Memento

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Memento

R

Released Sep 5, 2000

1h 56m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

185 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

250,000+ Ratings

Leonard (Guy Pearce) is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty, however, of locating his wife's killer is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he's going, or why.

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Critics Consensus

Christopher Nolan skillfully guides the audience through Memento's fractured narrative, seeping his film in existential dread.

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Victoria Luxford

BBC.com

Very complex detective thriller. Guy Pearce (leads) a terrific cast alongside Carrie Anne Moss. If you want to see the beginnings of how Nolan became such a big director, this is one to watch.

Rated: 5/5

Aug 11, 2023

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Adam Kempenaar

Filmspotting

Think of all the ways that a linear film structure stabilizes us - the cause and effect chain of events. But Memento is about a character completely destabilized, so Nolan destabilizes us accordingly in a way maybe no other movie has.

Rated: 5/5

Apr 10, 2020

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Joshua Rothkopf

In These Times

Memento would only be half as fun with only one gimmick or the other. Instead, the backward storytelling and the frozen man make for a wonderful pair, combining into something far more redemptive than it sounds.

Mar 16, 2020

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Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

Memento isn't an easy film, but it gives viewers plenty to ponder. And Pearce's startling performance is unforgettable.

Rated: A

Apr 30, 2024

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Akhil Arora

AkhilArora.com

Memento places you in the mind of the protagonist in a fascinating way—by running it in reverse, you only know as much as the protagonist remembers—and that constantly makes you question what you’ve been told and what you see next.

Oct 17, 2023

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…one of the most demanding movies ever made…one of cinema’s most ornate puzzle-boxes…

Rated: 5/5

Sep 29, 2023

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Colin W.

Really gets you thinking, classic Christopher Nolan masterpiece! You need to lock in for this kind of film and can’t miss a second but crazy good!

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/31/25

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Audience Member

This movie made me feel as powerless and vulnerable as Leonard, which in turn made me relate to his character more in response to the betrayal he experienced without his knowing. I felt equally as out of control and confused as the protagonist because of the backwards way the movie is filmed which worked so well with the main theme the movie left me with; everyone will take you for granted, take advantage of you, and use you for there personal gain if you let them. The tragedy here is that Leonard never got the chance to let them, rather he was doomed from the start, and will never know it ever even happened. Pure cinema, 10/10.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/16/25

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Kenneth H

Perfection. Unparalleled originality. Far and away Nolan’s best feat, and laid the groundwork for subsequent films.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/11/25

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Pete B

Every now and then a movie gets made where you feel like it is the first to market with a concept and near perfect in creation. This is one of them.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/20/25

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Audience Member

Absolutely harrowing commentary on the human experiences of memory, love, and most importantly denial. Very much a movie you can think about for hours after watching, and my personal favorite from Christopher Nolan. Non-linear storytelling is very hard to pull off correctly, and this movie goes above and beyond correct, it just may be perfect.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/17/25

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Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 56 minutes!!!!!!!!! Rated R for Language, Drug Content and Violence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/07/25

Full Review

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Christopher Nolan

Director

Guy Pearce

Leonard Shelby

Carrie-Anne Moss

Natalie

Joe Pantoliano

Teddy

Mark Boone Junior

Burt

Stephen Tobolowsky

Sammy

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Memento: Trailer 1

1:21

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Synopsis

Leonard (Guy Pearce) is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty, however, of locating his wife's killer is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he's going, or why.

Director: Christopher Nolan
Producer: Jennifer Todd, Suzanne Todd
Screenwriter: Christopher Nolan, Jonathan Nolan
Distributor: Newmarket Film Group
Production Co: Team Todd, I Remember Productions, Llc, Newmarket Capital Group
Rating: R (Language|Drug Content|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 5, 2000, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $25.5M
Runtime: 1h 56m
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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