Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Nicolas Bannister, a rugged and solitary veteran living in a near-future Miami flooded by rising seas, is an expert in a dangerous occupation: he offers clients the chance to relive any memory they desire. His life changes when he meets a mysterious young woman named Mae. What begins as a simple matter of lost and found becomes a passionate love affair. But when a different client's memories implicate Mae in a series of violent crimes, Bannister must delve through the dark world of the past to uncover the truth about the woman he fell for.
Reminiscence is visually ambitious — its flooded Miami setting and tech-noir aesthetic are genuinely arresting, with cinematography that earns high marks for atmosphere and world-building. However, the plot is a significant weak point: the noir mystery framework is executed with clunky pacing, convoluted revelations, and a narrative that collapses under its own weight. The acting is serviceable — Hugh Jackman commits fully to the brooding protagonist role, and Rebecca Ferguson brings magnetism — but neither is given material strong enough to truly shine. The concept of memory-diving in a climate-changed future is intriguing but feels derivative of films like Strange Days and Blade Runner without adding enough distinctiveness to stand apart. The ending is emotionally flat and narratively unsatisfying, leaning into melodrama rather than earned catharsis, leaving the film feeling hollow despite its visual ambitions.