This post is part of my movie-a-day challenge in which I will watch a film every day for 365 days. Today is Day 281! You can see all the posts for this challenge HERE. To see the original Movie-a-Day Challenge post, click HERE.
Hey friends,
So, I last night I sat down with a bowl of popcorn (salted, not buttered, because I’m feeling fancy) and check out “Reminiscence,” the 2021 flick directed by Lisa Joy. I’d heard a mix of things about this movie, and let’s be real, sometimes you just need to dive into something with no idea what to expect. Trust me, the experience ended up being more than a tad fascinating.
First off, the premise is super cool. In a future where Miami is partially submerged due to climate change (a scary thought, by the way!), people can relive their past memories using this fancy tech. Jackman plays Nick Bannister, a jaded private investigator of the mind specializing in memory dives. Yup, you read that right. Instead of following people around dodgy alleyways, he’s diving into their memories. The whole vibe of the film is this neo-noir, futuristic Miami that’s partially underwater. It’s Blade Runner meets Inception with a little bit of, “Are we seriously doing this?” Because, yes, we seriously are.
So, the story kicks off with Nick helping people navigate their pasts in this submerged Miami, which looks as sweaty as it sounds. He’s got the whole moody, brooding detective angle down (Hugh Jackman; what else is new, right?).
But things go haywire when Mae (Rebecca Ferguson), a mysterious singer with a voice that could knock you off your feet, waltzes into his life needing help with finding her lost keys or something trivial that, of course, spirals into absolute chaos. You just know the drill: boy meets girl, boy explores girl’s memories, boy finds out girl is embroiled in a painful and murky world he’s about to dive headfirst into. And then she disappears, and Nick spirals into an obsession, trying to piece together her past through her fragmented memories.
Now, as for the acting. Hugh Jackman can pretty much read the phone book and you’d still be hooked. And Rebecca Ferguson is like this ethereal yet grounded figure. She’s got these eyes that tell you she’s hiding a novella’s worth of secrets. Their chemistry? Oh boy, somewhere between sizzling and heart-wrenching.
Thandiwe Newton plays Watts (Nick’s loyal partner-in-crime), and let me just say, she’s like the sarcasm-laced glue that holds the whole operation together. Every scene she’s in feels like a sweet and sassy intermission from the spiraling plotline.
As for the plot twists—Lisa Joy has certainly put her Westworld experience to use because just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, BAM! A curveball hits you right in the feels. Honestly, some parts did make me scratch my head in confusion—not gonna lie. Imagine trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle underwater while someone narrates a Raymond Chandler novel to you. It’s like, “This is weirdly beautiful, but I have no clue what’s going on.”
Oh, and speaking of weirdly beautiful— the cinematography? Stunning. Miami underwater is both beautiful and unsettling, and the whole film has this neon-noir vibe that I really dig. The way the film portrays its murky, waterlogged world is both eerie and captivating. Hats off to whoever thought, “Let’s flood Miami and make it look artsy.”
Emotions ran high through this movie, and not just because I was worried Hugh Jackman’s character might drown every other scene. It’s a melancholic exploration of love, loss, and the lengths we go to remember or forget. Sometimes it did feel like the plot was swimming against its own current, trying to be a bit too clever, but that’s part of its charm, I guess.
If you’re in the mood for something moody, visually impressive with solid performances and a plot that’ll have you piecing together fragments in your sleep, “Reminiscence” is worth the dive. Just maybe keep a life jacket handy for those depth charges of emotion and confusion.
Catch you on the flip side,
Roger