Title: Reminders of Him
Actors: Maika Monroe, Tyriq Withers
Director: Vanessa Caswill
Writers: Colleen Hoover, Lauren Levine
Genre: Drama, Romance
Length: 1 hour 54 minutes
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

Reminders of Him

Kenna has just been released from prison after being involved in a car crash with her boyfriend, Scotty, in which he died. She survived the accident. Now, she has returned to the small town where she fell in love with him. But the main reason she’s back is to see her daughter, the child she had with Scotty, who was taken away from her at birth while she was in prison.

Now, Kenna is determined to prove that she can be a good mother.

Review

I had very low expectations for this movie. I’ve watched two other movies based on books by Colleen Hoover (It Ends With Us and Regretting You), and I wasn’t the biggest fan of those stories. Regretting You especially felt a bit boring to me. Still, I wanted to give this one a chance because the trailer looked promising.

And honestly, it wasn’t that bad. I actually think this might be the best story by Colleen Hoover so far. I know we’re also getting Verity this year, but I’ve read that book and wasn’t that impressed—it was just okay for me. Still, I’m curious to see how the movie adaptation will turn out.

Back to this movie called Reminders of Him: I thought it was a beautiful but sad story.

Kenna hasn’t been able to see her daughter because she was in prison after the accident where Scotty died. She left the scene, which is why she went to jail. But, of course, nothing is exactly as it seems—her side of the story is more complicated. She writes letters about what really happened that day and continues to write to Scotty, who was the love of her life.

Now that she’s back in town, people refuse to hire her because of her past. Ledger is one of the people keeping her away from her daughter, but they start spending more time together. He begins to see that she isn’t dangerous, and once he learns what really happened, he starts to help her.

Kenna was a likable character. She respects the boundaries set by others but still holds on to the hope that she’ll one day see her daughter again. The chemistry between Ledger and Kenna was really good, which made the story more engaging. It’s also quite emotional. Imagine losing the love of your life, spending years in prison, and then not being able to see your own child.

So yes, I would say this is my favorite Colleen Hoover story so far. It has romance, drama, and emotional depth. I actually had a pretty good time watching it. It definitely wasn’t as bad as I expected.

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Title: Hoppers
Voice Actors: Piper Curda, Bobby Moynihan and more
Director: Daniel Chong
Writers: Daniel Chong, Jesse Andrews, and more
Genre: Animation
Length: 1 hour and 44 minutes
My Rating:❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

Hoppers

Mabel used to struggle with anger issues until her grandmother showed her a special place that brought her a lot of peace. But after her grandmother’s death, the place is no longer filled with animals.

With the help of technology, she transforms into a beaver and sets out to discover why the animals left. She also tries to bring them back before the mayor destroys the area to build a new highway.

Review

I saw the trailer for this movie and got really excited. It looked like a very cute film. I love animated movies, and I knew I wanted to watch this one as well.

If you love animated movies and cute animals, then you’re probably going to enjoy this one too. It’s a beautiful story about a girl trying to save a special place she used to share with her grandmother. Mabel struggles with anger issues, although personally I think it’s more that she deeply cares about animals and nature. When her grandmother shows her this place, it brings her peace. But when the animals start disappearing, she decides to take action and save this place.

Mabel’s biggest enemy is the mayor. I liked how she stands up for what she believes in, even though the mayor doesn’t care at all. He is only focused on building a new highway and expanding the city. He doesn’t care about the animals or nature, and he’s even partly responsible for driving them away.

There’s also a funny side to the movie. At one point, Mabel discovers that her professor has created a mechanical beaver, and with the help of a machine, it’s possible to transfer a human mind into it. Mabel decides to do this because she believes she can save everything by becoming a beaver and bringing the animals back. As a beaver, she can communicate with other animals, which leads to some really fun and cute moments.

Some of the animals were absolutely hilarious. I laughed a lot at Kinga, the Insect Queen’s son. He acts like a villain, but in a very funny way.

The movie also has some emotional moments. At the beginning, you see Mabel with her grandmother, who later passes away. And when Mabel turns into a beaver, she forms a bond with King George, but eventually she has to return to her human body.

Overall, it’s a beautiful movie with an important message. We should take better care of animals and nature. We are often so focused on building roads and cities that we forget how important nature really is. Without it, we wouldn’t even exist. I would definitely recommend this movie.

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I was born in the ’90s, which means I grew up with VHS tapes and later DVDs and CDs. But as I got older, Netflix suddenly appeared, and not long after that, many other streaming services followed.

Now there are so many streaming platforms to choose from, and honestly, it can feel overwhelming. Even when it comes to music, there are multiple streaming services available.

But while we’re living in this streaming era, I’ve decided I’ve had enough. Today, I’m going to explain why I’m going back to physical media—and I know I’m not the only one. You can find countless videos on TikTok, YouTube, and even discussions on Reddit where people say they’re making the same choice.

Why I Am Going Back To Physical Media

1. Nostalgia
   I grew up in the ’90s, and I loved having a VHS collection of my favorite Disney movies. It was amazing. I remember inviting my friends over to watch movies together. I also remember how much I enjoyed going to stores and browsing through movies and CDs. Most of those stores have disappeared, which makes me sad. I think we only have one or two places left where you can buy vinyl records and CDs. But back in the day, there were so many stores where you could find new DVDs and CDs. I really miss that era. So yes, part of the reason I want to go back to physical media is nostalgia.
   
2. You pay, but you don’t own anything
   When you have a subscription to a streaming service, you pay a monthly fee to get access to a large library of movies, TV shows, or music. That sounds great. But the reality is that even though you pay every single month, you don’t actually own anything. If Spotify or Netflix were to disappear tomorrow, you would be left with nothing. With physical media, on the other hand, you buy something once and own it for the rest of your life. And honestly, I prefer owning the movies and music that I truly love.
   
3. Your favorite movies aren’t always available
   This has happened to me so many times. Imagine it’s a Friday or Saturday night, and you’re planning a movie night. You want to watch your favorite movie, so you open Netflix—only to find out that it’s not available. That’s the downside of streaming. Movies come and go all the time. With physical media, you don’t have this problem. If you own your favorite movie, you can watch it whenever you want. You don’t have to wait for it to become available again on Netflix (or any other streaming service).
   
   Plus, let’s be honest—it’s kind of cool to have your own movie or music collection. Back in the day, I would go to my friends’ houses and look through their music or movie collections. It says a lot about who you are and what you like. It’s just fun.

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Title: Wuthering Heights
Actors: Margot Robbie, Jacob Elordi
Director: Emerald Fennell
Writers: Emerald Fennell, Emily Brontë
Genre: Drama
Length: 2 hours and 16 minutes
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️🖤🖤

Wuthering Heights

Catherine lives with her abusive father, and one day he brings home another child. Catherine names him Heathcliff, and over time they become close. Heathcliff often tries to protect her from their father’s abuse. As they grow older, they develop feelings for each other. However, Catherine believes she cannot marry him because of his lower social status. Instead, she marries another man, and Heathcliff disappears. Years later, they meet again, and it becomes clear that they still have strong feelings for each other, feelings they cannot ignore.

Review

Years ago, I bought Wuthering Heights. I wanted to read more classics. Well, guess what? I still haven’t read it. Mostly because I’m a bit scared. English is not my native language, and I’m afraid it will be too difficult to understand. So I decided to watch the movie instead, without reading the book first. I didn’t even know what the story was about.

I wasn’t sure if I wanted to watch this movie, if I’m being honest. I had read and heard so many negative reviews. Most people said it was super boring and that they had wasted two hours of their lives they would never get back. So yes, I was a little hesitant. But I still wanted to form my own opinion.

During the first hour or so, I actually thought it was pretty decent. It felt like the perfect movie for a slow Sunday, and I was somewhat invested in the love story. But after that, I started to lose interest. I had no idea how it was going to end, but it felt like something was missing—or maybe the movie was just too long. It’s around two hours, and I feel like it could have been shorter to keep the audience’s attention.

The acting was pretty good, and I enjoyed seeing Margot Robbie and Jacob Elordi on screen. They did a great job, and I was rooting for them. However, I didn’t like the choices their characters made (which might mean I really should have read the book years ago). Maybe their decisions make more sense considering the time period they lived in.

Visually, the movie looks amazing. It is beautifully shot, but the story itself didn’t blow me away. It’s not a movie I would watch again or recommend. I will probably forget about it soon—it just wasn’t very memorable.

The only thing I’m wondering now is what the book is like. I mean, it’s a classic for a reason, right? So many people love it. I think I’ll have to read it soon, because after watching this movie, I don’t really understand the hype around this tragic story.

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Title: Regretting You
Actors: Allison Williams, McKenna Grace, Dave Franco
Director: Josh Boone
Writers: Colleen Hoover, Susan McMartin
Genre: Drama, Romance
Length: 1 hour and 56 minutes
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️🖤🖤

Regretting You

When Morgan was young, she was dating her boyfriend Chris, and she was best friends with Jenny, her sister, and Jonah. Then Morgan got pregnant with Clara, and she and Chris married young. Now, seventeen years later, they look like the perfect, happy family.

But Morgan discovers a huge secret when Chris and Jenny die in a car accident, and it turns her whole life upside down. At the same time, she doesn’t want her daughter Clara to know the truth about her father. Clara adored her father and Jenny—it would ruin her.

Review

I started doing my Saturday night movie nights again, and this time I decided to watch this movie. It has been on my watch list for a long time, and I was curious to finally see it. I hadn’t read the book before watching the movie. In fact, I had no intention of reading the book, but I did want to watch the movie.

First of all, the realization that these actors are now old enough to play the parents of a teenage daughter is mind-blowing and a bit shocking. In my mind, we all stay young, and I sometimes still think that I am too immature to be a parent. But my age says otherwise. The fact that these actors are now playing the role of parents was an eye-opening moment, haha.

I have mixed feelings about the movie. There were some good things, but I also had moments when I thought they could have done it better. But let’s start with the positive things.

The actors were pretty good. I think this is the first movie I’ve seen with Mckenna Grace in it. I’ve heard about her before, but I don’t remember seeing a movie with her in it. The only thing I could think about, though, was how similar she is to Kiernan Shipka. Not just the looks—they have the same kind of energy. And of course, I already knew Dave Franco and Scott Eastwood from other movies, and they didn’t let me down. The acting was good.

The only thing I have some issues with is the story. The story is about Chris and Jenny, and they have a secret that Morgan finds out about pretty quickly. The moment they die, the secret is revealed, and then the rest of the movie is basically about Morgan keeping that secret from her daughter to protect her. But that’s the whole movie. I was expecting a little bit more. Maybe it would have been better if the secret had been revealed later in the story. If a movie revolves around a secret and then reveals it within the first 30 minutes, the rest of the movie can start to feel a bit pointless.

I’m not saying I thought this movie was terrible, but I did keep wondering if that was it. I think I was expecting a little bit more. I also wonder if the book might be a bit more interesting.

Overall, it was just an okay movie for me. The acting was good, but I think the story was lacking something. I hope the next Colleen Hoover book-to-movie adaptation will be better. That movie is called Reminders of Him, and I saw the trailer—it sounded pretty interesting. It’s also on my watchlist, so hopefully you’ll be able to read a review of that movie here on my blog soon.

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Title: Maintenance Required
Actors: Madelaine Petsch, Jacob Scipio
Director: Lacey Uhlemeyer
Writers: Erin Falconer, Lacey Uhlemeyer
Genre: Romance:
Length: 1 hour 42 minutes
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

Maintenance Required

Charlie took over the auto repair shop after her father passed away. Now she works there with two of her best friends, and they love what they do—although Charlie has bigger dreams. One day, another auto repair shop opens across the street, and they try to figure out how not to lose any customers to the competition.

At the same time, Charlie hasn’t been on a single date in years. She loves spending time with her car, but she’s also been talking to a guy she met on a forum. Her friends think it might be time for her to meet him in real life.

Review

I had literally zero expectations for this movie. I saw the poster and thought I might like it, but I had absolutely no idea what it was going to be about. And honestly, it wasn’t the worst movie I’ve ever seen.

The movie kind of reminded me of the popular film You’ve Got Mail, because that movie is also about owning a business and then having a chain store open up across the street. In that film, the main characters also fall in love with the person they’re talking to online. It’s a classic and one of my favorite movies of all time. Maintenance Required wasn’t as good as that movie, but I still think it wasn’t bad at all.

I liked the main characters. Charlie works at the auto repair shop with her two best friends, and they’re all women — I loved that. I recognized Madison Bailey from Outer Banks and Katy O’Brian from The Rookie, and I really enjoyed them together. Beau was sort of likable, even though he made some stupid mistakes along the way. But I forgive him, because he was pretty good-looking and had great chemistry with Madelaine Petsch (Charlie).

The story was fun, and I really enjoyed it. When a movie is boring, I usually start scrolling on my phone, but that didn’t happen this time. The movie was over before I even realized it. It was a good rom-com — definitely entertaining and easy to watch. The actors were pretty good too.

I don’t have a lot of things to complain about, except that it was very obvious this movie was inspired by You’ve Got Mail. I tried not to compare the two, but I still did. Of course, the original is much better, but I think they did a good job with this movie. It’s the perfect choice for a cozy rom-com night.

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Title: People we meet on vacation
Actors: Emily Bader, Tom Blyth,
Director: Brett Haley
Writers: Emily Henry, Yulin Kuang, Amos Vernon
Genre: Romance
Length: 1 hour and 57 minutes
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

Watch this movie now on Netflix

People We Meet On Vacation

Poppy and Alex meet when they are both heading back to Linfield and end up sharing a car. They are complete opposites. Poppy is the kind of girl who sees beauty in almost everything and dreams of traveling the world. Alex, on the other hand, loves coming home after a vacation and prefers staying in with a good book.

Somehow, despite their differences, they become best friends. Every year, they spend one week together somewhere in the world, having fun as friends. But one vacation changes everything, and now they are seeing each other for the first time in two years

Review

Am I the biggest fan of Emily Henry’s books? No, not really. I wouldn’t call them bad at all, they’re just not my favorites. That said, I did like Funny Story. Most of the Emily Henry books I’ve read have been a miss for me, but every now and then she writes something I genuinely enjoy. Still, I was super excited about this book. I think this is one of those books I kind of liked, not a favorite, but not a disappointment either.

And it is a great movie from the start. I loved the actors. The first part, when they’ve just met and are on their way to Linfield, is fantastic. Poppy is having fun and singing in the car, while Alex’s facial expressions are absolutely hilarious. That part really made me smile. They are complete opposites, but somehow they still become friends.

The chemistry is great. I really loved them together, and I think the casting was done perfectly. Even when they were both in relationships, you could clearly tell how much they cared about each other and that they had deeper feelings. He takes care of her when she gets sick, even though they were supposed to go to Norway, and they are constantly texting each other. When they have big news, they tell each other first instead of their partners.

After watching the movie, I saw people on social media saying it should have been a series, and I kind of agree. Now all of the vacation trips are pushed into one long movie. It would have been more fun if each vacation had its own episode, with more details and time to develop everything. I honestly wouldn’t have minded that at all.

But overall, I really enjoyed it. I think they spent a lot of money on this movie, definitely more than on most Netflix rom-coms. It felt more expensive and like they put a lot more effort into making it. The overall quality was higher than most romance movies these days. And the good news is that they also bought the rights to other Emily Henry books. I think Funny Story is going to be the next movie or series, and that’s my favorite Emily Henry book so far, so I really can’t wait.

Is the era of rom-com movies finally coming back? I hope so.

The post People We Meet On Vacation (2026) | Movie Review first appeared on A happy life.

Title: The Housemaid
Actors: Amanda Seyfried, Sydney Sweeney, Brandon Sklenar
Director: Paul Feig
Writers: Freida McFadden, Rebecca Sonnenshine
Genre: Thriller
Length: 2 hours and 11 minutes
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

The Housemaid

Millie has a secret, and because of it, she struggles to find a job. But she refuses to give up. One day, she comes across a job opening as a housemaid for the Winchesters. The house, and everything in it, is beautiful. She doesn’t expect to get the job, but she does, and suddenly she’s living and working in this stunning home. Everything seems normal at first, until Nina starts acting strangely and blames Millie for everything that goes wrong. Millie then learns from other nannies about Nina’s past and the things she’s done.

Review

Last year, I decided to read the book because I saw that the movie was coming out in 2025 and I was really curious. At the time, I was mostly reading romance novels and not much else, but I still picked up a copy, and I loved it. I gave it 5/5 stars on Goodreads. It was that good. So of course, I wanted to watch the movie and find out if it was just as good as the book.

I think the actors did a great job. I’ve always been a fan of Amanda Seyfried, and she was amazing in this role. The cast overall was really strong. Millie did something in the past, and because of that, it’s hard for her to find a job, so she takes whatever she can get. She desperately needs the money and is living in her car at the moment. Getting this job, and having her own bedroom in the house, was a huge improvement for her situation.

The only thing I felt was missing was Cece’s character. In the book, she was a spoiled brat, very rude and annoying, and I didn’t fully get that from the movie. I think they tried to portray it, but if I remember correctly, Cece was much worse in the book.

Of course, I was also comparing the movie’s storyline to the book, and most things were the same. However, I was expecting the peanut butter situation to be included as well. Cece was supposed to be allergic to peanuts (or not), and this came up multiple times in the book.

And there was one big thing that was different from the book: they changed the ending. Honestly, I’m a bit sad about it because I loved the ending in the book. The movie’s ending was a bit disappointing, to be honest. Maybe there was a reason for the change, but this is exactly why I gave the book a 5/5 rating and the movie “only” a 4/5 rating.

I still enjoyed watching this movie, though. It was still really good, and even though I knew what was going to happen, I was still disgusted by it. I honestly couldn’t watch during a few moments when they were in the attic, that was just horrifying. Anyone who could watch that with a poker face is a sociopath. I had to look away.

Now I’m just wondering if they are also going to film the second and third books in the series. The second book was also very good, and I would definitely pay money to see it on screen. I still have to read the third book, but I’m planning to do that very soon. Overall, it’s still a great movie.

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Title: Jingle Bell Heist
Actors: Olivia Holt, Connor Swindells, Lucy Punch
Director: Michael Fimognari
Writers: Abby McDonald, Amy Reed
Genre: RomCom
Length: 1 hour 36 minutes
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

Watch this movie on Netflix

Jingle Bell Heist

Nick has access to the cameras in the luxury store Sterlings, and he sees Sophia stealing money. But he doesn’t want to go to the police because he needs her to help him steal from Maxwell Sterling. They both have their own reasons for wanting to steal from him. They hate him, and they both desperately need the money. Nick needs it so he can afford an apartment, and Sophia needs it for her mother’s cancer treatment. And while they come up with a plan, they slowly start to fall in love.

Review

It’s a new week, which means it’s time for another Christmas movie review and this time I watched Jingle Bell Heist on Netflix. It’s a new Christmas movie starring Olivia Holt and Connor Swindells.

The story is cool. They both have their reasons for hating Maxwell and wanting to steal his money. It’s not your typical Christmas romcom, but I actually liked that. The whole movie takes place in London, and most of the actors are English, except for Olivia Holt (Sophia).

The actors were great. I already knew Connor Swindells from Sex Education and the Barbie movie, but I had no idea who Olivia Holt was. She started acting at the age of three, so I’m surprised I haven’t seen her in anything before. Honestly, I would love to see her in more movies and she reminds me of Julia Stiles, and I was a big fan back in the day. I think Olivia would be perfect for more romcoms. And together, she and Connor have amazing chemistry.

Champagne Problems is still my favorite new Christmas movie so far, but this one comes in second place. I actually liked it. I’m not sure if I would watch it again, but it wasn’t bad at all. It was funny, and there’s a bit of a plot twist at the end, one I definitely didn’t see coming, but I was happily surprised. But maybe I was just not paying attention, because other people did see it coming.

If you’re looking for a fun Christmas movie and don’t want another super-cheesy romcom, this might be the perfect pick for you. Yes, it’s still a romcom, but it’s not too cheesy in my opinion. It focuses more on the heist. The movie is also not too long or dragged out, which is nice. I enjoyed it more than I expected.

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Title: Champagne Problems
Actors: Minka Kelly, Tom Wozniczka
Director: Mark Steven Johnson
Writer: Mark Steven Johnson
Genre: Romance, comedy
Length: 1 hour 39 minutes
My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️🖤

Watch this movie now on Netflix

Champagne Problems

Sydney Price travels to France to secure the acquisition of a renowned champagne brand before Christmas. She promised her sister that she would also have fun on the trip, because she’s always working. On her first night in Paris, Sydney visits a bookstore where she meets Henri. They have a wonderful night together. The next day, she finds out that he’s actually the son of the owner of the champagne company.

Review

I had absolutely no idea what to expect from this movie. I don’t even think I watched the trailer. But I am a simple girl: when I see a new Christmas movie, I have to watch it. And I have a lot to tell you guys.

Let’s start with the story. Technically, this could be a Hallmark movie plot. Hallmark always uses the same formula, and this movie basically follows it. Sometimes Netflix uses the same formula. But at the same time, it didn’t feel like a Hallmark movie. I actually enjoyed it a lot.

First of all, the characters are amazing. Sydney and Henri are both so likable. Henri is French, and if you’re like me and love other languages, you’ll enjoy that. My daily French lessons on Duolingo are paying off, because I could understand a little bit of it. I also have to mention two other characters who, in my opinion, completely stole the show: Roberto and Otto. If you’ve seen The Rookie, then you might recognize Skip tracer Randy, the actor (Flula Borg) plays Otto in this movie. I screamed when I saw him. I did not expect that. Otto is this weird German guy with a very dark mind, and Roberto is super rich, loves champagne, and is genuinely hilarious. He made me laugh so many times.

There were other things I loved about this movie too. The chemistry between the main characters was great. I loved that the story takes place in Paris/France, you don’t get views like that in the USA. I appreciated that Netflix actually used French actors for a half-French movie and that they actually speak French. I always love that.

Last week, I watched A Merry Little Ex-Mas on Netflix (also a new Christmas movie), and suddenly I realized how bad that movie was compared to this one. Champagne Problems was an actual good rom-com. It had all the right ingredients and never got cringey.

Overall, I really enjoyed watching this movie. I laughed so many times because of Roberto. All of the actors were great, and I think I’ll watch it again in the future.

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