Memento

Play trailer

1:21

Memento

R

2000

1h 56m

Mystery & Thriller

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

94%

Tomatometer

186 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.

Watch on Fandango

Stream Now

Critics Consensus

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

Read Critics Reviews

Victoria Luxford

BBC.com

08/11/2023

5/5

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.

Go to Full Review

Adam Kempenaar

Filmspotting

04/10/2020

5/5

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.

Go to Full Review

Joshua Rothkopf

In These Times

03/16/2020

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.

Go to Full Review

Tom Fitzgerald and Lorenzo Marquez

Tom & Lorenzo

Jun 16

The beauty of director and screenwriter Nolan’s story is that it forces the viewer to reconsider what they’ve just seen constantly, throughout the movie. The ending is the beginning and the beginning is the ending.

Go to Full Review

Dan DiNicola

The Daily Gazette (Schenectady, NY)

04/30/2024

A

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

Go to Full Review

Akhil Arora

AkhilArora.com

10/17/2023

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.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

George S

@RT08186261 19h

Stop reading reviews and watch the movie. This one is perfect.

See more

Davide D

@Melanaetos Aug 6

Masterpiece and manifesto of his future career

See more

Kevin W

@RT23037052 Aug 3

Memento is still my favorite movie of all time. Guy Pearce gives an incredible performance, and the entire cast is outstanding. The scene where Carrie Anne Moss walks back outside, sits in her car, and waits for Leonard to forget what they were just talking about is one of the most suspenseful moments I’ve ever seen. As he desperately looks for something to write with before his memory resets, the tension is almost unbearable. Christopher Nolan has directed some amazing films over the years, but for me, Memento will always be his masterpiece. It’s brilliantly written, flawlessly executed, and rewards every rewatch. No matter how many great movies Nolan makes, this one will always be at the very top of my list.

See more

Josh G

@Parsifal83 Aug 1

Still Christopher Nolan's finest achievement. Its ingenious puzzle-box structure never exists for its own sake, instead drawing the audience into the protagonist's fractured mind and forcing us to question memory, identity, and the comforting lies we tell ourselves. A landmark of modern cinema that forever expanded the possibilities of cinematic storytelling.

See more

K G

@KatyG-S Jul 30

Watch this as a memento. Just like the "Evil Dead" saga, the movie is not on a high budget yet it is a box office success - but I am seeing that "The Evil Dead" does not compare to this. Christopher Nolan treats his movies differently; whether his soundtrack hits different or the cinematography hits different. The camera converts from grey-scale & color. Black & white is in the flashbacks, what Leonard Shelby could not remember & colour is the time reversed. That is a smart way. Not to mention that the camera quality was high when it was made in 2000 - a visual quality ahead of its time, just like "Robots". I just love the character, Leonard, the clues come from the written tattoos on his body. I kind of forgot the plot though.

See more

Arjan S

@monk3y Jul 26

Don’t call me a Nolan fanboy, but the man has never missed. So interesting and comes together exceptionally in the end.

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

Christopher Nolan

Director

Guy Pearce

Leonard Shelby

Carrie-Anne Moss

Natalie

Joe Pantoliano

Teddy

Mark Boone Junior

Burt

Stephen Tobolowsky

Sammy

View more videos

Inferno

20%

27%

Inferno

Watchlist

Proof of Life

38%

43%

Proof of Life

Watchlist

Eye of the Beholder

9%

31%

Eye of the Beholder

Watchlist

Hypnotic

44%

35%

Hypnotic

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

These Actors Have Appeared in the Most Christopher Nolan Movies

Rank All of Christopher Nolan’s Movies

Memento, The Iron Giant, Blazing Saddles and More Certified Fresh Picks on Netflix and Amazon Prime This Week

Memento: Trailer 1

1:21

View more videos

View more photos

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)

Join The Newsletter

Join The Newsletter

Cookie Settings