Reminiscence (2021) User Reviews (978)

A journey...through the exposition machine.

[benjaminskylerhill · 5/10 · 20 August 2021]

Good performances? Check. Good cinematography? Check. Creative visual effects? Check. Intriguing concept and interesting introductory world building? Check.

A boring, generic corporate corruption plot? Check. Not knowing what the actual central conflict of the film is until about 90 minutes in? Check. Underdeveloped character relationships that completely cause the audience to not understand or care why our lead character is so hell-bent on doing the things he does? Check. Not including any plot or character elements that relate to the weird semi-apocalyptic setting of the movie, rendering it utterly pointless? Check.

Lisa Joy thought her TV skills would transfer to film. They don't. It's a different method of storytelling, and her episodic techniques used here are so frustrating and boring to watch in a feature film.

This should've been an HBO mini-series.

All endings are sad....

[Sleepin_Dragon · 6/10 · 28 August 2021]

...apart from the eventual moment where credits rolled, it's a decent watch, it just felt too long at times, and a bit repetitive.

It's an interesting film, it's almost like a sci fi film noir, it has that moody, subdued atmosphere, and the appropriate dialogue, the contradiction comes with the water logged Cities and imaginative technology, an interesting contrast of styles.

The trailers looked great, the film looks fantastic, but for me there was too much of a focus on the visuals, and not enough on the actual storytelling, which at times was a little drab. Visually though it's amazing, the futuristic world looks awesome, throw in Rebecca Ferguson's gorgeous presence and Jackman's muscles, and you have something for everyone.

Imaginative, interesting, just a little too slow for me, it felt like a film hampered by restrictions, which of course it was. 6/10.

Reminiscing the days when studios released good movies

[rangerxus · 5/10 · 21 August 2021]

A total failed attempt at film noir. All the elements were there: a masuline gruffy leading man narrating the movie (Jackman), a loyal sidekick (Newton), and the femme fatale (Ferguson). But the film was never able to gain enough traction to take flight. The storyline had potential but substandard acting and meandering plot-line left me detached and indifferent. There were a couple of plot twists but not unpredictable.

The movie had great potential with its setting of ocean flooded coastline and the technology of reminiscence as an escapism from an intolerable existence. But these futuristic concepts were not developed other then as simple underutilized background to forward an uninspired story line forward.to it's predicable and uninspired ending.

I am a fan of Hugh Jackman and Thandiwe Newton. But the scene of their big argument was some of the worst acting I've seen from actors of their caliber... totally forced and unbelievable. The fight scenes were also unconvincing and the choreography was below modern movie's standards..

A movie to watch when it streams or on DVD rental. But unless you are a strong Jackman fan not worth spending the money in the theater. Alternate movies might be Blade Runner (Harrison Ford) or Surogates (Bruce Willis) both of which are better movies in my opinion.

And to those who rate Reminiscence high and pity me for not being capable of understanding the movie, I have seen thousands and thousands of movies in my lifetime. I like movies of all genres as long as they are well crafted films. I know the difference between a great move, good move, mediocre movie, and terrible movie. I don't begrudge your rating of 9 or 10 so please don't begrudge my rating of 5.

Don't see reviews and watch it first

[aastikhimta · 7/10 · 8 September 2021]

The plot was good and different. The whole movie was fine and there were some fine twists too. I ignored all reviews and watched it . It was a good movie. There weren't so much action scenes but apart from that it is good. Ending could've been better.

Science Fiction Fairy tale

[kosmasp · 7/10 · 26 August 2021]

Any movie that might bring anyone to read on certain things ... is good in my book. And while I assume that some watching this, may not have heard of Orpheus story ... they hopefully will look it up.

Having said that, I understand that for some Hugh Jackman may look like he's not fully involved in here at times. But the fact this feels like a Science Fiction noir ... well that really tingled me quite a lot. Also the overall casting is amazing. Daniel Wu may only be a bit player here, but his charisma and coolness oozes of the screen.

Add to that a wonderful cinematography and you could do far worse here. The story may be predictable to a degree and certain things may not make too much sense, but there is a philosophical note here ... and an ending that is the best possible I assume ... but you may judge differently.

Forgettable

[radhrh · 4/10 · 24 August 2021]

For a movie about memory this is completely forgettable.

Decent futuristic thriller.

[deloudelouvain · 7/10 · 29 January 2022]

I didn't think Reminiscence was a bad movie, certainly not like some other reviewers tried to portray it. The story was sometimes a bit difficult to follow, simplicity sometimes just works better, but at one point it all made sense, you just have to be patient. The acting could have been better, certainly with that cast, but again it wasn't all that bad either. My wife and I did enjoy this sci-fi thriller so no complaining here. Could it have been better? For sure, but that's the case with almost everything so just take a chill pill and try to enjoy a movie with its flaws.

The glove dosen't fit

[themadcamel · 5/10 · 17 May 2022]

It's an interesting concept, set in an interesting world of sci fi and film noir.

Unfortunately it dosn't work as well as it should, or is it as smart as it wants to be.

It's not without some great scenes, or without a great cast and characters. Some of the characters are great but feel badly drawn. Full respect to Cliff Curtis. He stands out. ( an oddly unappreciated actor )

It's a tragedy, but only if you manage to watch it to the end.

Don't listen to these terrible reviews

[rekemx · 6/10 · 20 August 2021]

Just wtached this movie and it was great. Enjoyed it the action is really good the music is good it suited the movie very well.

It isn't cheesy and it definitely isn't misogynistic like that one review said. Isn't any misoygni anywhere. The perosn who said that is 100% high.

The acting is great the story line is great. One of the greatest endings to a film I have ever watched!

sci-fi noir

[SnoopyStyle · 5/10 · 25 August 2021]

In the near-future, Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman) lives in a flooded Miami due to climate change. He and his assistant Emily 'Watts' Sanders (Thandiwe Newton) operate a machine for people to relive their best memories. Both are veterans of a devastating recent war. Mae (Rebecca Ferguson) walks in asking for help to find her keys and begins a relationship with Nick. She goes missing and Nick becomes haunted reliving his memories with her over and over again. The police hires him to get into a comatose suspect's memories where he discovers Mae working as a nightclub waitress. He starts investigating on his own and dives into a rabbit hole of mysteries.

There is a lot to like in this near-future sci-fi noir. I like the style of it. I like Hugh Jackman. I like the idea of this concept but the concept actually imbeds a devious story landmine. It forces a lot of the action into flashbacks. The narrative becomes a labyrinthian mess. It strives for something interesting but fails to grasp it. Writer/director Lisa Joy seems to be trying to branch out on her own after her work on Westworld. She has something there but it needs work. The first thing I would work on is the title. It's trying to be Nolanesque without the self-confidence.

Much better than given credit for

[GenXer · 8/10 · 29 August 2021]

The reviews are so overwhelmingly negative that I almost feel a moral obligation to come to the defense of this movie.

It is not a prefect effort, and perhaps it could have been better. But it is solid work for what it is. A great deal of thought, talent, and craftsmanship went into making this film, and it shows. The story was engaging. Honestly, I was bracing for boredom and found myself somewhat riveted once the story got going after the first 10 minutes or so. Parts of this movie were quite beautiful in design as well as narrative.

Without giving too much away, the story somewhat mirrors Vertigo, but within a film noir format. Perhaps it could have been better if the narrative was more realistic and gritty vs. Artistic and noir-ish - but who knows?

Lisa Joy ought to be commended for an intriguing story, meticulous and nuanced direction, and good pacing that causes neither confusion nor boredom - two ailments that many modern movies suffer from.

This isn't an action or superhero flick. You've got to pay attention and have your thinking hat on. If that's not your idea of entertainment, then take a pass. It is very respectable work. Enjoy it.

Pretty good

[martinrobertson300482 · 7/10 · 20 August 2021]

"Reminiscence" feels like an old film noir mystery movie with a modern twist. What could of been a more serious take on ideas seen in "total recall," instead takes things in a different direction with its decent plot.

The movie has some intriguing lines, interesting visuals, and boasts the beautiful Rebecca Fergusson if Hugh Jackman doesn't do it for you. An Interesting scifi movie, if nothing truly memorable.

Bland and not as smart as it thinks it is

[jtindahouse · 4/10 · 2 September 2021]

The first rule in film is Show, Don't Tell. A reasonably simple rule and one that the majority of films adhere too. Apparently 'Reminiscence' didn't get the memo though. The exposition in this film is bordering on ridiculous. First of all we have narration, and not just set up narration, but constant narration over-top of the majority of scenes. Then there are the cringe-inducing moments where the characters just talk us through everything that is going on. At one point a revelation is being revealed to the audience and Hugh Jackman's character is just summarising it point by point for us. It was embarrassing.

The film is so bland. It asks us to care about a mystery of a missing woman. However it completely forgets to make us care about her first. When she disappears you don't feel anything. If anything you're probably relieved she is gone because she was rather annoying.

The supporting roles are badly written, like fake imitations of real people. They feel more like Bond villains - just without anything interesting to say. The premise might sound interesting on the surface, but really it just takes away any need for characters to do any digging into the mystery. Why investigate when you can just plug someone in and watch? This movie was a total misfire and one I would certainly not recommend spending your hard-earned on.

Gentle Sci-fi Noir, respectful of the genre.

[mnxnt · 7/10 · 22 August 2021]

This is a near-future Noir that's very true to it's Golden Age antecedents. If you like the genre, it's worthwhile. Not original by any means, but that's not the intention: the opposite. Noir has it's tested format and tropes to which the movie conforms faithfully, and it still works. The lonely, jaded detective; the femme fatale; the brutish yet somewhat sympathetic antagonist; the cynical but honest friend: all very well cast, particularly Thandiwe Newton who I found very reminiscent of a Thelma Ritter in this. What this captures of the old movies that many comparable films don't is the sentimentality, and I think it eventually succeeds in it's central aim of generating a wistful atmosphere, though it's no "Out of the Past".

I wanted to see what the director had done with a favourite genre, and I apreciated it - it was to my taste.

Pretty enjoyable, if you lower your expectations

[andrew-hill515 · 7/10 · 20 August 2021]

It's not much of a story, not much of a mystery, not much of a revenge story, not particularly deep, not particularly insightful and doesn't have half as much to say as it thinks it does.

Overall it's not a great movie, but it's well-crafted, well-acted and the cast and crew did a good job.

The script and idea behind it were lacklustre, but at least it wasn't boring and there was no noticeable dead time I could point at that wasn't needed for the story being told.

I mean there were elements that didn't add much and that could easily have been cut out, and the pacing was OK, but it wasn't really the kind of movie you need to nitpick that way. Not quite a popcorn flick, but maybe one rung above that.

Cured my insomnia

[sjbx07 · 2/10 · 21 August 2021]

Film is boring from start to finish, pretty good concept ruined by an incredibly bland story, I'm not sure I've ever cared less about characters.

Disconnected ... memories ?

[ArthurianX · 6/10 · 19 August 2021]

I'm not going to discuss the movie at length, others will do that definitely, I'll just say that I left the theater feeling absolutely nothing.

I was not attached to any of the characters during any part of the movie, with such great cast and Lisa Joy at the helm it's hard to miss the point, but I think Reminiscence has missed it.

The story wants to be on one side of a disbanded/chaotic near future, and on another side a heavily policed and rule abiding citizens kind of future.

The cast is awesome, but there's absolutely no chemistry between them, I honestly feel like Hugh had more charisma and chemistry playing that teacher that was convicted for embezzlement.

And every other moral or lesson falls totally flat because of this weird world Lisa Joy has built and the lack of chemistry between the cast and the view with the cast.

It's a bit tragic to see something like this go to waste.

Nope.... I didn't like it!

[redkyng · 4/10 · 20 August 2021]

It started with a good idea (Inception inspiration) past the first half hour everything will change, slowly i lost interest, it's boring, weak plot and some weird moments that I just wanted the movie to end... sorry this is not Inception, not even close!

Flat and dull

[Gordon-11 · 21 August 2021]

The premise may be interesting, but the story telling makes the film flat and dull. There's little chemistry between characters. I don't care about what happens to them, or rebar happens to the story.

Excellent cast

[theknownames · 7/10 · 25 August 2021]

Starting with the positive , excellent cast, fantastic setting .

However I can't get over the stilted script . Or the phenomenal setting reduced to staging by strange lighting and little world building. Then we have the score ,uh , what score? The barely there soundtrack added nothing .

I hate to be a downer but the whole time something felt off and I couldn't get past it. The film is a solid 6 , the cast's performances push it to a 7.

Yeeeesh...

[Features_Creatures · 2/10 · 21 August 2021]

What if Christopher Nolan had a traumatic brain injury? When Brian Cox in Adaptation said "god help you if you use voice-over" he was talking about this movie. Probably one of the worst screenplays I've ever seen. The CGI looks like a video game, absolutely TERRIBLE dialogue. "Memories are like beads on the necklace of time" or "Come on dad, let's get you home to your medicine" or "nobody wants to see a girl in a thrift store dress" when she's obviously wearing a like $3000 designer cocktail dress. The writer director has only ever been a producer for bad tv shows and it shows. The entire look and feel is right out of an NBC prime time sci-fi show that people's dad's begrudgingly watch as they fall asleep. And the entire concept feels like an artifact of 1999-2003. This is embarrassingly bad in every possible way. Razzie for screenplay.

Watch This Film Twice

[jdianahall · 7/10 · 25 August 2021]

The characters of Jackman and Ferguson make a quick connection in this film. Later in the film their sincerity is called into question. Does he seek to re-live his memories out of love or obsession or avoidance of prison time? Does she use lost keys as an excuse or as an adventure or as a desperate cry for help? There are several layers to this film which is why the viewer needs to give it at least two viewings to discover them all. Follow this advice and you will enjoy the results.

Reminiscence

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 24 August 2021]

Lisa Joy is the sister in law of Christopher Nolan and wife of writer Jonathan Nolan.

Reminiscence has some reminders of Memento. A man trying to piece together his past.

Set in the near future where Miami has been half flooded with the richer folks living on the dryer part of the city.

Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman) is a war veteran turned private investigator. Along with his assistant Watts (Thandie Newton) they have special equipment to draw out their client's memories or relive favourite moments.

One day lounge singer Mae (Rebecca Ferguson) walks in wanting to find her lost keys. Bannister is enchanted by her and they begin an affair. Watts distrusts her.

Mae soon disappears and Bannister searches for her. Worse he has been reliving the memories of Mae.

Soon discovers that Mae might have targeted Bannister, she was after something on behalf of a wealthy family. It leads Bannister to a murder plot and a child in danger.

Despite the futuristic settings which has some nods to Waterworld. This is a film noir at his heart. The voice over narration brings to mind Blade Runner.

Reminiscence has too much baggage. The movie itself is flat and lifeless. Some of the action scenes are lazy. The CGI of a half flooded Miami is well done though.

Good, but...

[Hannibal · 7/10 · 19 August 2021]

REMINISCENCE is good, but it lifts SO MUCH from Kathryn Bigelow's STRANGE DAYS (1995), that you should probably just see that instead.

A good movie, just have realistic expectations

[beckystodd · 7/10 · 26 August 2021]

This is not going to be the most exciting movie you have ever seen. It is definitely a quiet, thoughtful, slow burn of a movie. But it is absolutely worth watching. While viewing, I got essences of Blade Runner meets the Minority Report meets just a hint of Inception. Don't get me wrong; it is not nearly as good as any of these movies, but it takes you on a mind bending, dark, futuristic journey that has a resolution which worked for the overall feel of the story. I think the final scene was the weakest, being completely illogical and impossible. I think the build-up of some of the character's relationships were definitely rushed and felt incomplete, like some bad editing had stolen moments that would have allowed me to care more about the characters. There are also come completely unbelievable scenes which take away from the movie as a whole, but it is a futuristic fantasy, so who am I to judge? However, overall the movie is completely watchable, and entertaining in a quiet way and has some really beautiful scenes. If you go into it not expecting more than it is, you will enjoy it.