Total Recall

Total Recall is currently streaming in Australia on Stan, and in the US on fuboTV and Paramount Plus Premium, and it earns its premise rather than just borrowing genre trappings. It says what it needs to say in one sitting, no filler. A 7/10 rating says what the writing already makes obvious: this one works. Arnold Schwarzenegger leads a cast that never lets the concept overwhelm the characters. Available now on Stan — press play and find out why people keep recommending it.

Whatever else is competing for your attention this week, Total Recall is worth clearing space for. Total Recall uses its genre premise as cover for asking bigger questions. Construction worker Douglas Quaid's obsession with the planet Mars leads him to visit Rekall, a virtual vacation company that manufactures memories. When something goes wrong during Quaid's memory implant procedure, his life turns upside down, leading him to question what is reality and what isn't. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Rachel Ticotin lead a cast that makes the ambitious moments land. It was released in 1990. What separates Total Recall from lesser genre entertainment is a willingness to let the concept cost the characters something. It delivers reliably on what it promises, which is more than most of its competition manages.

Viewers burned by ambitious sci-fi that could not sustain its premise should give Total Recall a chance. It stands on its own even without an obvious comparison point. Best experienced as a single, sustained watch from start to finish. Arnold Schwarzenegger grounds the bigger ideas in something human. Once you are in, you will want to talk about it.