Reminders of Him Trailer, Fun Facts & Review

Reminders of Him Synopsis:

After seven years in prison, Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe) returns home seeking redemption and a chance to meet the daughter she’s never known. Ostracized by a community that refuses to forgive her, she finds an unexpected connection with Ledger Ward (Tyriq Withers), the only person willing to look past her tragic mistake. Together, they must decide if forgiveness is possible or if the ghosts of their shared past will keep Kenna’s family apart forever.

Genre: Drama, Romance

Release Date: In theaters March 13th, 2026

Reminders of Him Fun Facts:

From Horror to Romance:
Maika Monroe is widely known for starring in horror movies like It Follows (2014) and Longlegs (2024), earning her a reputation as a modern horror star. In this new film, she steps away from horror films to star in a romantic drama instead. She is joined by Bradley Whitford, who also starred in a famous horror movie (Get Out). It is a fun surprise to see these two horror veterans teaming up in a romantic drama movie.

Colleen Hoover’s Most Personal Project:
Unlike earlier adaptations of her book, Colleen Hoover collaborated with Lauren Levine to create the screenplay for this movie. This is also the first project for her own production company, Heartbones Entertainment. Hoover explained that this story is very personal to her; she wanted to be part of every decision to make sure the movie stayed true to the heart of the book.

Lainey Wilson’s First Feature Film Role:
Lainey Wilson, the famous country singer and star of the show Yellowstone, is in her first feature film role. She plays Amy, who is a friend of the lead character, Kenna. Fans are already speculating that she could provide original songs for the film's soundtrack.

Filmed in "Brokeback Mountain" Country:
Although the story takes place in Wyoming, the movie was actually filmed in Calgary and Alberta, Canada. The filmmakers used the same beautiful Rocky Mountain scenery seen in the famous movie Brokeback Mountain. These rugged and beautiful landscapes help show the deep feelings of the story.

Strategic Release Date:
The movie was originally set for release in February, just in time for Valentine’s Day weekend. However, Universal changed the date to March 13th to avoid competing with the new Wuthering Heights adaptation starring Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi. This new date gives Reminders of Him a better chance to be the most popular romance movie of the spring.

The Year of CoHo:
2026 is going to be an exciting year for fans of Colleen Hoover. Two of her books are adapted into movies! First, Reminders of Him comes out in March, and later this year, the highly anticipated movie adaptation of her suspenseful novel Verity, featuring Dakota Johnson, Anne Hathaway, and Josh Hartnett, is also expected to hit theaters.

Source: youtube, wikipedia

Reminders of Him Review:

Reminders of Him is the newest addition to the ever-growing collection of movies based on Colleen Hoover’s massive library of bestselling books. This film is directed by Vanessa Caswill, who you might know from the charming Love at First Sight, and it marks a major improvement over last fall’s disappointing adaptation of Regretting You. Rather than leaning into melodrama, the movie delivers a realistic and deeply emotional story about the struggles of motherhood and the difficult path to earning a second chance.

The story centers on Kenna Rowan (Maika Monroe), who delivers a performance that is both fragile and deeply moving. After spending seven years in prison for a tragic car accident that claimed the life of her boyfriend, Scotty (Rudy Pankow), Kenna finally returns to her hometown. She has one goal in mind, but it’s a heartbreaking one: she wants to meet her daughter, Diem, whom she was forced to give up while she was incarcerated.

Standing in Kenna’s way are Scotty’s grieving parents, Grace and Patrick, played by the talented duo of Lauren Graham and Bradley Whitford. Their performances perfectly capture the pain of a family that hasn't moved on. Along with them, the entire town seems to have a long memory, refusing to let Kenna forget the mistake that changed everything.

Her only hope for a friend is Ledger Ward (Tyriq Withers), who was Scotty’s best friend and now runs a local bar. Ledger finds himself in a complicated spot: he feels he should stay loyal to his late friend's memory, yet he can’t ignore his growing attraction to Kenna, the very woman responsible for the tragedy.

Maika Monroe is mostly famous for her roles in hit horror movies like Longlegs and It Follows, which earned her the nickname "Scream Queen." However, in Reminders of Him, she proves she is much more than a genre star; she is a powerhouse dramatic actress. Instead of playing a character who screams or has loud, explosive emotional outbursts, she uses small, subtle gestures and long, heavy silences to show the audience her deep desperation and the weight of her past.

Monroe takes a "less is more" approach to the role, which makes the character feel incredibly real. Much of Kenna’s pain isn't spoken out loud. Monroe uses her facial expressions and body language to show the exhaustion of a woman who has spent years in a cell thinking about her mistakes.

Even when she is in a room full of people, Monroe plays Kenna as if she’s still a ghost in her own hometown, uncertain if she even has the right to occupy space. Rather than crying for sympathy, she shows a woman who is her own harshest judge. She isn't "performing" her sadness; she’s living it.

For fans who only know her from scary movies, this role is a revelation. It shifts the focus from her ability to handle a "final girl" chase scene to her ability to carry a heavy, character-driven drama.

Lauren Graham and Bradley Whitford provide the emotional backbone of the movie, bringing a level of credibility that makes the conflict feel incredibly grounded. Instead of playing "villains" who are just mean for the sake of the plot, they portray parents who are simply paralyzed by their own loss. Their grief feels real and authentic, showing the audience that their anger toward Kenna isn't coming from ill will but from a deep, unhealed wound.

You understand why they are scared to let Kenna back into their lives. They aren't trying to be cruel; they are trying to protect their granddaughter, Diem. To them, Kenna is a living reminder of the worst day of their lives, and their primary instinct is to keep that trauma away from the child they’ve raised.

Seeing these two heavyweights share the screen is a treat. They have a natural chemistry that makes them feel like a couple who have spent decades leaning on each other through the hardest possible circumstances.

Although the story is set in Wyoming, Reminders of Him was actually filmed in Alberta, Canada, and the results are absolutely stunning. The camera captures massive, snow-capped mountain peaks and wide-open valleys that give the entire film a grand, cinematic feel. The vast, rugged landscape makes Kenna’s journey feel even more isolated and difficult, as if the world itself is as cold and immovable as the people who refuse to forgive her.

The sheer size of the mountains creates a beautiful contrast with the "small-town" drama happening on the ground. It reminds the audience that while Kenna’s problems feel world-ending, the world is a very big place. Seeing the raw, untouched beauty of the Alberta wilderness makes the movie feel very high-end. The cold, crisp air and the irregular horizon mirror Kenna’s internal state; she is out in the open, exposed, and trying to find a way back into the warmth of a family.

From the very first scene to the closing credits, the story is designed to pull at your heartstrings; the nonstop emotional weight of the film might feel a bit draining. Reminders of Him is heavily focused on raw emotion; it doesn't give you many moments of comic relief. Instead, it layers one sad realization on top of another, making the characters' struggles feel incredibly urgent. The constant sadness might feel like too much for some viewers, and the slow pacing of this drama could feel exhausting.

The film knows exactly who its audience is. It isn't trying to reinvent the wheel; it’s trying to give Colleen Hoover’s massive fanbase exactly what they asked for. If you loved the book, you will almost certainly love the movie. If you didn't read it, you’re still getting a solid drama, just one where you might be able to guess the ending halfway through.

Ultimately, Reminders of Him is a beautifully made film; it challenges you to feel everything the characters are feeling, which is both its greatest strength and its most exhausting quality. Watch this if you are Colleen Hoover fans or you loved The Fault in Our Stars; skip this if you find "heavy" dramas to be depressing.