Reminders of Him Won’t Be Hard to Forget

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It’s possible future adaptations of Colleen Hoover’s books will be better, but this one isn’t it. Reminders of Him, the newest book from the popular BookTok author to be made into a movie, feels surprisingly flat and lacks the emotional impact of her other adaptations. Without the drama surrounding It Ends With Us or the over-the-top style of Regretting You, the film is simply… unremarkable. While the book might have worked, the movie version is forgettable and doesn’t leave a lasting impression.

Colleen Hoover is adapting her 2022 novel into a screenplay, collaborating with co-writer and co-producer Lauren Levine and director Vanessa Caswill. The story explores familiar themes from Hoover’s work: a woman from a humble background, a wealthy man who tries to introduce her to his world, a devastating event that separates them, and the possibility of forgiveness and starting over. This time, the story centers on Kenna (Maika Monroe), who fell in love with the privileged Scotty (Rudy Pankow) seven years ago. They were young and carefree, and after sharing a single cannabis edible, a car accident led to Scotty’s death. Kenna served six years in prison for driving under the influence and is now trying to rebuild her life in Laramie, Wyoming. These details are established early on and aren’t major plot twists.

The town constantly reminds Kenna of Scotty, especially through his friend Ledger (Tyriq Withers), who now runs the bookstore where Kenna and Scotty used to spend time. Ledger turned it into a popular bar after his football career ended. Initially, Kenna and Ledger misjudge each other, and the story uses flashbacks to reveal past conflicts. When Kenna and Scotty were together, Ledger was a successful athlete who didn’t take their relationship seriously. Kenna saw him as arrogant, someone who prioritized fame over friendship. Now, they begin to connect, though the reasons remain unclear. Despite being almost two hours long, the film lacks meaningful conversations between these characters, making their intense attraction feel unbelievable. They touch on Scotty and Kenna’s past, and Kenna’s time in prison, but there’s no defining moment that explains their connection. The film avoids deeper topics – family, class differences, college plans, or future aspirations – instead relying on familiar romantic tropes seen in movies like those by Nicholas Sparks: sparklers, rain-soaked embraces, and longing glances from pickup truck rides. It’s predictable, unoriginal, and feels like a challenge to see how little substance we’ll accept in a romance.

If the actors in Reminders of Him had better chemistry, the movie might have been more enjoyable. But films today often rely on predictable and uninspired sex scenes – the same poses, camera angles, and lack of genuine build-up. The connection between the characters feels forced; they spend time offering each other jobs and doing mundane tasks like cleaning, which doesn’t create the sense of intense attraction the story needs. Monroe is strongest at the beginning, when she plays a tough, guarded character, but she and her co-star lack the emotional spark needed to make their romance believable. Their connection feels flat and lifeless, like something completely lacking energy.

The film Reminders of Him suffers from a bigger issue: its lack of emotional risk. It feels like everyone involved was afraid to create a story that truly challenged the typical romance genre or made the audience question the characters’ actions. As a result, everyone is presented as fundamentally good, misunderstandings are easily resolved, and any wrongdoing is quickly forgiven. While this creates a peaceful atmosphere, it lacks the dramatic tension needed to make the film memorable. Ultimately, Reminders of Him doesn’t offer enough compelling conflict to leave a lasting impression.

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2026-03-14 15:54