supports the emotional weight of the narrative.
A Reminder of Better Times
Ultimately, Reminders of Him serves as exactly what its title suggests: a reminder of that brief period when It Ends With Us demonstrated the potential of Hoover adaptations to deliver sweeping sentimentality with genuine craft. While we cannot return to that pre-controversy moment, this film offers a more pleasurable echo than many expected.
The film manages to balance its contrived elements with enough genuine charm and emotional authenticity to warrant recommendation for romance genre fans willing to suspend disbelief. It represents neither the high point nor the low point of the CoHo adaptation pipeline, but rather a solid middle ground that suggests there may still be life in this particular cinematic trend.
Reminders of Him releases in Australian cinemas on March 12, with UK and US releases following on March 13.
