Johnny Mnemonic
An overloaded memory courier races across a diseased cyberpunk future while a pharmaceutical empire hunts the cure embedded in his mind.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Moderate
- grim
- neon-lit
- propulsive
- cyberpunk movie night
- 90s science fiction marathon
What critics said
Critics broadly found the cyberpunk premise and visual ambition more compelling than the derivative, grim, and under-dramatic execution.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story takes place in 2021 amid global internet connectivity, widespread NAS illness, implanted memory technology, and pharmaceutical control.
Johnny's implanted memory chip makes his own brain the delivery system for information transported from Beijing to Newark.
Pharmakom and the Yakuza pursue Johnny through a grim, technologically saturated future while low-tech activists seek to undermine them.
The film foregrounds cyberspace, virtual-reality imagery, computer graphics, implanted hardware, and darkly staged futuristic action.
Films like Johnny Mnemonic, and why
The Matrix
Shared cyberpunk dystopia, corporate power, implanted technology, and high-concept virtual-reality action.
Blade Runner
Shared cyberpunk atmosphere, noir plotting, dystopian urban settings, and technologically mediated identity.
Total Recall
Shared near-future technology, paranoid pursuit, pharmaceutical conspiracy, and kinetic science fiction action.
Lawnmower Man
Shared low-budget cyberpunk ambition, virtual reality imagery, and technologically themed dystopian thriller elements.
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Longo
- Release Date
- 1995-05-26
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 5.8 / 10 (1597)
Cast
- Keanu Reeves
- Dina Meyer
- Takeshi Kitano
- Ice-T
- Dolph Lundgren
- Denis Akiyama
- Henry Rollins
- Barbara Sukowa
- Udo Kier
- Tracy Tweed
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- 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 Johnny Mnemonic about?
- An overloaded memory courier races across a diseased cyberpunk future while a pharmaceutical empire hunts the cure embedded in his mind.
- What is Johnny Mnemonic like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Johnny Mnemonic as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Johnny Mnemonic violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Johnny Mnemonic as moderate.
- What did critics think of Johnny Mnemonic?
- Critics broadly found the cyberpunk premise and visual ambition more compelling than the derivative, grim, and under-dramatic execution.
- Which films are like Johnny Mnemonic?
- Films with a similar feel include The Matrix, Blade Runner, Total Recall, and Lawnmower Man.
- How long is Johnny Mnemonic?
- Johnny Mnemonic runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Johnny Mnemonic?
- In United States, Johnny Mnemonic streams on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel.
