Reminiscence (2021)

Reminiscence is a moody, rain-slicked sci-fi noir that feels like a love song echoing through a drowned Miami, where the future isn’t shiny—it’s humid, haunted, and heartbreakingly plausible. Lisa Joy builds a world you can almost smell, all neon reflections on floodwater and backroom desperation, and then lets Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson carry you through it with bruised tenderness and magnetic mystery. The memory-diving premise isn’t just a gimmick; it gives the film a dreamy, melancholy pull, turning romance and investigation into the same dangerous act of looking back. It won’t be for everyone—if you want brisk, puzzle-box plotting you may find it more languid than twisty—but if you’re in the mood for atmosphere, ambition, and a noir that wears its emotions on its sleeve, it’s an easy one to sink into.

Reminiscence is clearly aiming for a moody, noir-tinged sci-fi romance about obsession and the way we weaponize the past, set against a striking flooded-Miami backdrop. The problem is it often feels like it’s borrowing better ideas from other films without fusing them into something with its own pulse, so the mystery gets busy and convoluted rather than gripping. The pacing can be sluggish, and the emotional beats land at arm’s length, which makes the big reveals feel more like plot mechanics than gut punches. If you’re here for atmosphere, Hugh Jackman’s committed performance, and a dreamy, rain-soaked vibe, you might enjoy the ride—but if you need tight writing, momentum, and a payoff that sticks, this may test your patience.