Review: 'Reminiscence' an Entertaining, Engaging Sci-Fi Noir

Nostalgia can weave an alluring web. Written and directed by Lisa Joy – the co-creator and co-showrunner of sci-fi series "Westworld" – in her feature film directorial debut, sci-fi neo-noir "Reminiscence" stars Hugh Jackman as a man tormented by the past and obsessively searching for the truth. One of my favorite TV series, "Westworld" is an analytical, complex, labyrinthine series about choice and free will. "Reminiscence" covers similar terrain, exploring themes of memory, time, and nostalgia.

In a dystopian flooded Miami, Nick (Jackman) works with his friend Watts (Thandiwe Newton), facilitating people to vividly relive their memories. While the word means remembering a past moment fondly or telling a story about a memory, the title "Reminiscence" refers to an archived copy of a memory in the film. Nick and Watts are veterans in a previous war at the border: Nick was an interrogator, and Watts was a sharpshooter. In addition to private clients, Nick works with the district attorney (Natalie Martinez) to extract memories from witnesses and people on trial. People enter a water bath tank (reminiscent of how the Precogs foretell future events in "Minority Report") to access their memories displayed via hologram for others to watch.

Nick meets Mae (Rebecca Ferguson), an enigmatic night club singer, and they fall in love. Months later, she mysteriously disappears. Nick's obsessive search for her consumes him. As he relives their memories together, unraveling more about Mae's identity, it raises the question of whether he truly knows the woman he loves.

Good performances anchor the film. Hugh Jackman always brings a searing intensity and charisma to his roles, which works perfectly here as Nick relentlessly searches for answers. I love Jackman and Thandiwe Newton as actors, and I enjoyed watching their chemistry as friends. Nick's romantic optimism and Watts's cynicism (she battles her own personal demons), albeit an obvious juxtaposition, balance each other nonetheless. Rebecca Ferguson always gives a nuanced performance. Daniel Wu is also solid in a supporting role.

In addition to cast members Newton and Angela Sarafyan, composer Ramin Djawadi ("Game of Thrones"), cinematographer Paul Cameron ("Collateral"), and editor Mark Yoshikawa ("Tree of Life") all worked on "Westworld." I enjoyed Djawadi's intense percussive score.

"Reminiscence" boasts neo-noir aesthetic elements such as protagonist narration, Dutch angles (as Nick comes out of a relived memory), touches of shadows (from an old film projector), and city corruption. The film establishes a potentially interesting setting with a post-war submerged Miami, touching on issues of classism and racism, but it doesn't fully engage in its world-building. The film blurs reality and memory while raising intriguing concepts – though much of Nick's narration and characters' dialogue merely contain platitudes, rather than feeling profound. I enjoy the neo-noir genre elements, but too much narration suffocates the film while not providing enough insight.

In numerous interviews, Lisa Joy shares her love of Greek mythology, not to mention writing a graphic novel about the goddess Athena, so it's no surprise "Reminiscence" references the mythological love story of Orpheus and Eurydice: Nick tells Mae about how Orpheus tries to bring Eurydice back from the Underworld with music. Nick compares memory to a stream, calling himself the "oarsman" enabling people to relive memories, possibly an allusion to Charon, the ferryman on the river Styx in the Underworld.

It's monumental for a woman, especially a woman of color, to direct a genre film, as most sci-fi films are written and directed by men (as are most films in general). "Reminiscence" delves into the irresistible lure of nostalgia, obsession, the dangers of idealizing a person, and the subversion of the femme fatale. While it might not be the most unique or memorable sci-fi film, it captivated and entertained me, and its bittersweet moments affected me.

"Reminiscence" Premium Digital Ownership debuts early on October 1, 4K, Blu-ray and DVD arrive on November 9