Spoilers for Reminders of Him are ahead! Read with caution, and see the book-to-screen adaptation in theaters now.
I’m a sucker for a romance. However, if I can’t buy into it, I check out quickly. Sadly, that happened to me with the Colleen Hoover adaptation that recently premiered on the 2026 movie schedule. Now, I do agree with our review of Reminders of Him. I liked it. There’s a lot going for this film, as it sees Kenna (Maika Monroe), a young mom, work to get to a place where she’s able to see her daughter again. However, the romance part of this story didn’t quite do it for me, even though I really wanted it to.
I Didn’t Buy Into Ledger And Kenna’s Romance
In Reminders of Him, Kenna’s boyfriend, Scotty (Rudy Pankow), dies in a tragic accident. She ends up going to prison for it and has a baby while she’s there. When she is finally freed, she goes back to Scotty’s hometown to find her daughter. There, she meets Ledger (Tyriq Withers), Scotty’s best friend, and a very important person in their daughter Diem’s life.
People Keep Calling Reminders Of Him Predictable, But Hold Up A Minute...
Pretty quickly, Ledger forgives Kenna for what happened – because the blame that was put on her was unwarranted. They also fall in love. However, that love was hard to buy into.
The movie, rightfully, puts the most focus on Kenna reuniting with her daughter. Ledger happens to be the person who can help her do just that. So, they spend a lot of time together; however, it’s almost always with the weight of Kenna’s kid and dead boyfriend on their shoulders.
Therefore, there’s not really time for them to develop a connection outside of this, honestly, traumatic experience that’s led them to this point.
At the start of the movie, before Ledger and Kenna realize who the other is, there is a spark of chemistry between them. However, that’s about it. So, it’s hard for me to buy into their relationship when literally all of it is developed in what seems to be a short period of time over one single situation.
I Needed A Montage Or A Few More Scenes That Showed Them Getting To Know Each Other More
I think my issue could have been easily fixed, too. All the movie needed was a couple of scenes that showed us Kenna and Ledger bonding outside of the situation with Diem. They had the chemistry, and I loved seeing Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers together. So, there was so much potential for their romance.
It was the circumstances that limited them. I had a very hard time believing they genuinely fell in love when they really only ever talked about Kenna, her daughter and the situation involving Scotty’s parents. It felt like insta-love under extremely tough circumstances, and I didn’t love that.
Really, I just needed a montage of them dating or getting to know each other. Or I could have used a few scenes of them having a fun time on dates. That’s it. Add like 10 minutes of that to the movie that establishes that time has passed and they’ve developed a relationship that goes past them figuring out things with Diem, and I’m in. Then, by the end of Reminders of Him, I would have really believed that they could stay together forever as one big happy family.
Now, don’t let this deter you. Reminders of Him has a good audience score on Rotten Tomatoes for a reason. I just wish that the romance between Ledger and Kenna had gone a little bit deeper, so by the time “I love you” was said, I would have been near tears, not just saying, “Well, I guess.”
