Memento
A former insurance investigator who now suffers from anterograde amnesia uses notes and tattoos to hunt down his wife's murderer.
Directed by Christopher Nolan · Drama · Mystery · Thriller · 113 min · 2001
Trailer
Director
Christopher Nolan
Studio
Summit Entertainment / Team Todd
Release
25 May 2001
Runtime
113 min
Genres
Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Full Plot
Memento chronicles two separate stories of Leonard, an ex-insurance investigator who can no longer build new memories, as he attempts to find the murderer of his wife, which is the last thing he remembers. One story line moves forward in time while the other tells the story backwards revealing more each time.
Cast & Characters
Natalie
Carrie-Anne Moss
Burt
Mark Boone Junior
Waiter
Russ Fega
Catherine Shelby
Jorja Fox
Samuel R. "Sammy" Jankis
Stephen Tobolowsky
Mrs. Jankis
Harriet Sansom Harris
Doctor
Thomas Lennon
Dodd
Callum Keith Rennie
Blonde
Kimberly Campbell
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $9.0M, Memento has grossed $40.1M worldwide — about 4.5x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Christopher Nolan has directed 9 films in our catalog, including Interstellar, The Dark Knight.
Source: theIReview.com catalog · verified 2026-08-02
Did You Know Christopher Nolan and his brother Jonathan took a cross-country road trip to develop the story for their film.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Did You Know The mysterious killer character "John G." was inspired by Jonathan's Georgetown University screenwriting professor, John Glavin.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Did You Know Guy Pearce was chosen for the lead role after Nolan decided to eschew A-list stars and opt for an affordable quality actor with a strong enthusiasm for the part.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-13
Critical Assessment
Memento holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (1,432,382 votes), 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 83/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of July 30, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.4/10 on IMDb (1,432,382 votes), 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 83/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Memento's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Memento holds a 94% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Memento's IMDb rating?+
Memento has a 8.4/10 rating on IMDb from 1,432,382 votes.
What is Memento's Metacritic score?+
Memento has a Metascore of 83/100 on Metacritic.
Is Memento good? What are critics saying?+
Memento holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (1,432,382 votes), 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 83/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Memento?+
Memento has a runtime of 113 min.
Who directed Memento?+
Memento was directed by Christopher Nolan.
Where can I watch Memento?+
Memento is available to stream, rent, or buy on Netflix, Hulu, Peacock Premium, Philo, AMC Plus Apple TV Channel , AMC+ Amazon Channel, AMC+, Sundance Now, Netflix Standard with Ads, Peacock Premium Plus, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand, Apple TV Store, Sky Store, Lionsgate Play, Lionsgate Play Apple TV Channel, Lionsgate Play Amazon Channel.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The public reaction to "Memento" has been overwhelmingly positive, with many praising its original storytelling, complex themes, and masterful direction by Christopher Nolan. Reviewers have noted that the film's structure, which involves the protagonist remembering events out of order, adds to the sense of tension and confusion.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
We all lie to ourselves to be happy. It's not until a film like Memento comes along, or that you personally have to deal with someone close who suffers a form of this subject to hand, that you get jolted to remember just how your memory is such a prized and treasured thing - and…
John Chard · 9/10Excellent. I can't believe I've finally gotten around to watching all of Christopher Nolan's films (I have 'The Prestige' on DVD, but have yet to see it), but it's been well worth the wait. There are a couple of handful of English-language directors operating right now that I wil…
talisencrw · 10/10‘Memento’ is director Christopher Nolan’s tribute to classic film noir tales of revenge and mystery. By adding a new twist to traditional conventions, Nolan is able to consume and grip the viewer throughout the entire film and for years after. The aspect that differentiates this…
mattwilde123 · 10/10Structuring the film in such a way that the viewer knows as little as the protagonist, the Nolan's have created a nifty puzzle that slowly unravels to its climax. 8/10
AstroNoud · 8/10Phenomenal. What a movie! I had heard plenty about <em>'Memento'</em> prior to watching in regards to how high-quality it supposedly was, though didn't actually (thankfully) get spoiled on anything that occurs onscreen - I did know of the note-taking, though for some reason thoug…
r96sk · 10/10I reckon what makes this work from Christopher Nolan is the creation of a cerebral maelstrom that is every bit as confusingly frustrating for us watching as it is for his protagonist "Leonard" (Guy Pearce). Now we don't know how he has developed his menacing ninja skills, but we…
CinemaSerf · 7/10A similar style to Inception, pay attention or you’ll lose it
ekaari · 7/1089/100 A man uses tattoos, notes and photographs to hunt down his wife's killer as he has lost his ability to create new memories. This early effort by Christopher Nolan ("The Dark Knight", "Inception") is sheer genius. Starting at the end of the story and then continually leap f…
Dr Nostromo · 9/10
From the trailer's comments
G Pear_e just completely shot down his performance in this film in an interview with the Sunday Times. He said that he was so bad that he remains depressed about it all these years later. Actors are SO hard on themselves. I f_cking loved Memento and I still remember the film and…
@joyhobbs7973 · 0 likesGenius film! Nolan is so powerful director!
@musicfield_original · 0 likes
