Reminders of Him Review: Predictable yet charmingly cozy
After seeing Maika Monroe in Watcher and Tyriq Withers in Him, I was intrigued to see how they would fare in this romantic drama, Reminders of Him. While those two films weren't my favorite in the world, both films' strongest element was their lead actors. While the trailer seemed like a standard romance in many ways, the idea of exploring how two people fall in love after the shared trauma of losing the one they loved most was really interesting. As somebody who has really bonded with people before over shared, dark experiences, I felt this film would be right up my alley. On top of that, I deeply resonated with the main character's struggle here because the love of my life is currently being taken away from me by her parents in a similar way. The trailers really resonated with me in a way that the past Colleen Hoover film trailers didn't. I want to check them out at some point, but it wasn't important to me to see them in theaters. Anyway, I was truly excited to see Reminders of Him. And I'm equally excited to tell you about the good, the bad, and the mediocre in today's Reel Ranker review.
Being a rather mainstream romance book adaptation, I wasn't expecting to have as strong feelings about this one as I did; I just thought I'd like it and kind of move on quickly, given how solid the premise was for a romance. However, I had far more conflicting feelings about this film than I expected. Some aspects of this film are 5-star moments, some are 1-star, and the rest are everything in between. As such, I've found this film more interesting to discuss than I expected.
I'll start with the negatives, as usual, and then move into what I enjoyed about the film. First of all, this is really minor, but why is the love interest a retired NFL player who's rich? It felt a little out of place with the rest of the film's vibes. Anyway, it's not a big deal; it was just a little odd to me.
The first major negative I have with the film is that the grandparents are insufferable whenever they are on screen. Yes, they lost their son, I get it, but they treated Kenna far too terribly, given that she was their son's fiancée, and both of them were drunk and equally making poor choices. Kenna's remorse, depression, and love for her family are so obvious that the way her in-laws treat her is disgusting. Also, with how hard she tried to save him? She is billed far too much as the villain and criminal of the story, which honestly made me mad.
Even as a major supporter of prohibitionism and anti-alcohol living, I think it's completely ridiculous how poorly she's treated amidst the circumstances. There's a scene where Kenna says something along the lines of "that's the first time anyone has ever said that", referring to her being asked if she's okay. I just hate how some of the people acted in this film, and the film's lack of awareness that Grace and her husband were not the best people was frustrating.
Let's move on. I'm not at all a fan of hyper-subdued films like last year's Sentimental Value, because they bore me to death and are so outside my way of living life that I have nothing to relate to or feel emotional about. Thankfully, this film was nothing like that and felt human to me, not so subdued as to be robotic. However, I also have to call it how I see it with this film's melodrama, which rears its ugly head throughout the final act. Some of these scenes had me suspending my disbelief because of some people's actions.
The final issues I had with this film are the pacing and predictability. The film, as much as I enjoyed the character dynamics and dialogue, would have benefited from some trimming. Two hours for a predictable romance is just too long—too many movies have two-hour runtimes without needing to these days. I don't need every film to be completely original or refreshing, as some quite infuriating critics insist is necessary. Still, if a film is predictable, it really needs to be paced a little better than this one.
However, while some things left a weird taste in my mouth, there's still plenty of great aspects to Reminders of Him. The performances from Maika Monroe and Tyriq Withers were electric and continued to show that they're among the best up-and-coming actors we've got right now. The two of them have great chemistry in this film, even if they're not a flashy couple by any means. I love how both of them still respect their relationship with Scotty as they move forward. I love Kenna's scenes with her journal, and the subtle way the relationship crescendos. The backstory scenes with Kenna and Scotty are heartbreaking and well done, even if Grace and her imbecile husband come in to ruin everything, as always.
I also thought the film did an amazing job with Monika Myers' character, Amy, and Roman. These three spice characters really add a ton to the movie, especially with the well-rounded portrayal of Down syndrome. While the movie was rather unfunny for most of its runtime, Monika Myers brings great humor whenever she's on screen.
I love how realistic the film felt and how it didn't shy away from the mundane moments of life, a problem with many overromanticized romance films. It emotionally resonated with me for many personal reasons, and I love that about the film. Nevertheless, my favorite part of the film has to be the cinematography and production design. This is one of the coziest movies I've ever watched. There aren't too many movies that perfectly capture a small-town romance, but this is one of them. I loved being immersed in this movie throughout its entire runtime.
The Reel Ranker Verdict
Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 73%
Letter Score: A-
Star Ranking: 3.5 out of 5
Reminders of Him may be predictably drawn out at times, and strain some credibility. Still, its electric and emotional performances, along with its supremely cozy vibes, elevate its played-out story into something touching and memorable. If you enjoy romance films, and don't mind a rather predictable experience, this is definitely a must-watch.
Interested in checking out my reviews for some other recent romantic dramas? Check them out below!
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
Brighton Nelson
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