“Reminders of Him” An Emotional Story About Grief and Loss
- Matt Palmer
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
The literary phenomenon from No. 1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover becomes a transformative film about motherhood, forgiveness and the power of love to overcome the worst mistake. After a perfect outing with her boyfriend, Kenna makes an unbearable mistake that sends her to prison.
Seven years later, Kenna returns to her hometown in Wyoming, hoping to rebuild her life and earn the chance to reunite with her young daughter, Diem, whom she has never known. When Diem’s custodial grandparents adamantly refuse Kenna’s attempts to see her daughter, Kenna discovers unexpected compassion, and then something truer and deeper, with former NFL player and local bar owner Ledger.
As their secret romance develops, so do the dangers for both of them, leading Kenna toward heartbreak and, ultimately, the hope for a second chance.
“Reminds of Him” is the third film adaptation of a Colleen Hoover novel, after “It Ends with Us” and last year’s “Regretting You.” Just like the previous two adaptations, this film adaptation of the novel will surely be well-liked by Colleen Hoover fans.
“Reminders of Him” delivers an emotional, tear-jerker storyline, some strong performances and a focus on redemption, forgiveness and motherhood.
Actress Maika Monroe (who has recently been in “Longlegs” and the not so great Hulu movie “The Hand That Rocks the Cradle”) does a really great job with her portrayal of Kenna. In quite a few of her scenes, Monroe is absolutely terrific, bringing the right amount of vulnerability to a character seeking redemption. Her performance manages to convey deep sorrow while also avoiding being really melodramatic.
Lauren Graham and Bradley Whitford also do a fine job portraying the grieving parents of her late boyfriend who has custody of her daughter. Now, while their screen time is
kind of limited, the actors bring gravitas and emotion to their roles perfectly. And, honestly, the character who absolutely steals the show is Diem (Kenna’s little girl). Throughout the movie, Diem makes a memorable impact on the story and is just simply adorable.
“Reminders of Him” also dives into themes of exploration of grief, love and redemption that can be rather deeply emotional. The movie does an outstanding job with its sincere and heartbreaking portrayal of grief, particularly how it affects both Kerra and the family of her late boyfriend, Scotty. During some of those moments of grief, they can easily successfully tug at your heartstrings.
Also the primal drive for a mother to be reunited with her child is one of the major highlights of this adaptation as it creates a strong sympathetic bond between the audience and Kenna. The relationship between Kenna and Ledger is also a touching example of how love can heal even shattered hearts.
While “Reminders of Him” has some romantic moments between Ledger and Kenna throughout their secret romance, the movie also delivers some moments that can get rather emotional. There’s a high-tension scene that features Patrick (Scotty’s father) punching Ledger after discovering his support for Kenna, highlighting the deep-seated anger that still remains within Scotty’s family.
A few other moments that I thought really stood out in the movie include: a scene where Kenna runs out of the supermarket she works at to try to see Diem as they quickly pull away from the parking lot, when Grace (Scotty’s mother) makes the decision to finally forgive Kenna (a really pivotal moment) and the long-awaited moving reunion between Kenna and Diem.
“Reminds of Him” is a restrained, emotional romantic drama adapted from Hoover’s novel that delivers a grounded and sincere story. It’s a drama that really succeeds in delivering a satisfying, emotional story for fans of the genre and the source material.
Cast: Maika Monroe (Kenna Rowan); Tyriq Withers (Ledger Ward); Rudy Pankow (Scotty Landry); Lauren Graham (Grace Landry); Bradley Whitford (Patrick Landry); Lainey Wilson (Amy); Jennifer Robertson (Ruth Clayton); Zoe Kosovic (Diem Landry)
Writer/director: Colleen Hoover (writer) (also based on the novel by); Lauren Levine (writer); Vanessa Caswell (director) (Love at First Sight)
MPA: Rated PG-13 for sexual content, strong language, drug content, some violent content, and brief partial nudity (runtime 114 minutes)
The film debut of Lainey Wilson.
Mikey Madison declined the lead female role.
Based on a book by Colleen Hoover. Other film adaptations of her books include Ends With Us (2024) and Regretting You (2025) with more scheduled to come.
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