Reminiscence (2021) – A Deep Dive into Memory, Love, and Obsession

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Directed by: Lisa Joy
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Rebecca Ferguson, Thandiwe Newton, Cliff Curtis
Genre: Sci-Fi, Mystery, Thriller
Release Date: August 20, 2021
Box Office: $15.5 million (global)
Rotten Tomatoes Score: 36% (critics), 39% (audience)

Introduction – A Noir-Infused Sci-Fi Mystery

What if you could relive your best memories like stepping back into a dream? Reminiscence takes this question and runs with it, blending sci-fi and neo-noir into a thought-provoking mystery about love, loss, and the danger of dwelling in the past.

Directed by Lisa Joy (Westworld), this film dives deep into a dystopian future where climate change has flooded Miami, and nostalgia isn’t just a feeling—it’s a business. Hugh Jackman plays Nick Bannister, a private investigator of memories, who becomes obsessed with the mysterious disappearance of a woman named Mae (Rebecca Ferguson). As Nick spirals deeper into the labyrinth of memories and deception, the film asks a crucial question: how much of our past should we hold onto before it consumes us?

Plot Breakdown – The Memory Detective and the Femme Fatale

Nick Bannister runs a unique business with his partner Watts (Thandiwe Newton): clients pay to relive their memories through a machine known as the Reminiscence Tank. The process allows them to re-experience moments from their past, playing like an immersive dream. Most customers seek simple joys—lost loves, forgotten family, or even trivial moments of happiness.

But everything changes when Mae, a captivating lounge singer, walks through Nick’s doors. She’s beautiful, enigmatic, and seemingly hiding something. Nick quickly falls for her, but one day—without warning—she vanishes. Unable to move on, he turns to his own technology, searching through the past to find any clue about what happened to her.

As Nick digs deeper, the search for Mae leads him into the city’s dark underbelly, full of corrupt cops, warlords, and powerful figures who thrive in a world where the rich control what’s left of dry land. With the line between memory and reality blurring, he starts to question everything: Did he ever truly know Mae? Was she running from something—or someone?

Themes and Deeper Meanings – More Than Just a Mystery

💭 The Danger of Nostalgia: Reminiscence is a film about how we hold onto the past, sometimes at the cost of the present. Nick, much like his clients, is trapped in a loop, unable to let go of what he once had—even when it starts to destroy him.

💔 Love, Obsession, and Perception: Is Nick searching for Mae because of love, or because she represents something more—a longing for purpose, a chance to rewrite history? The film plays with the idea that our memories are not always reliable, and love can often be a beautifully distorted illusion.

🌊 Climate Change and the Future: The film’s world-building is subtle but haunting. Miami is partially submerged due to rising sea levels, forcing the wealthy to higher ground while the poor struggle in flooded streets. This backdrop adds another layer of depth to the story, making the film’s dystopia feel eerily plausible.

🎭 The Classic Film Noir Influence: Reminiscence oozes with noir elements—hard-boiled narration, a flawed detective, a mysterious femme fatale, and a mystery that gets more tangled the deeper you go. It feels like Blade Runner meets Inception, with a splash of Chinatown.

Small Details You Might Have Missed

🔎 Mae’s Song Lyrics Matter: Mae sings several times throughout the film, and her song choices foreshadow key events and hidden truths about her past. Pay close attention to her performances.

🔎 The War Veterans’ Connection: Both Nick and Watts are former soldiers, and their experiences shape how they see the world. Watts, in particular, represents someone who has accepted the past, while Nick is still fighting his personal war.

🔎 The Reflection Imagery: Water and reflections play a key role in the film’s cinematography, symbolizing how memories are often distorted. Many important moments are shown through reflections—mirrors, puddles, and even the glass of the reminiscence machine.

🔎 The Rich Live Above the Floods: The class divide is visually reinforced throughout the film. The wealthy elite live in the few dry areas left, while the rest of society struggles in the flooded ruins. This also subtly reflects the power dynamics in Nick’s investigation.

Final Thoughts – A Sci-Fi Mystery That Stays With You

Reminiscence isn’t just a sci-fi thriller—it’s an exploration of memory, loss, and the way our past shapes us. While critics were divided on the film (some felt it was slow or too ambitious), there’s no denying its gorgeous visuals, haunting atmosphere, and emotional weight. Hugh Jackman delivers a raw performance, and the film’s noir elements make it a unique experience.

If you’re a fan of Inception, Westworld, or classic detective mysteries, Reminiscence is worth a watch—just don’t expect all the answers to be handed to you.

⭐⭐⭐✨ (3.5/5)