Reminders of Him is the latest adaptation of a Colleen Hoover novel. In Regretting You, the previous film based on one of Hoover’s books, two people suddenly die in a freak car accident. This leads to an unlikely romance between two individuals who were previously involved with the dearly departed. Some find the relationship inappropriate, but love and second chances triumph over tragedy. In Reminders of Him, someone suddenly dies in a freak car accident. This leads to an unlikely romance between two individuals, one of whom was previously involved with the dearly departed. Some find the relationship inappropriate, but love and second chances triumph over tragedy. So, Reminders of Regretting You might’ve been a more fitting title.
Even if Hoover’s fingerprints are all over Reminders of Him, it’s not a complete carbon copy of Regretting You. The chemistry between Maika Monroe’s Kenna and Tyriq Withers’ Ledger injects some life into the familiar setup. Recently released from prison, Kenna committed vehicular manslaughter, which resulted in the death of her boyfriend Scotty (Rudy Pankow). Between Reminders of Him and Outer Banks, Pankow has a way of playing spirited souls who die young. Kenna was pregnant with Scotty’s child, giving birth while incarcerated. Her daughter Diem now lives with her grandparents (Lauren Graham, Bradley Whitford). Ledger was Scotty’s best friend, becoming a surrogate uncle to Diem. This makes things complicated when he starts falling for Kenna, knowing that Scotty’s parents want nothing to do with her.
For all of its issues, I kind of had a soft spot for Regretting You. Something similar can be said about Reminders of Him. I’ve admittedly never read one of Hoover’s books, but on a cinematic level, she’s becoming the more entertaining version of Nicholas Sparks. The adaptations of her books aren’t above emotional manipulation or simplifying what would be a nuanced situation if this were real life. Yet, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have fun with these sappy melodramas, in the same sense people have fun with Hallmark movies. That doesn’t mean there aren’t apparent problems.
Scotty is an angelically perfect archetype. While his relationship with Kenna sets things into motion, it comes off as underdeveloped. To the film’s credit, it doesn’t turn Scotty’s parents into one-dimensional villains. They have a legitimate reason for wanting to distance Diem from Kenna. At the same time, we don’t get to know much about the parents other than that they love their granddaughter and miss their son. There aren’t many layers to them as characters, making their ultimate decision feel rushed. We also get a handful of side characters who mainly exist to deliver one-liners and introduce subplots that don’t go anywhere.
Regardless, there is an appealing rapport between Withers and Monroe that keeps the movie afloat. Withers, in particular, finds a nice balance between grieving his best friend and wanting to do right by his family, yet can’t deny the feelings he’s developing for Kenna. Monroe is also convincing as a woman who desperately wants a relationship with her daughter, but not at the risk of upending her life. The story has the bones of a family drama that could go to some thought-provoking places. Of course, this is a Colleen Hoover adaptation, so it’s not gonna dig too deep. For what it is, though, Reminders of Him is well-acted, charming, and just memorable enough.