Genres
Action thriller
Total Recall (1990): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Total Recall is a 1990 action thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Roy Brocksmith and Michael Ironside. It is partly based on We Can Remember It for You Wholesale and Other Classic Stories by Philip K. Dick. It runs 1 hour 53 minutes and earned $261.3 million worldwide on a $65 million budget. It won 1 Oscar, including Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects). Critics gave it 60 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.5/10.
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- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 53m (113 min)
- Director
- Paul Verhoeven
- Original language
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English - Studio
- TriStar Pictures
- Budget
- $65M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
The story
What Is Total Recall About?
The premise of Total Recall without spoilers, adapted from We Can Remember It for You Wholesale and Other Classic Stories by Philip K. Dick. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In the near future, construction worker Doug Quaid dreams of visiting Mars but lacks the funds. He opts for a virtual vacation through implanted memories, but the procedure malfunctions. Suddenly, Quaid finds himself pursued and branded as a dangerous assassin. He begins to question his identity, unsure if he’s a construction worker or a trained secret agent with a hidden past. As he investigates, he uncovers a web of conspiracies and faces a fight for survival, unsure who he can trust.
Total Recall Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- false memory
- implanted memory
- space colony
- ambiguous ending
- three breasted woman
- memory
- cyberpunk
- mutant
- secret agent
- breast fondling
- bar
- dystopia
+38 more Show fewer
- brothel
- alien
- misunderstanding
- evil woman
- villain
- heroine
- woman fights a woman
- resistance fighter
- gunfight
- street shootout
- battle
- gun battle
- combat
- wisecrack humor
- blood
- warrior
- profanity
- female warrior
- torture
- virtual world
- virtual reality
- 2080s
- rebel
- self driving car
- blood splatter
- hotel
- one man army
- good versus evil
- shootout
- uzi
- surrealism
- oxygen
- human shield
- prostitute
- robot
- catfight
- rebellion
- impalement
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Cast & crew
Total Recall Cast
Arnold Schwarzenegger leads the cast, with Roy Brocksmith and Michael Ironside. Directed by Paul Verhoeven; 10 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Paul Verhoeven
Also Starring in Total Recall
· 6 more From the director
More from Paul Verhoeven
More films directed by Paul Verhoeven, best-rated first: Elle, Black Book, Benedetta and Starship Troopers.
Ratings
Total Recall Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Total Recall 60 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.5/10.
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IMDb 7.5 /10
See on IMDb -
Metacritic 60 Metascore
User score 7.9
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 73% User score
See on TMDB
Plot
Total Recall Plot Summary
What happens in Total Recall from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In the year 2084, Douglas Quaid, played by Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a construction worker living on Earth, married to Lori, who is employed by a corrupt mining corporation. Haunted by dreams of visiting Mars, he decides to try Rekall, a company that specializes in implanting memories of vacations that never happened. Despite warnings from a coworker, who shares a cautionary tale about a friend nearly suffering a lobotomy there, Quaid chooses a fantasy trip to Mars, even selecting the exhilarating option of being a secret agent unearthing alien technologies.
Full summary
The whole story of Total Recall, scene by scene
Box office
Total Recall Box Office & Budget
Total Recall grossed $261.3 million worldwide on a $65 million budget, 4.0 times what it cost. $119.4 million came from the US and Canada and $141.9 million (54%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$261.3M
4.0× its budget
- US & Canada
- $119.4M
- International
- $141.9M
- Budget
- $65M
US & Canada 46%
Rest of the world 54%
Awards
Total Recall Awards & Nominations
Total Recall won 1 Oscar, including Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects). Its biggest night was the Oscars 1991, with 1 win from 3 nominations.
1 win6 nominations3 ceremonies
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Oscars 1991 1 win · 3 nominations- Won Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects) – Eric Brevig
- Nominated Sound
- Nominated Sound Effects Editing
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Saturn Awards 1991 2 nominations- Nominated Best Director – Paul Verhoeven
- Nominated Best Supporting Actress
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BAFTA 1991 1 nomination- Nominated Best Special Visual Effects
Videos
Total Recall Trailers & Videos
6 videos: 3 trailers, 1 clip and 2 behind-the-scenes videos.
- Trailer Total Recall (1990) Trailer [HD] - Arnold Schwarzenegger
- Trailer Official 2020 Trailer
- Clip Husband and Wife Clip
- Behind the Scenes Models and Skeletons, The Special Effects of Total Recall - Documentary
Quiz
How Well Do You Know Total Recall?
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
What is the year in which Total Recall is set?
Cars
Cars in Total Recall
11 cars on screen, including the unknown and the unknown.
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unknown Important role -
unknown Important role -
JohnnyCab Important role -
R.Q. Riley Boonie Bug Minor role
Details
Total Recall Also Known As
42 alternative titles, including “魔鬼总动员” and “کل یاد”.
- Also known as
-
- 魔鬼总动员
- کل یاد
- एकूण आठवणी
- Vingador do Futuro
- Вспомнить всё / Total Recall
- 宇宙威龍
- یادآوری کامل
- Desafío total
- Die totale Erinnerung – Total Recall
- Die totale Erinnerung
- El Vengador del Futuro
- 全面回忆
+30 more Show fewer
- Вспомнить все
- Total Recall - Die totale Erinnerung
- Atto di forza
- Вспомнить всё
- Desafio Total
- Gerçeğe Çağrı
- Total Recall - Az Emlékmás
- Зов за завръщане
- Total Recall – Unohda tai kuole
- Pamięć absolutna
- Sidste Udkald
- Тотални опозив
- Ολική Επαναφορά
- זיכרון גורלי
- トータル・リコール
- یادآوری مطلق
- 토탈 리콜
- O Vingador do Futuro
- Desafiament total
- Згадати все
- 魔鬼總動員
- Voyage au centre de la mémoire
- Täielik mäluvahetus
- Potpuni opoziv
- Viską prisiminti
- Truy Tìm Ký Ức
- คนทะลุโลก
- टोटल रिकॉल
- மொத்த நினைவு
- Popolni spomin, ყველაფრის გახსენება
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Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Total Recall (2012), Oblivion and The Recall.
From the blog
Articles About Total Recall
Our article about Total Recall: “Exploring the Genre of Science Fiction: More Than Just Aliens”.
FAQ
Total Recall FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and awards of Total Recall, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Total Recall?
Total Recall runs 1 hour 53 minutes (113 minutes).
When was Total Recall released?
Total Recall was released on June 1, 1990.
Who directed Total Recall?
Total Recall was directed by Paul Verhoeven.
More films by Paul Verhoeven Who is in the cast of Total Recall?
Total Recall stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Roy Brocksmith and Michael Ironside, among 10 credited actors.
How much did Total Recall make at the box office?
Total Recall grossed $261.3 million worldwide ($119.4 million domestic, $141.9 million international) on a budget of $65 million.
How is Total Recall rated?
Total Recall has 7.5/10 on IMDb, 60 on Metacritic and 73% on TMDB.
Is Total Recall based on a book?
Yes. Total Recall is partly adapted from We Can Remember It for You Wholesale and Other Classic Stories by Philip K. Dick.
What awards did Total Recall win?
Total Recall won 1 award from 6 nominations, including Special Achievement Award (Visual Effects) at the Oscars 1991.
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