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Memento

Memento

Some memories are best forgotten.

2000113 minRMidcredits score: 99th percentile of all films
Director
Christopher Nolan
Starring
Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior

Leonard Shelby is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife's killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term 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.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Memento?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Memento streaming on Hulu, Netflix, Peacock, Pluto TV (free), Prime Video, The Roku Channel (free) and Tubi (free) and to rent or buy on Prime Video.

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Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Memento?

Memento earns 12 badges, led by Top 1% of films and Stood the test of time.

Show 4 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Memento worth watching?

Memento's Midcredits score is the 99th percentile of all films, from 3.7M ratings across 6 sources. 92% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

99th percentile

Better received than 99% of films

99th percentile among Mystery99th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)98th
Approval (how many liked it)99th

84 /100

98th percentile of all films

99th percentile among Mystery99th percentile among 2000s

Critics 83 · Audience 84

Critics and audiences broadly agree.

Rating distribution

Ratings pile up at 9–10 with almost no detractors — near-universal love.

92% liked it

99th percentile of all films

98th percentile among Mystery99th percentile among 2000s
92% rated it 7–108% rated it 1–6

Critics 94% · Audience 94%

On Rotten Tomatoes, critics and audiences approve at similar rates.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 2 Oscar noms · 43 wins / 49 noms overall

  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Film Editing
  • NominatedAcademy Awards· Best Writing, Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen

99th percentile

3.7M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Mystery99th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Up 13% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$9M
Opening weekend$235K
Domestic gross$26M
Worldwide gross$43M

Returned 4.8× its budget — 90th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a clever, original puzzle told backwards that demands the viewer's full concentration.

Fans praised

  • innovative reverse-chronological structure immerses viewer in protagonist's condition
  • Guy Pearce's compelling performance as a man grappling with memory loss
  • intricate, puzzle-like plot that rewards close attention and multiple viewings

Detractors panned

  • gimmicky storytelling that prioritizes style over substance
  • cold, emotionally distant characters fail to engage
  • confusing narrative becomes tedious and exhausting

What stands out

OriginalityDivisive92

unprecedented reverse-chronological storytelling; detractors call it a novelty

ActingDivisive85

Guy Pearce's performance is widely praised for conveying confusion and determination; a few detractors found it unconvincing

Plot and storyDivisive78

reverse narrative is seen as brilliant by fans, as a gimmick by detractors; some note plot holes

TensionDivisive78

constant suspense as mystery unfolds; some find it frustrating rather than thrilling

EndingDivisive72

divisive: fans laud the twist and thematic closure; detractors find it unsatisfying or confusing

CharactersDivisive65

fans find them complex and mysterious; detractors see them as uninteresting and unappealing

PacingDivisive55

fans find it taut and engaging; detractors describe it as slow, repetitive, and tedious

Emotional impactDivisive55

fans feel Leonard's plight; detractors find it cold and unmoving

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 4 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 1 point apart
  • Critics vs users 1 point apart
  • US vs non-US even

Watch experience

What is Memento like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Mind-bender: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want a puzzle and can give it your full attention.

It swings between moods and leaves you thinking. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Mind-bender.

Moods
TenseContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Cold and cerebral · 4% of films: Detached and precise; keeps the viewer at arm's length.Brooding: Heavy, inward, weather-beaten.
The answer rests on this: Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film plays its dark, mind-bending material completely straight, with no ironic distance, immersing the viewer in Leonard's disoriented reality.
The rideThe constant cuts and fragmented chronology sustain a knot of unease from opening to end, with the reflective pauses never fully alleviating the tension.
StructureThe color sequences proceed in reverse chronological order while the black-and-white sequences are chronological, creating a nonlinear narrative that mirrors the protagonist's fragmented memory.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Thinking.

Thought-provokingHaunting · 14% of films
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's reverse narrative and ambiguous revelations leave lasting questions about memory, truth, and self-deception.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).MysteryEnigma
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7% (this title): Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2% (this title)
  • No archetype 22%

Mystery: A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered. · Enigma: The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).

7% of films fit this archetype

with Tragedy underneath

Why this archetypeThe film is driven by the central question of who killed Leonard's wife and the true nature of events, presented through a fragmented narrative that forces the viewer to piece together an unreliable reality, fitting the mystery enigma subtype.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfSelf-worth
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% (this title) · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% (this title) · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Self-worth · 7% of filmsMemory · 3% of films
Interrogates its theme: Questions its theme without settling the answer.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film interrogates how memory constructs identity and whether a man without reliable memory can hold onto purpose or truth.
StanceThe film asks what a revenge quest means when memory is unreliable, and whether Leonard's mission is justice or self-delusion.

The world

ContemporaryUrbanInstitutionalDomesticStylized realism
AmbientElectronicSupportive music · original score · David Julyan
Settinga run-down Los Angeles motel and the seedy outskirts of the city
MusicA droning, minimalist score that amplifies Leonard's dissociation and the puzzle's mood.

Content guide

Is Memento okay for kids?

R

Memento is rated R: “Rated R for violence, language and some drug content” (MPAA). As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (65/100), sexual content at mild (31/100), language at severe (85/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (42/100) and frightening material at intense (61/100). Overall it is heavier than 52% of R-rated films.

Ratings in 32 other countries
  • UK15
  • Canada14A
  • AustraliaMA 15+
  • Germany16
  • France12
  • Ireland18
  • New ZealandR16
  • JapanPG12
  • South Korea15
  • Brazil16
  • Argentina+13
  • Belgium18
  • BGD
  • Czechia12+
  • Denmark15
  • FinlandK-15
  • Hong KongIIB
  • Hungary16
  • Israel14
  • ItalyT
  • MexicoB
  • Netherlands16
  • Norway15
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeNC16
  • Spain12
  • Sweden15
  • Switzerland14
  • Taiwan輔12
  • Türkiye13+
Overall
Intense · all five categories
Heavier than 71% of all filmsHeavier than 52% of R-rated films
Violence & Gore
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 43%
Sex & Nudity
Mild
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 26%
Profanity
Severe
heavy for an R-rated film
heavier than 82%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 54%
Frightening / Intense
Intense
typical for an R-rated film
heavier than 47%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language, violence, and frightening material. Everything else sits at or below what R-rated films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Memento have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Memento?

Cast

Carrie-Anne Moss won the Spirit for this film.

Guy Pearce
as Leonard
Breakout: Their highest-reaching film role at the time, and they went on to a career at least 3 times their standing then.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Carrie-Anne Moss
as Natalie
Spirit win: Independent Spirit Award — Best Supporting FemaleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Joe Pantoliano
as Teddy
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Mark Boone Junior
as Burt
Career best: Their highest-reaching film role by billing, audience size and rating.
Russ Fega
as Waiter
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Jorja Fox
as Leonard's Wife
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Stephen Tobolowsky
as Sammy
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Harriet Sansom Harris
as Mrs. Jankis
Thomas Lennon
as Doctor
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Callum Keith Rennie
as Dodd

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Memento?

Movies like Memento include Following (1998), The Usual Suspects (1995) and Reminiscence (2021). Of the 12 closest matches, several are films by Christopher Nolan, and most are puzzle films.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

4 of these 12 share its subject: memory. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Memento?

1.3K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: neo-noir. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.