Total Recall

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Total Recall

R

1990

1h 49m

Sci-Fi

Action

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

81%

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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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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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.

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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

Nov 20, 2020

5/5

Forget about the disposable Colin Farrell remake from 2012.

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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.

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Noah Berlatsky

Everything is Horrible (Substack)

Oct 23, 2026

Total Recall is obsessed with its own status as propaganda

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Lee Tuohy

Sunday Independent (Ireland)

Jul 30, 2026

For all its hi-tech, it still remains your basic hardball hero routine, albeit grossly violent.

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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.

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Justin T

@RT86004734 2 days ago

Maybe Arnie’s best.

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Andrew M

@RT33897781 Oct 27, 2026

Classic golden age Arnie , fantastic sci fi film that doesn't take itself too seriously

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Lennox B

@RT20632496 Sep 22, 2026

A absolute peak sci Fi movie. It's a dark action packed thriller that explores ideas of memory's in such a creative way.

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Oaklee D

@ODie63 Sep 19, 2026

The creme de la creme of SciFi B movie schlock with some really fun special effects.

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Frans B

@FransB Sep 19, 2026

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

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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!

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Paul Verhoeven

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Arnold Schwarzenegger

Douglas Quaid

Rachel Ticotin

Melina

Sharon Stone

Lori

Ronny Cox

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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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