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Total Recall

Play trailer 2:07 Poster for Total Recall R 1990 1h 49m Sci-Fi Action Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
81% Tomatometer 78 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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Kevin Maher The Times (UK) 11/20/2020
5/5
Forget about the disposable Colin Farrell remake from 2012. Go to Full Review David Robinson The Times (UK) 06/23/2020
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 Nigel Andrews Financial Times 06/23/2020
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. Go to Full Review Patrick Cavanaugh The Wolfman Cometh Sep 11
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 01/08/2025
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 Terry Francis Southern Voice (Atlanta) 05/09/2023
1/4
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. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Robert M @fantastic-adventures Mar 15 Great Sci-fi movie. I love Arnold and the supporting cast is mostly great as well. See more Dallas H @FozzieMcFly Mar 5 Somewhere along the way, I heard that Paul Verhoeven's movies are satirical commentaries on social topics. Or something similar to it. Therefore, the viewer should never take any of his movies literally. Or seriously. See more Cecilia T @CBCB2000 Feb 16 classic verhoeven therefore a lot of gore, but you should watch it if you are into entertainment that aged well, old visual effects and outdated (but fantastic for the era) set. Iconic the woman with the three boobs, the movie has quite some funny moments although the plot gets too complicated and confusing, which for this kind of watch is not that important. See more Noah H @Noah85 Feb 15 Cool sci-fi concept but TOO MUCH GORE. REALLY hard to watch at times. Arnold Schwarzenegger does his best here but I wish they gave him better dialog. See more Raphaël T @Salbataaar Feb 7 Well, as far as I am concerned, this movie is all but serious. It's action packed, full of quotable moments and most scenes have some kind of cheeky feeling besides the ludicrous action. It is to science fiction what "Evil Dead" is to the horror genre. If you enjoy intense action movies with some kind of ridiculously stylised mise en scene, you're in for a treat. I might be biased because I grew up with it, but don't take it too seriously and make up your own mind about it. See more Romas M @Romas Jan 30 Greetings from Lithuania. "Total Recall" (1990) is a great action, science fiction film from brilliant director Paul Verhoeven. Arnold Schwarzenegger stared in this movie that i have revisited now in 2024 on 4K UHD version that i own. Its a superbly paced movie that at 2 hours is never boring or not entertaining. And despite of great make up, action scenes, superb speciall effects that this movie - its the story that separates this movie from a bunch of other in this genre. Its an excellent, multilayered story that even at the end when everything is done makes you think. Overall, "Total Recall" is a bloody, goory and superbly made classic that still hold up years later. This film delivers on a all aspects. 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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