Reminders of Him: Maika Monroe Leads the Latest Colleen Hoover Adaptation in Theaters Now

Reminders of Him is in theaters nationwide right now. Universal Pictures released the latest Colleen Hoover adaptation on Friday, March 13, 2026, and Maika Monroe's compelling lead performance has audiences filing in despite a divided critical reception. Here is everything to know about the film, its cast, and how it stacks up against previous Hoover adaptations.

What Is Reminders of Him About — The Full Plot

Maika Monroe plays Kenna Rowan, who had pleaded guilty to vehicular manslaughter for the death of her boyfriend Scotty after an accident in which she was driving under the influence. She has returned to Laramie, Wyoming, to see her 5-year-old daughter Diem, to whom she gave birth in prison and whom she has never known.

When Diem's custodial grandparents adamantly refuse Kenna's attempts to see her daughter, Kenna discovers unexpected compassion, and then something truer and deeper, with former NFL player and local bar owner Ledger Ward played by Tyriq Withers. As their secret romance develops, so do the dangers for both of them, leading Kenna toward heartbreak and ultimately the hope for a second chance.

Reminders of Him Cast — Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers and Lainey Wilson

Reminders of Him stars Maika Monroe as Kenna Rowan, Tyriq Withers as Ledger Ward, Rudy Pankow as Scotty Landry, Lainey Wilson in her film debut, Nicholas Duvernay, Lauren Graham, and Bradley Whitford.

The full cast at a glance:

Tyriq Withers is a former Florida State football player, making him effortlessly credible as an NFL veteran building a mansion in his hometown. Monroe brings a working class earthiness that serves the role of Kenna exceptionally well.

Maika Monroe Shines — Even When the Script Does Not

Maika Monroe is the undisputed centerpiece of Reminders of Him, and critics who found fault with the story still praised her performance. Monroe seems relieved not to be trapped in her usual horror film scream-queen persona and delivers a solid performance that has audiences rooting for Kenna at every turn.

Monroe so excels at playing deeply flawed characters — audiences may remember rooting for her antagonist in last year's remake of The Hand That Rocks the Cradle. Despite manipulative plotting and a climactic revelation that undercuts the moral complexity built up over most of the runtime, Reminders of Him works better than it should thanks to grounded direction and lived-in chemistry between Monroe and Withers.

Reminders of Him Reviews — What Critics Are Saying

The critical consensus on Reminders of Him sits squarely in mixed territory. There is a great movie somewhere in Reminders of Him — one that focuses on a genuinely flawed character and the legal hurdles involved in her attempts to reconnect with her daughter. But that movie is fighting with both a Lifetime-style family drama and a Hallmark-style romance thrown in for good measure. Each element succeeds to some degree, but the competing impulses keep the film from reaching its potential.

The Hollywood Reporter noted the film shamelessly manipulates emotions so relentlessly that audiences become worn down by the end, comparing the experience to a Coldplay ballad — something you deride even while eventually finding yourself singing along.

Audience scores on IMDB sit around 6.6 out of 10. Viewers who went in as Hoover fans generally found it worth a theater trip, while first-time Hoover audiences were advised to wait for streaming.

Who Directed Reminders of Him — All-Female Filmmaking Team

Leading an all-female filmmaking team, Vanessa Caswill directs Reminders of Him from a screenplay by Colleen Hoover and Lauren Levine, based on Hoover's novel. The film is produced by Colleen Hoover, Lauren Levine, and Gina Matthews.

Principal photography began in Calgary on April 16, 2025, and wrapped on June 12, 2025. Tom Howe composed the film's score. The film runs 1 hour and 54 minutes and is rated PG-13 for sexual content, drug content, some violent content, strong language, and brief partial nudity.

Reminders of Him Book vs. Movie — What Changed

The film makes one clever deviation from Hoover's novel by withholding the full truth of Kenna's crime until the third act, saving it as a twist. In Hoover's book the inciting incident is disclosed far earlier. The decision works as a film structure choice — making audiences guess, invest, and speculate — but the eventual reveal was considered by some critics to rob both lead characters of the moral ambiguity that made them interesting beforehand.

The novel Reminders of Him has sold more than 6 million copies in the United States since its 2022 publication and has been translated into 45 languages. Reminders of Him is now playing nationwide — tickets are available through Fandango and all major theater chains.