Reminders of Him review: A heartfelt but ordinary addition to the Colleen Hoover canon

Colleen Hoover’s third book adaptation probably isn't anything that we weren’t expecting. Directed by Vanessa Caswill, Reminders of Him has all the everyday, hallmark features of the constantly expanding Hooververse – a great cast, a light tug on the heartstrings and enough cheesiness to clog the arteries.

Reminders of Him puts the usually blood-soaked Maika Monroe in a role far removed from the laboured-breathing, scream queen territory she’s usually found. This time around, she plays Kenna Rowan, a young woman who has recently been released from prison following an unthinkable, tragic mistake involving her boyfriend Scotty (Rudy Pankow). She returns to town hoping for a chance at redemption and, most importantly, to be reunited with the daughter she barely knows.

Though Hoover has previously mentioned she deliberately set the story in an ambiguous location – if the guitar strumming, country-infused soundtrack is anything to go by, we appear to be in a small town somewhere in a southern state. And if that didn’t quite make it clear, there’s also a debut film role for Grammy award-winning country artist and Yellowstone alum Lainey Wilson, who pops up in a handful of welcome scenes as Kenna’s friend Amy – when her background vocals aren’t reminding us that Kenna may in fact have a 'Heart Like a Truck', that is.

The film’s cast is perhaps its greatest saving grace. Monroe is, expectedly, a natural fit for Kenna. With so much tragedy in Kenna’s past, Monroe draws on her horror pedigree to weave threads of tension and sympathy into a performance that without her would likely not have commanded quite as much attention. Monroe has long had a knack for stealing the screen, and here she manages to elevate the occasional early noughties, straight-to-DVD energy of the film with some natural charisma.

Meanwhile, Withers offers a spin of the ‘rough-around-the-edges-but-still-a-nice-guy’ archetype in the form of Ledger, the bar owner Kenna finds herself involved with. Previously best known for his leading role in Justin Tipping’s Him (2025), Withers finds some comfortable footing here as a potential future heartthrob. He quickly builds some convincing chemistry with Monroe, such that you are entertained throughout by the prospect of their sometimes nonsensical, half-forbidden love story.

Gilmore Girls’ beloved Lauren Graham and the Emmy award-winning Bradley Whitford are also convincing in their supporting roles, as well as Zoe Kosovic as Diem – who steers clear of many of the familiar child actor clichés and comes off as relatively heartwarming in her scenes. There’s enough decency in the cast to strengthen what would otherwise be a fairly basic script – occasionally awkward dialogue and all.

The story itself is also engaging enough. An emotional tale of a mother wanting to reunite with her child is almost always going to carry the potential to be at least a little impactful. Reminders of Him never escapes being predictable, yet somehow manages to spark curiosity in its audience – a desire to see the final moments play out; to learn how and when Kenna might be reunited with the daughter she obviously deserves to be with.

Visually, the film is also simplistic but pleasant, offering some cozy, southern state, golden hour sunsets and warm colouring – as well as (as Monroe put it) a ‘great orange truck’. It’s nothing wildly adventurous, but it slots itself decently within the wider atmosphere of the film.

Reminders of Him also sticks closely to its source material. While there are some tweaks in how the relationship between Kenna and Ledger unfolds – changes that sometimes act in the film’s detriment – it also manages to successfully sidestep certain, more eye-roll moments of the book (such as the slightly silly explanation for the name of Kenna’s daughter, Diem). For better or for worse, fans of the original novel are bound to be pleased with the film's recreation.

Reminders of Him isn’t about to reinvent the romantic drama wheel – won't even spin it, in fact – and will find its most enthusiastic audience among self-titled-era Swifties rather than die-hard cinephiles. What it does offer, though, is 114 minutes of saccharine, guilty pleasure – a film that manages to well balance some stereotypical fluff with a sweet little tale of family, forgiveness and love. It’s inoffensive, tear-jerking, easy watching that, just like the rest the CoHo canon, will probably do just fine at the box office.

Reminders of Him will be released in cinemas on Friday 13 March 2026.

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