‘Reminiscence’ on HBO Max: The Reviews Are In

Sci-fi fans, listen up: Westworld co-creator Lisa Joy’s new film Reminiscence is headed your way. The Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson-led sci-fi noir debuts in theaters and on HBO Max on August 20, but is it worth streaming? Based on early reactions from critics, your mileage with Reminiscence may vary.

The movie takes place in a not-so-distant dystopian world ravaged by climate change, where people flock to briefly relive their old memories. Jackman plays private investigator Nick, who’s in the business of memories and soon strikes up a passionate relationship with femme fatale Mae (Ferguson). When she goes missing, Nick delves into her past and (shocker!) discovers dark secrets about his enterprise and the slippery nature of memory.

Some critics lauded director and writer Joy’s directorial debut based on its original, ambitious premise alone.

“It’s a comment lament that non-IP influenced, original screenplays… aren’t as supported by the major studios as they once were. Enter Reminiscence, with its unabashed old soul and classic appetite for what makes a great Hollywood tale,” wrote The Playlist’s Nick Allen. “The film is a gem, really, with noir-inspired cynicism that’s almost too pure for the era of Space Jam: A New Legacy.”

However, other writers took issue with how many elements of Reminiscence felt recycled from more iconic, enduring films — its noir aesthetic echoes Blade Runner and classic ’40s films like The Maltese Falcon, while its meditations on memory and the human mind resemble bits of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Christopher Nolan films like Inception (Nolan happens to be Joy’s brother-in-law).

“It’s hard not to see [Reminiscence] in algorithmic terms, for its personality is at times nothing more than an equation, one that pales next to the far superior films and shows it sits next to [on HBO Max],” said The Guardian critic Benjamin Lee.

The performances, at least, have registered well so far. Variety critic Owen Gleiberman writes that Jackman “has never phoned in a performance,” while IndieWire’s David Ehrlich shouted out the “ever-watchable Rebecca Ferguson.”

Ultimately, several writers found that Reminiscence‘s intriguing premise and dreamlike atmosphere was derailed by its convoluted ending and dense world-building.

“It all culminates in a wild misstep of an ending; a conclusion that fails to elicit any emotion it’s reaching for,” wrote Slashfilm’s Chris Evangelista.

“Reminiscence takes too many detours,” The Washington Post critic Pat Padua chimed in. “For every scene that works — and there are plenty — there’s one that goes off the rails.”

Reminiscence will land on HBO Max and in theaters on Friday, August 20. The film will stream on HBO Max for 31 days before it leaves the service, as part of the streamer’s collaboration with Warner Bros.

You can scroll up to watch the trailer for Reminiscence now.

Where to watch Reminiscence