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Total Recall

Play trailer 2:07 Poster for Total Recall R 1990 1h 49m Sci-Fi Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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80% Tomatometer 80 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 100,000+ Ratings
Douglas Quaid is a bored construction worker in the year 2084 who dreams of visiting 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

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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Malcolm Knox Sydney Morning Herald Apr 28, 2026
Total Recall stands above most of its genre-mates by touching on the complex overlaps between various realities. Go to Full Review Kevin Maher The Times (UK) Nov 20, 2020
5/5
Forget about the disposable Colin Farrell remake from 2012. Go to Full Review David Robinson The Times (UK) Jun 23, 2020
The film's visual invention is offset by its visceral nastiness. Schwarzenegger's self-deprecatory good humour prevails none the less. Go to Full Review Lee Tuohy Sunday Independent (Ireland) Jul 30, 2026
For all its hi-tech, it still remains your basic hardball hero routine, albeit grossly violent. Go to Full Review Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh Sep 11, 2025
2/5
It's easy to see how fans of campy, '80s sci-fi hold a soft spot for this, though its more ludicrous components don't entirely stand the test of time. Go to Full Review Harry Solomons Loud and Clear Reviews Jan 8, 2025
4.5/5
Total Recall succeeds where hundreds of its contemporaries fail; a sci-fi epic turning grand philosophical questions into undeniable and ludicrous fun. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Lennox B @RT20632496 2 days ago A absolute peak sci Fi movie. It's a dark action packed thriller that explores ideas of memory's in such a creative way. See more Oaklee D @ODie63 5 days ago The creme de la creme of SciFi B movie schlock with some really fun special effects. See more Frans B @FransB 5 days ago Brilliant. Paul Verhoeven knows how to thrill, non-stop. Very well written and directed. Great cinematography, visually stunning. Stellar cast all excel in character. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone were made for the roles they play. Lots of very fast paced action, violence, some gore, emotion, intrigue and drama. Captivating and entertaining, will remain a classic See more Huntin P @PaxVobiscum80 Sep 16, 2026 Total Recall, directed by Paul 'Robocop' Verhoeven, and written by the Alien (1979) guys from a story by Philip K. Dick, is, by and large, superb. Watch this and you'll tut the next time you see The Matrix. The whole red pill for reality thing is right here, long before Keanu and company made their fortune. And Total Recall is a more complex setup than Matrix, and most rewardingly, it has a sense of humour. Total Recall can raise laughs and smiles. Arnie is on superb form as the construction worker, plagued by nightmares, who wants to start a new life on Mars. His wife (Sharon Stone) vetoes the idea. Then he gets the idea to have false memories implanted, so that he can console himself with the idea that he once lived an adventurous life as a secret agent on Mars. But before the Recall company can implant his bespoke fantasy, events overtake him. And how! Total Recall is an action-packed, darkly comic, science fiction mystery thriller, with some really horrifying scenes. Huge fun! See more Robert P @Superbad Sep 5, 2026 Total Recall = a *4* star movie See more Jason H @RT50328122 Jul 29, 2026 I was a projectionist when this was released. Loved it then and I love it now. See more Read all reviews
Total Recall

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Cast & Crew

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Paul Verhoeven

Director

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Douglas Quaid

Rachel Ticotin

Melina

Sharon Stone

Lori

Ronny Cox

Vilos Cohaagen

Michael Ironside

Richter

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Total Recall

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Total Recall

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Movie Info

Synopsis Douglas Quaid is a bored construction worker in the year 2084 who dreams of visiting 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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