When construction worker Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger) wants to experience the thrills of visiting Mars without actually going, he turns to Rekall, a company which implants false memories in Total Recall, set in the year 2084. Before Rekall can even do the procedure, Quaid has a violent reaction and becomes convinced his entire life is actually an implanted memory itself and that he’s actually a secret agent whose cover has been blown. The film was released in 1990 and was based on a short story by famed sci-fi author Phillip K. Dick. It was directed by Paul Verhoeven.
Total Recall blurs the lines between reality and fantasy wonderfully, but it’s not the only sci-fi film to leave audiences wondering what really happened. Some of the best sci-fi is mind-bending sci-fi, which takes viewers on a wild ride and ends on an ambiguous note, and it’s not surprising that like Total Recall, many of these movies also deal with the blurred lines between worlds and the unreliability of memory. And it’s no surprise that the work of Philip K. Dick pops up again and again.
11
‘Universal Soldier’ (1992)
Directed by Roland Emmerich
In Universal Soldier, set during the Vietnam War, soldier Luc Deveraux (Jean-Claude Van Damme) notices his superior officer, Andrew Scott (Dolph Lundgren), has become violent and deranged, culminating in a confrontation in which the two men fight to the death. After their bodies are retrieved, they’re reanimated as part of a top-secret military operation, but 25 yeas later, they begin to experience memories of their former lives. The film has spawned a franchise of six films.
Like Total Recall, Universal Soldier deals with the theme of memory—and it’s also full of fast-paced action scenes, with characters who are more than they seem played by action-movie heroes. Universal Soldier is also very much about the ways the past can haunt us and leave an impression decades later, especially when it comes to violence and war, as well as identity and what it takes to make someone forget who they are.
10
‘Paycheck’ (2003)
Directed by John Woo
Paycheck tells the story of Michael Jennings (Ben Affleck), who’s highly sought after by corporations for his ability to reverse-engineer their competitors’ products. After each job is done, his memory is erased, and after reverse-engineering a government device, he finds himself being chased by various agencies. The movie was based on the short story of the same name by Philip K. Dick, and it was director John Woo’s last American film until Silent Night in 2023.
Although Paycheck wasn’t particularly well-received, it features a fascinating premise—and while it can admittedly be hard to do Dick’s work justice, his stories are among the best sci-fi has to offer. Whereas Total Recall deals with whether Quaid’s experiences are real, Paycheck is more focused on unraveling the mystery of where things went wrong on Michael’s most recent job, but both deal heavily with memory, with characters who get wrapped up in something much larger than they expected.
9
‘Total Recall’ (2012)
Directed by Len Wiseman
8
The plot of the 2012 remake of Total Recall unfolds much the same as the original—factory worker Douglas Quaid (Colin Farrell) visits Rekall, a company which can transform dreams into actual memories. He chooses a set of memories of life as a spy and becomes convinced that he actually is one. Unsure of who he can trust, he goes on the run. The setting is changed, however, to an Earth ravaged by chemical warfare.
Given the success and enduring popularity of the original Total Recall, it’s no surprise Hollywood revisited the story years later. But as is often the case with remakes, there’s just no matching the original. The 2012 version is more of a thrilling action movie than a mind-blowing sci-fi, but it’s still a wild ride—while it might not be as well-executed as the original, it does feature some great action sequences and stunts.
7
‘Oblivion’ (2013)
Directed by Joseph Kosinski
Set in the year 2077, Oblivion follows Jack (Tom Cruise), a drone technician working on Earth after the planet was devastated by an attack from aliens, and his partner, Victoria (Andrea Riseborough). When he rescues a woman (Olga Kurylenko) from a crashed spacecraft—a woman he’s seen before in his dreams—it challenges everything he thought he knew. The movie was based on director Joseph Kosinski’s unpublished graphic novel of the same name.
Oblivion is a flawed movie with a plot hole that’s kind of hard to ignore, but it’s still entertaining—it takes familiar sci-fi beats and uses them to create an interesting story. Like Total Recall, its plot deals heavily with memory and its connection to identity. Jack’s memories have been wiped as part of his job, and one revelation leads to another. The movie also features great cinematography and a fantastic electronic soundtrack by musician M83.
6
‘The Thirteenth Floor’ (1999)
Directed by Josef Rusnak
In The Thirteenth Floor, computer scientist Douglas Hall (Craig Bierko) awakens to find a bloodied shirt and his boss, computer genius Hannon Fuller (Armin Mueller-Stahl), murdered in his home, and although Douglas has no memory of committing the crime, all the evidence points to him. He decides to explore a virtual reality created by Hannon and set in Los Angeles in the ‘30s to find answers. The movie was a loose remake of the miniseries World on a Wire.
The Thirteenth Floor was not well-received by critics but is often considered an underrated gem by sci-fi fans. The movie deals with memory and reality—Douglas isn’t sure of what’s true and what isn’t and becomes desperate for answers, no matter what they may reveal. It’s also a dive into a rich virtual world as it travels through different times and places, most notably Los Angeles in the late 1930s.
5
‘Existenz’ (1999)
Directed by David Cronenberg
After a crazed fan attempts to kill Allegra Geller (Jennifer Jason Leigh), the creator of a video game called eXistenZ, she goes on the run with Ted (Jude Law), a businessman who takes on the role of her bodyguard in Existenz, set in 2030. In order to save the game, Allegra implants Ted with a damaged copy of it, leading them into a series of experiences which blur the lines between fantasy and reality.
Existenz and Total Recall both feature characters who are unable to distinguish fantasy from reality, and in the case of Existenz, the more time they spend in the virtual world, the harder it is to tell which is which. The movie is one of director David Cronenberg’s lesser-appreciated works, but it’s still an entertaining ride with some great twists—and it features some of the body horror he’s known for.
4
‘Strange Days’ (1995)
Directed by Kathryn Bigelow
Set in Los Angeles over the final two days of 1999, Strange Days follows Lenny Nero (Ralph Fiennes), a former cop who now works in the lucrative business of illegally selling SQUID (Superconducting Quantum Interference Device), virtual reality-like recordings which allow users to experience emotions and pasts of others. When he receives a recording of the brutal rape and murder of a sex worker, he gets wrapped up in a conspiracy involving the police.
Like plenty of mind-bending films, Strange Days was ahead of its time, and it only gets better on repeat viewings. And like plenty of sci-fi films, it deals with the dangers of technology, but it also touches on issues such as racism and misogyny. The movie also boasts both an incredible cast and crew, many of whom were just beginning their careers and were on the verge of becoming stars.
3
‘Dark City’ (1998)
Directed by Alex Proyas
Upon awakening in bathtub in a strange hotel room with no memory of how he got there or who h even is, John Murdoch (Rufus Sewell) learns that he’s wanted for a series of brutal murders in Dark City. He begins to question his sanity and embarks on a journey to uncover who he really is, and as he gets close to the truth, he uncovers a larger conspiracy involving a mysterious group called the Strangers.
Dark City is among the most beloved and highly esteemed sci-fi movies dealing with reality, with a style that’s just as disorienting to the viewer as it is the characters. It also features incredible visuals which lend a noir feel to the sci-fi setting. For those watching the film for the first time, the director’s cut is best—the theatrical version includes a voiceover which spoils the movie’s biggest and most shocking twist.
2
‘Inception’ (2010)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Inception follows Dom Cobb (Leonardo DiCaprio), a thief able to enter people’s dreams in order to steal secrets using a layered “dream within a dream” method. Cobb is asked to do the seemingly impossible opposite—plant an idea in the mind of a CEO—and if he’s successful, he’ll be reunited with his children. But his late wife, who completed suicide after becoming convinced the real world was a dream, keeps appearing in his subconscious, threatening to derail everything.
Inception has become a modern classic, thanks in part to its infamous ambiguous ending. As it alternates between the real world and the dream world, where dreams are layered on top of each other, it can be unclear which is which, similar to the way it’s unclear if the memories of Total Recall’s Quaid are genuine or implants. Inception has also been compared to Nolan’s earlier film Memento, which also dealt with memory.
