Total Recall

Douglas Quaid, a hard working construction man, dreams of Mars and a bigger life. He visits Recall, a company that can plant memories to give him adventures he craves. When the procedure goes awry, Quaid wakes with conflicting clues about who he really is. He can’t trust the world around him as familiar faces and a dangerous conspiracy push him toward the edge of his own identity. With allies who may or may not be on his side, he navigates a maze of deception and danger while uncovering layers of memory and motive. The line between dream and reality blurs as the truth escapes him. Paranoia rises as disorienting hints lead him through neon corridors and claustrophobic spaces.

Directed by Paul Verhoeven and released in 1990, Total Recall adapts Philip K Dick's story We Can Remember It for You Wholesale with a screenplay by Dan O'Bannon, Ronald Shusett and Jon Povill, blending raw action with satirical menace.

Total Recall helped define the late 80s and early 90s sci fi look with its bold production design and practical effects, and it sparked conversations about memory and identity. It features iconic imagery such as the Mars surface and a mind bending premise that echoes in later films across cinema.

Critics praised its kinetic energy and Verhoeven sharp satirical edge, while acknowledging a roller coaster blend of action and speculative ideas about who controls memory. The film trades on questions of reality, perception, and the cost of tampering with what we recall. Its questions about control and memory endure.