8 Best Movies About Memory Loss That You Should Watching Update 04/2024

Movies About Memory Loss

Many films have employed the storytelling cliche of memory loss because it allows for dramatic tension and unpredictability in the plot. Some movies on memory loss that you’ll remember are on this list.

1. Before I Go to Sleep

Before I Go to Sleep

Nicole Kidman plays a woman who wakes up every day with no recollection of her life after a tragic prior event in this thriller based on S.J. Watson’s novel of the same name. It’s only as fresh and frightening revelations begin to emerge that she begins to doubt all that she believes about her life and the people in it, such as her husband (Colin Firth) and doctor (Mark Strong). Rowan Joffé directed and wrote the film.

2. The Vow

Inspired by the story of Kim and Krickitt Carpenter, Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams starred in the 2012 love drama. McAdams plays Paige Collins, a newlywed who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder after a vehicle accident ten weeks after her wedding. Her entire relationship with her husband, Leo, has been erased by the injuries (Tatum). Box office results notwithstanding, the film was a critical and commercial triumph. In its first weekend, it debuted at the top of the box office, earning over $196 million worldwide, making it the sixth best grossing romantic drama of all time in the process.

3. The Bourne Trilogy

The Bourne Trilogy

One of the most popular action film franchises, it was based on Robert Ludlum’s novels and was released in 2002. Matt Damon plays Jason Bourne, a man with retrograde amnesia who goes on a three-film quest to learn his true identity, beginning with 2004’s The Bourne Supremacy and concluding in 2007’s The Bourne Ultimatum. There was an enthusiastic audience for each of these films, which raised the stakes and led to one of the best openings for an August release ever (a record that was later overtaken by Guardians of the Galaxy).

4. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

When Joel Barish (Jim Carrey) and Clementine Kruczynski (Kate Winslet) had a particularly terrible dispute, they decided to pay someone to delete all of their memories of their relationship. Nonetheless, as he goes through the process, Joel finds himself reliving some of the happier days and attempting to maintain at least some of his love for Clementine. The film was widely acclaimed and the screenwriters won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar in 2004.

5. Total Recall

Total Recall

Ironically, Arnold Schwarzenegger plays one of his most memorable parts in this original famous 1990 sci-fi action thriller. He portrays Douglas Quaid, a construction worker who discovers he was originally Carl Hauser, a secret operative who worked for the government. After that, he’ll have to go to Mars to find out who he really is and why he was erased from memory. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film received an 84 percent fresh rating and debuted as the top grossing film of the year. A total of $261.2 million was earned by the picture globally. In 2012, Colin Farrell starred in a remake of Total Recall.

6. 50 First Dates

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore’s second collaboration on a rom-com picture drew a lot of buzz before its release in 2004. (with the first being The Wedding Singer). Lucy Whitmore, who was involved in a vehicle accident and has short-term memory loss, is the focus of the film, which follows Henry Roth, a marine veterinarian notorious for being a womanizer. This means that every day, he must come up with fresh and innovative ways to “meet” her and re-establish his feelings for her. The film is a traditional rom-com, although it features a lot of laughs and made more money than the duo’s third and most recent collaboration, Blended, at the box office (approximately $196.3 million).

7. Finding Nemo

Finding Nemo

Dory, the Blue Tang fish from Pixar’s Toy Story, is one of the most forgetful characters of all time. The touching animated picture follows Marlin, a clownfish, as he searches for his baby, Nemo, in the ocean. But although while Dory’s short-term memory plays a large and frequently reoccurring role in the film’s plot, it serves both as a source of comedy and a source of drama (when Dory forgets crucial facts). Not only is the Academy Award-winning film a critical and commercial success, it’s also one of the most beloved and best-selling animated films ever. In 2016, a Dory-centric sequel will be released.

8. Memento

Guy Pearce plays Leonard Shelby, a man who suffers from anterograde amnesia and is unable to store any new memories after being attacked by two men in Christopher Nolan’s 2000 psychological thriller. He uses his own system of notes, Polaroid images, and tattoos to track down the second assailant. The film’s distinctive presentation, which alternates between a color and a black-and-white timeline, makes it remarkable. The film was widely praised by critics and was nominated for two Oscars, for Best Original Screenplay and Best Editing. Additionally, the film brought approximately $39.7 million globally at the box office.