When we first heard about Maika Monroe starring in the next Colleen Hoover adaptation, it was a surprise, given that the actress is most famous for horror movies. Now that I’ve experienced her playing Kenna in the romantic drama, I couldn’t imagine anyone else in the role, especially after experiencing the affecting ending. SPOILERS AHEAD.
At the end of Reminders Of Him, Maika Monroe’s Kenna finally gets the chance to meet her own daughter after missing her whole life so far, after being named responsible for the death of her boyfriend Scotty and taken to prison. But, thanks to a change of heart from Lauren Graham’s Grace, inspired by Tyriq Withers’ Ledger learning the truth about what really happened that night, Kenna is finally given the chance to meet Diem.
I found it to be so sweet and emotional to watch Kenna as she gets to experience the presence of Diem for the first time as she invites her to play with her in the backyard. And, I wanted to cry as she told her she’s her mother. Here’s what Monroe said about filming the memorable sequence in the book-to-screen adaptation:
Kudos to [director Vanessa Caswill]. I mean, there's challenges with working with a kid, just because there's not really any marks. You kind of just have to go with the flow, but also, there's beauty in that. So I didn't really know exactly what she was gonna do or where she was gonna move to. So, there was like a rawness to it where it was just kind of like seeing what happens and how it unfolded. But it was a very special scene to film.
Diem is played by newcomer actress Zoe Kosovic (who was also in last year’s The Smashing Machine). As Monroe shared during our interview, since Kosovic is so young, it’s not exactly a scene she could completely plan, but there was something really genuine about that part of filming that scene in particular.
During our Reminders of Him interviews with Monroe and Withers, Monroe called Kosovic “literally a bright light on set”. She recalled having Taylor Swift dance parties with the young actor, but shared that the young girl never actually learned her real name. Withers said he is also known by Kosovic as Ledger, even though they became “besties” on set, just like the characters are in the movie.
Lauren Graham also gushed about the young actor, saying she thinks it’s “kind of unbelievable that she exists.” The Gilmore Girls actress told us that the young girl was “so happy” to be on set, “never complained” and would “get sad” at the end of every day she was there. It sounds like the secret to the sweetness of Reminders of Him was some real chemistry and love between the cast for their youngest co-star.
Now that you’ve seen the movie, you can see if you agree with what critics are saying, including our own Reminders Of Him review. You can also see what other 2026 movie releases and upcoming book-to-screen adaptations are on the way next!
