This review contains spoilers for Reminders of Him.
With a title like Reminders of Him, it should come as no surprise that the central theme of this film is memory. I'm the most nostalgic person I know (except for maybe my dad), so the almost tangible nature of memory is a concept I'm very familiar with. So the themes in Colleen Hoover's newest movie, which is all about loss, grief, and love, ring out like a dull ache. Alongside Kenna (Maika Monroe) and Ledger (Tyriq Withers), memory is almost another character.
Keep reading for Brit + Co's review of Colleen Hoover's new movie Reminders of Him, in theaters March 13, 2026.
'Reminders of Him' is all about memory.
Universal Pictures
The movie follows Kenna after she's released from prison and returns to the hometown where her life changed forever. You see, 6 years ago, Kenna got into an accident with her boyfriend Scotty (Rudy Pankow) that led to his death, and Kenna pled guilty to a DUI. Now, Scotty's gone and his parents Grace and Patrick (Lauren Graham and Bradley Whitford) refuse to let Kenna see her daughter Diem.
While the movie contains more obvious reminders of Scotty's life (like a memorial on the side of the road or the fact that "The Night We Met" by Lord Huron plays when Kenna and Scotty meet for the first time) there are also more subtle details that underscore how inescapable grief is — and how intertwined it is with love. My heart hurt for Kenna when she gave birth in prison, had to give Diem up, and then lactated through her shirt.
Thankfully another inmate named Ivy helps her dry her clothes, and pushes her to decide to live in the pain instead of die in it. And in the present, when Kenna adopts a kitten and names it Ivy, platonic love and friendship are also woven into the tapestry of the film.
And Tyriq Wither's steals the show as Ledger...
Universal Pictures
Reminders of Him is a really beautiful exploration of family, loyalty, and honor. The cast isn't quite as electric onscreen as It Ends With Us' Brandon Sklenar and Blake Lively, but the real standout of the movie is Tyriq Withers, who plays Scotty's best friend and Diem's father figure Ledger. He's handsome, kind, and protective. The tiniest acting decision from Tyriq makes you believe Ledger is a good man...and that just makes me root for him even more than I would otherwise. Plus, it definitely helps that I literally giggled every time he came onscreen.
Even if I also felt torn between Rudy Pankow as Scotty.
Universal Pictures
However, as much as I loved Ledger, the narrative arc of the movie left me feeling torn. The movie opens with Kenna's narration as she writes letters to Scotty in her journal, and throughout the film, we flash back to Kenna and Scotty falling in love and eventually getting into their accident. The narration feels like too much exposition, and constantly flashing back and forth between timelines made me feel split between Ledger and Scotty — like I had to pick a "Team."
It was hard to be totally bought into Ledger and Kenna's relationship when it felt like the movie was trying to get me to actively care about Scotty, too. But then again, that's exactly how grief is. If she was never able to move on, Kenna never felt like Scotty was truly in the past, and the editing definitely translates that.
'Reminders of Him' ends on a hopeful note.
Universal Pictures
But no matter how much I love Ledger and Kenna's relationship, my favorite part of the film has nothing to do with romance. Throughout the movie, the color yellow is a huge part of the story. There's yellow everywhere the day that Scotty and Kenna meet, and the night of their accident, they're listening to "Yellow" by Coldplay. Plus, Diem's favorite snow cone flavor is a banana-lemon combo.
When Kenna is finally reunited with their daughter at the end of the movie, they play together in Scotty's old jungle gym — and there's literally yellow everywhere. The jungle gym wall (which Diem reaches for, a detail that might have been unintentional but made me emotional anyway), the swings, and even Kenna and Diem's clothes are yellow, which makes Scotty feel like a part of the scene even if he's not present. And after watching Grace move through the movie constantly dressed in blue, the family all eats dinner together in the dining room — which is the only room in the house that's painted yellow. This figurative representation of hope and healing starts to lift the weight you've been feeling the whole movie.
Kenna ends the film telling Scotty that, with her newfound family, the "reminders of him" only make her smile. And that made me smile too.
Universal Pictures
Overall, Reminders of Him has beautiful themes and a heartfelt cast, with design choices that left me with hope. Even if the script left me wanting a little bit more, I can't wait to see this movie again.
Brit + Co gives Reminders of Him 3/5 stars.
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