The legendary director Christopher Nolan is about to return to theaters with "The Odyssey" later this month, one of the year's most anticipated movies. But before his ambitious take on Homer's epic hits the big screen, Netflix is giving subscribers the perfect chance to revisit the film that first made Nolan one of Hollywood's most exciting directors to watch.
At the top of the month, "Memento" landed on Netflix, making it easier than ever to check out the twisty psychological thriller that launched Nolan's career. Before he became synonymous with massive blockbusters like "The Dark Knight," "Inception," "Interstellar" and "Oppenheimer," "Memento" played with a non-linear narrative in a puzzle box mystery that's deeply satisfying to piece together. Compared to the scale of Nolan's other films, "Memento" feels refreshingly intimate. Yet it's every bit as compelling, with a truly phenomenal hook and a career-defining performance from Guy Pearce that remains one of the actor's finest.
If you only know Nolan through his biggest hits, "Memento" offers a fascinating look at where it all began. And if you've seen it before, it's the kind of movie that begs to be watched multiple times to catch hidden details and subtle clues that take on new meaning once you know how it all shakes out.
Whether you're counting down the days until "The Odyssey" hits theaters or simply checking out the best thrillers on Netflix to stream this week, "Memento" deserves a spot at the top of your watchlist. If you still need a bit of convincing, read on for what to expect from the film that put Nolan on the map.
What is 'Memento' about?
Released in 2000, "Memento" follows Leonard Shelby (Pearce), a former insurance investigator who suffers from antegrade amnesia after a brain injury, meaning he can't form new memories. He relies on notes, photographs and a maze of tattooed reminders all over his body to track down the man he believes murdered his wife in an attack that caused his condition.
Rather than telling the story in chronological order, Nolan famously lets the mystery unfold in reverse, putting viewers in Leonard's shoes as he struggles to separate the truth from others' manipulation. Before Nolan divided "Oppenheimer" into black-and-white and color to denote its objective and subjective perspectives, he used these same visual styles to show the direction time is flowing in "Memento." The black-and-white scenes show us Leonard's life before his injury and play out in sequential order, while the scenes in color take place after his world's been shattered and play out in reverse. This unconventional structure turned "Memento" into an instant critical darling.
As the story unfolds, it becomes increasingly clear that nearly everyone Leonard runs into is willing to exploit his condition for their own gain. Sometimes the lies are mean-spirited but benign, like when the motel manager charges him for two rooms because he knows Leonard won't remember he's already paid. Others are far more sinister, manipulating his condition to slake his thirst for vengeance on targets that had nothing to do with his wife's murder. Turns out, a man who can't remember his own actions but is consumed by a relentless desire for justice makes for the perfect weapon.
Why I recommend streaming 'Memento' on Netflix now
A masterclass in nonlinear storytelling, "Memento" weaves together two seemingly disconnected timelines that collide in a brilliantly satisfying finale. Half the fun is piecing the mystery together yourself, so it's best to go in knowing as little as possible—and pay close attention to every detail.
Although Leonard's condition makes him an easy mark for manipulation, it also becomes clear he's fooling himself by carefully deciding which memories to preserve and which to ignore. In doing so, "Memento" uses the familiar framework of a noir revenge thriller to question the very ideas those genres often celebrate. I'm far from the only one singing this movie's praises. Along with two Oscar nominations, "Memento" earned a 94% score from both critics and audiences on Rotten Tomatoes.
Now that it's on Netflix, I encourage anyone excited about "The Odyssey's" release later this month to check out one of Nolan's earliest hits, "Memento," on Netflix.
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