The Reel Review
After serving seven years in prison for a fatal car accident, Kenna returns to Laramie, Wyoming to reconnect with the daughter she had while she was incarcerated – a daughter being raised by her would-have-been in-laws who blame her for their son’s tragic death. Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers and Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) star in this romantic drama based on Colleen Hoover’s 2022 novel.
Even with its very far-fetched melodramatic premise, the first-time screenplay from producer Lauren Levine (Confess, Bridge to Terabithia) isn’t the strongest. It is paint-by-numbers predictable, schmaltzy and at times even a bit cringey when the very predictable romance occurs between Kenna and her dead boyfriend’s best friend. Bradley Whitford (The West Wing) and Jennifer Robertson (Schitt’s Creek) at least round out a solid supporting cast.
Monroe (Longlegs, It Follows) and Graham, in particular, do provide a handful of heartfelt, lump-in-your-throat moments that will satisfy fans of the romantic drama genre. Reminders of Him just so predictable, corny and exhaustingly long, however, that it is quickly forgettable.
REEL FACTS
• Maika Monroe got the female lead after Oscar-winner Mikey Madison (Anora) declined the role.
•’This is the third film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novels after 2025’s Regretting You and 2024’s Ends with Us.
• Reminders of Him is the feature film debut for country singer Lainey Wilson (Yellowstone) who plays a grocery store assistant manager who befriends Kenna.
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