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Total Recall

Play trailer Poster for Total Recall R Released Jun 1, 1990 1h 49m Sci-Fi Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
82% Tomatometer 76 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a bored construction worker in the year 2084 who dreams of visiting the colonized Mars. He visits "Rekall," a company that plants false memories into people's brains, in order to experience the thrill of Mars without having to travel there. But something goes wrong during the procedure; Quaid discovers that his entire life is actually a false memory and that the people who implanted it in his head now want him dead.
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Total Recall

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Critics Consensus

Under Paul Verhoeven's frenetic direction, Total Recall is a fast-paced rush of violence, gore, and humor that never slacks.

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Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher Times (UK) Forget about the disposable Colin Farrell remake from 2012. Rated: 5/5 Nov 20, 2020 Full Review David Robinson Times (UK) The film's visual invention is offset by its visceral nastiness. Schwarzenegger's self-deprecatory good humour prevails none the less. Jun 23, 2020 Full Review Nigel Andrews Financial Times Suffice it that machines crackle, futureworlds whirl and beings human and animal metamorphose before our eyes. Sci-fl addicts, see and enjoy. Everyone else may await, though not over-eagerly, the video. Jun 23, 2020 Full Review Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) Undoubtedly the film will make millions, but Schwarzenegger still can't act worth a damn and neither he nor anyone associated with the film can ever buy what they don't have -- it's called class. Rated: 1/4 May 9, 2023 Full Review Rene Jordan El Nuevo Herald (Miami) There is no need to dress it up in order to have fun. [Full review in Spanish] Oct 28, 2022 Full Review Brian Eggert Deep Focus Review A joyful contradiction to be embraced for its raw sensory energy and momentum, but savored for its unpredictably complicated Dickian themes exploring the nature of identity, fantasies, and reality. Rated: 4/4 Oct 3, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Muhammed a It is a nice and high quality movie to watch and Arnold's acting was good, I liked the genre very much, the ending was very good, there were boring scenes, but it was nice that they used Mars as the subject and I liked the subject. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 11/15/24 Full Review Daniel C. M Really a perfect movie. Amazing performance by Arnold; amazing visuals and subtext/message. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/05/24 Full Review 3D W Fun movie, great action, great acting, good humor. I especially liked the one liners. Arnold Schwarzenegger is extremely charismatic. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/21/24 Full Review Audience Member I thought the visuals were boring, but I really liked the violence and story. Very good film here I think you should check out. I really enjoyed the writing, there were so many twists and turns it keeps your attention. I like how characters you think would be important just get killed off easily, I found that entertaining. I thought this movie was inspired by Logan’s Run, because of the dome, dystopian future, big corporation taking advantage of a god given right to make money, yada yada. After some digging I found it wasn’t, which was a little upsetting but obviously nothing that will make me dislike it. Good movies. One of the better Schwarzenegger films in my opinion. 4/5 stars. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/10/24 Full Review Emily M For its time it’s a great film with lots of twists. The CGI is slighly outdated now but still a great watch ! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 08/24/24 Full Review João Vitor d A classic from the 90s with Arnold Schwarzenegger being Arnold Schwarzenegger, a very exciting story, especially because it deals with a theme that I really like, the manipulation of memories, the question of knowing what is reality and what is not, and if that really matters. The pace is excellent, the fact that Quaid is being chased throughout the entire film contributes a lot to this perception. The CG and visual effects are not the best and can be a little weird sometimes but it doesn't affect the overall experience of the movie. A classic that you must watch. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/15/24 Full Review Read all reviews
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Total Recall

Total Recall (1990) Total Recall (1990) A scene from the film "Total Recall." A scene from the film "Total Recall." A scene from the film "Total Recall." A scene from the film "Total Recall." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is a bored construction worker in the year 2084 who dreams of visiting the colonized Mars. He visits "Rekall," a company that plants false memories into people's brains, in order to experience the thrill of Mars without having to travel there. But something goes wrong during the procedure; Quaid discovers that his entire life is actually a false memory and that the people who implanted it in his head now want him dead.
Director
Paul Verhoeven
Producer
Buzz Feitshans, Ronald Shusett
Screenwriter
Ronald Shusett, Dan O'Bannon, Philip K. Dick, Jon Povill, Gary Goldman
Distributor
Image Entertainment Inc., Live Video, TriStar Pictures, Artisan Entertainment
Production Co
TriStar Pictures, Carolco Pictures Inc.
Rating
R
Genre
Sci-Fi, Action
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 1, 1990, Original
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Oct 10, 2020
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 26, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$117.8M
Runtime
1h 49m
Sound Mix
Surround, Magnetic Stereo 6 Track, Dolby SR, Stereo
Aspect Ratio
35mm
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