Reminders of Him (2026)
Directed by: Vanessa Caswill
Premise: Based on the book by Colleen Hoover. A woman (Maika Monroe) is released from prison and befriends her deceased boyfriend’s best friend (Tyriq Withers) while attempting to reunite with her five-year-old daughter.
What Works: Reminders of Him improves in its second half. Most of the clumsier aspects of the film’s opening fall away and the filmmakers effectively hit the appropriate emotional buttons. The romance between Kenna and Ledger finds its rhythm and the two actors are eventually convincing and likable together. The best part of Reminders of Him is its themes of grief and parenthood. Kenna wants to connect with her daughter and their climactic reunion is pitched right. The filmmakers and actress Maika Monroe apply a light touch to the scene which is quite effective. Ledger has become an uncle to Kenna’s daughter and these scenes have a vivid sense of paternal love. Reminders of Him is set in Laramie, Wyoming (although it was shot in Alberta, Canada). It’s nice to see that community be well represented since Laramie’s name was wrongly dragged through the mud for decades following the 1998 murder of Matthew Shephard. The rural landscape is shot well and gives Reminders of Him a specific sense of place.
What Doesn’t: Reminders of Him gets off to a rocky start. The early part of the film includes awkward narration. The music and visual style are far too upbeat and incongruent with this story and its themes of grief. The key weakness of Reminders of Him is its protagonist. Actress Maika Monroe does a good job as Kenna, a recently released ex-convict who wants to see her daughter. Kenna is not an interesting character. She doesn’t have much depth beyond being sad. Kenna was driving during the automobile accident that caused the death of her boyfriend but Kenna’s culpability and guilt are never really addressed. Kenna befriends Ledger, the best friend of her now deceased boyfriend. The film sets them on a path toward romance but Kenna and Ledger’s early scenes together are awkward and forced. Some parts of Reminders of Him don’t make sense. Kenna and her former boyfriend were planning to get married and Ledger was his best friend but somehow they never met and Ledger doesn’t even know what Kenna looks like. Characters coincidently show up in places out of narrative convenience and employers openly discriminate against Kenna for her ex-con status which is illegal.
Bottom Line: Reminders of Him does just enough right. It delivers the emotional beats that fans of Colleen Hoover expect. Reminders of Him is also clumsy and frequently unbelievable.
Episode: #1091 (March 22, 2026)