Netflix Gets Sci-Fi Noir Mystery With Marvel Superstar Everyone Ignored
With a name like Hugh Jackman on the short list of stars featured, one would think that the 2021 film Reminiscence would have received more attention during its brief theatrical run. But even with one of the Marvel cinematic universe’s favorite actors, the movie couldn’t escape the woes that stemmed from lukewarm critical responses and the distributor’s decision to stream it at the same time as it’s run on theater screens Nonetheless, Jackman and his co-stars make this ignored production well worth the time to see.
Tapping Into Human Memories
Reminiscence shows the Earth in a distant future after climate change has flooded a good portion of the continental land mass. The film follows war veterans Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman) and Emily Sanders (Thandiwe Newton), two workers who operate a piece of equipment that is able to tap into human memories. This machine can be used to retrieve the most mundane of things (like where you left a lost item) to help the government secure memories from witnesses and suspects.
After Nick falls for a client named Mae (Rebecca Ferguson), the woman mysteriously disappears after a few months. While working with the government to prosecute a criminal, it’s revealed to Nick that the object of his affection has ties to organized crime in another city. Nick’s quest to find Mae takes him on a road through the dregs of New Orleans, where he discovers that he might have been a patsy for a bigger scheme.
From A Westworld Director
Reminiscence marked the feature film debut of director Lisa Joy. Joy, whose only other directorial credits are for the hit HBO series Westworld, also served as the movie’s co-producer and screenwriter. The PrimeTime Emmy Award nominee’s first film was met with mixed reviews from critics and a disastrous response from film audiences.
Considered A Rehash
Reminiscence was deemed as too contrived and viewed as a rehash of multiple other genre films to generate much enthusiasm from audiences in 2021. With comparisons to Waterworld, Blade Runner, and The Hunger Games noted by Variety, the movie just didn’t do enough to keep audiences engaged with anything that could be considered even remotely original.
But that doesn’t mean that Reminiscence is a film that science fiction fans should overlook entirely. The performances from Wolverine star Hugh Jackman and Doctor Sleep star Rebecca Ferguson do the 116-minute running time justice. The pair play off one another well and remain one of the film’s saving graces.
Suffered From A Dual Release
At the box office, Jackman and Ferguson weren’t enough of a draw to make Warner Bros. or FilmNation Entertainment back near what was invested. The production budget was estimated to be nearly $70 million, and Reminiscence was only able to scrape together $16.4 million in ticket sales. Part of this was due to distributor Warner Bros. opting to run the film at theaters and on the streaming service Max for the first 30 days simultaneously, then pivoted to have the movie run through the streaming giant exclusively.
Now On Netflix
REVIEW SCORE
While on Max, Reminiscence was estimated to have generated viewers in more than 2 million households. This points to the film perhaps being an example of one that will slowly gain steam over time and churn out more favorable reviews from critics down the road.
You can stream the underrated Reminiscence with a subscription to Netflix.
