Explained
Mystery thriller
Memento (2001): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Memento is a 2001 mystery thriller directed by Christopher Nolan, starring Joe Pantoliano, Guy Pearce and Carrie-Anne Moss. It runs 1 hour 53 minutes and earned $40 million worldwide on a $9 million budget. It won 5 awards from 11 nominations, among them 2 Oscar nominations. Critics gave it 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and 83 on Metacritic.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 53m (113 min)
- Director
- Christopher Nolan
- Original language
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English - Studio
- Newmarket Films
- Budget
- $9M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is Memento About?
The premise of Memento without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Leonard Pierce suffers from a condition that prevents him from forming new memories. Driven by the brutal murder of his wife, he relentlessly pursues her killer, relying on a Polaroid camera, handwritten notes, and tattoos to guide his actions. As he pieces together fragments of information, the nature of his quest and his own identity become increasingly ambiguous, blurring the lines between victim and avenger.
Memento Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- lesbian
- sex
- teen suicide
- bloodstain
- drink thrown into someone's face
- south korea
- girl
- young
- diary
- love
- hallucination
- whispering
+38 more Show fewer
- teacher
- secret
- high school
- friend
- classmate
- suicide
- vomiting
- hit with a book
- book
- writing
- writer
- water fountain
- voyeur
- video camera
- vendetta
- vandalism
- urination
- underwater scene
- tv antenna
- tuning fork
- trust
- traitor
- track team
- track and field
- torment
- thunder
- throwing a cake
- thief
- theft
- telepathy
- teenage girl
- teen angst
- tears
- tearing up a diary
- swimming
- swimming pool
- supernatural power
- suicide threat
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Cast & crew
Memento Cast
Joe Pantoliano leads the cast, with Guy Pearce and Carrie-Anne Moss. Directed by Christopher Nolan.
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Director Christopher Nolan
From the director
More from Christopher Nolan
More films directed by Christopher Nolan, best-rated first: The Dark Knight, Dunkirk, Inception and The Dark Knight Rises.
Ratings
Memento Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Memento 94% on Rotten Tomatoes and 83 on Metacritic.
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Rotten Tomatoes 94% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 94%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 83 Metascore
User score 8.8
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 82% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
Memento Plot Summary
What happens in Memento from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 2-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
The film intricately explores the tumultuous relationship between two high school students, Yoo Shi-Eun and Min Hyo-Shin, as they navigate the complexities of love that defy societal norms. As their affection blossoms into a romantic connection, they find themselves entangled in a web of taboo emotions, leading to their isolation from their peers. Facing mounting social pressures, Shi-Eun grapples with her feelings, ultimately attempting to distance herself from Hyo-Shin, whose increasing dependency begins to feel suffocating.
Full summary
The whole story of Memento, scene by scene
Box office
Memento Box Office & Budget
Memento grossed $40 million worldwide on a $9 million budget, 4.4 times what it cost. $25.5 million came from the US and Canada and $14.5 million (36%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$40M
4.4× its budget
- US & Canada
- $25.5M
- International
- $14.5M
- Budget
- $9M
US & Canada 64%
Rest of the world 36%
Awards
Memento Awards & Nominations
Memento won 5 awards from 11 nominations, among them 2 Oscar nominations. Its biggest night was the Spirit Awards 2002, with 4 wins from 5 nominations.
5 wins11 nominations5 ceremonies
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Spirit Awards 2002 4 wins · 5 nominations- Won Best Director – Christopher Nolan
- Won Best Feature
- Won Best Screenplay
- Won Best Supporting Female – Carrie-Anne Moss
- Nominated Best Cinematography
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Critics' Choice 2002 1 win · 2 nominations- Won Best Screenplay – Christopher Nolan
- Nominated Best Picture
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Oscars 2002 2 nominations- Nominated Film Editing
- Nominated Writing (Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen)
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DGA Awards 2002 1 nomination- Nominated Feature Film – Christopher Nolan
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Golden Globes 2001 1 nomination- Nominated Best Screenplay – Motion Picture – Christopher Nolan
Videos
Memento Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Memento.
Quiz
How Well Do You Know Memento?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who are the two main high school students in the film?
Details
Memento Also Known As
21 alternative titles, including “Пам'ятай” and “Amnésia 2000”.
- Also known as
-
- Пам'ятай
- Amnésia 2000
- یادآوری
- Помни
- 記憶拼圖
- Akıl Defteri
- Мементо
- 记忆碎片
- Сећања
- メメント
- Μεμέντο
- ממנטו
+9 more Show fewer
- یادگاری
- 메멘토
- Amnésia
- 凶心人
- Amnesia
- Mémento
- ภาพหลอนซ่อนรอยมรณะ
- Kẻ Mất Trí Nhớ
- تِذكار, გახსოვდეს
Seen Memento?
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Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Memento Mori, Memoir of a Murderer and Memento Mori.
From the blog
Articles About Memento
9 articles about Memento. The latest: “Gazer (2025) Explained: Decoding Frankie's Timeline, Tapes, and Twisted Reality”.
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Gazer intertwines noir intrigue with psychological drama, crafting a gripping tale of memory, motherhood, and survival. Does this daring indie thriller hold your gaze? 3 min read -
HistoryExploring the Influence of Literature on Cinematic Storytelling
Discover how literature profoundly influences cinematic storytelling, shaping narratives, characters, and themes in film on our latest blog post at What's After the Movie. 10 min read
FAQ
Memento FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of Memento, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Memento?
Memento runs 1 hour 53 minutes (113 minutes).
When was Memento released?
Memento was released on March 16, 2001.
Who directed Memento?
Memento was directed by Christopher Nolan.
More films by Christopher Nolan Who is in the cast of Memento?
Memento stars Joe Pantoliano, Guy Pearce and Carrie-Anne Moss.
How much did Memento make at the box office?
Memento grossed $40 million worldwide ($25.5 million domestic, $14.5 million international) on a budget of $9 million.
How is Memento rated?
Memento has 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, 83 on Metacritic and 82% on TMDB.
What awards did Memento win?
Memento won 5 awards from 11 nominations, including Best Director at the Spirit Awards 2002.
Does Memento have a post-credit scene?
No. Memento has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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