Total Recall
A factory worker’s virtual vacation detonates into a futuristic manhunt when implanted memories reveal a buried life as a rebel spy.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- propulsive
- paranoid
- somber
- action movie night
- science fiction marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film visually polished and energetic, but considered its predictable plotting, thin characterization, and humorless approach inferior to the 1990 original.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Quaid discovers that his personal history and memories were implanted, making identity uncertainty central to the plot.
Chancellor Cohaagen labels the resistance terrorists and seeks control over the surviving societies.
The United Federation of Britain and the Colony are presented through technologically advanced, heavily controlled urban environments.
Rekall’s implanted memories and Quaid’s altered past connect personal identity directly to espionage and state power.
Films like Total Recall, and why
The Matrix
Shared cyberpunk dystopia, identity manipulation, resistance against authoritarian power, and kinetic science-fiction action.
Minority Report
Shared Philip K. Dick-inspired paranoia, implanted or uncertain identity, futuristic surveillance, and noir-inflected science fiction.
Equilibrium
Shared dystopian future, false identity, oppressive government, rebel resistance, and high-energy action spectacle.
Total Recall
Shared remake status, secret-agent identity crisis, futuristic action, and altered-memory premise.
Movie Details
- Director
- Len Wiseman
- Release Date
- 2012-08-02
- Runtime
- 118 min
- Rating
- 6.0 / 10 (6027)
Cast
- Colin Farrell
- Jessica Biel
- Kate Beckinsale
- Bill Nighy
- John Cho
- Bryan Cranston
- Dylan Smith
- Cam Clarke
- Bokeem Woodbine
- Will Yun Lee
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Total Recall about?
- A factory worker’s virtual vacation detonates into a futuristic manhunt when implanted memories reveal a buried life as a rebel spy.
- What is Total Recall like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Total Recall as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Total Recall violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Total Recall as moderate.
- What did critics think of Total Recall?
- Critics broadly found the film visually polished and energetic, but considered its predictable plotting, thin characterization, and humorless approach inferior to the 1990 original.
- Which films are like Total Recall?
- Films with a similar feel include The Matrix, Minority Report, Equilibrium, and Total Recall.
- How long is Total Recall?
- Total Recall runs 118 minutes.
- Where can I watch Total Recall?
- In United States, Total Recall is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
