Rating summary

Movie		2.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		2.0

Reminiscence Blu-ray Movie Review

Forget this ever happened.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III November 9, 2021

Lisa Joy's Reminiscence is a glacially-paced modern film noir seasoned with equal parts dystopian science fiction and aching, melancholic romance. It borrows liberally from at least a half-dozen films and TV shows including The Maltese Falcon, Blade Runner, Minority Report, and the director's own Westworld (which she co-created with one of the film's producers and her real-life husband, Jonathan Nolan) but, despite its capable, ahem, "source material" and an A-list cast that includes Hugh Jackman, Thandiwe Newton, Rebecca Ferguson, and Cliff Curtis, Reminiscence is a damn hard film to get excited about. Bogged down with numbing narration that fails to clarify its confusing story, what could have been a layered, hypnotic, and memorable production just feels like last weekend's reheated leftovers.

Our story follows scientist Nick Bannister (Jackman) and his friend Watts (Newton), co-workers in near-future Miami where climate change has led to rising sea levels and a mostly nocturnal lifestyle. Their two-person operation allows paying customers to relive memories; Watts does most of the behind-the-scenes stuff while Nick plays host and often guides them through their own minds, which often serves as emotional therapy providing the customer doesn't become addicted to their nostalgia. Walk-in client Mae (Ferguson) immediately attracts Nick's attention, but she's not here for therapy or pleasure... she just forgot where she put her keys. The two form an instant connection and Nick soon visits Mae at a nightclub, where she works as a singer and performs one of his favorite songs, Rodgers and Hart's "Where or When". They're two insanely attractive people, so you can imagine where things go from there.

In true film noir fashion, Mae later disappears and this leads Nick down a torturous path of dead-ends, near-misses, and other detours that provide more questions than they do answers, many of them stemming from an addictive drug known as "Baca" and those who peddle it, including crime boss Saint Joe (Daniel Wu) and Cyrus Boothe (Curtis), Joe's former henchman. But rest assured that this path -- and most of what leads up to it, for that matter -- isn't especially interesting or well-handled, with way too much voice-over narration enlisted to add context and clarity to a story that's both dull and confusing. There are a few bright spots, of course: the film's ambitious sci-fi scope and production design lead to plenty of memorable visuals, and almost every member of the cast wrings what they can from their material. But the heart of this story just isn't there: it's one we've heard before and told much more compellingly, which leaves precious little room for enjoyment and, of course, rewatchability. Case in point: Reminiscence was sluggish enough that I broke it into two separate viewing sessions, and I wasn't eager to pick it back up for the second half.

That's a bad sign for pretty much any film whose backbone is mystery, so it's no surprise that this decently-budgeted project only earned roughly a quarter of its production costs. Our own Brian Orndorf didn't think much of it either, so I wouldn't even say it's a clear case of "your mileage may vary". This is just a tough film to genuinely enjoy on any level aside for its visuals and roster of wasted talent, so I'm even more baffled as to why Warner Bros. gave this flop the 4K treatment when a few more deserving films didn't make the cut earlier this year, such as Guy Ritchie's Wrath of Man (which turned a tidy profit) and Shaka King's Judas and the Black Messiah (which also tanked, but proportionately got more of its low budget back). Nonetheless, WB offers Reminiscence as both a 4K combo pack and this stand-alone Blu-ray, with both versions serving up fundamentally strong A/V specs and a few lightweight bonus features.

Reminiscence Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

I often give Warner Bros. Blu-rays a bit of slack for (intentionally?) paling in comparison to their 4K counterparts, but this appears to be one of their better efforts. Part of this reason is total content: Reminiscence sure feels like a 2.5 hour film but it's less than 120 minutes and, combined with the scant bonus features and snug 2.39:1 aspect ratio, there's sufficient room for this visually ambitious film to breathe. No shortage of memorable sights are included here, from the illusion of "the sunken coast" to well-lit interiors, stylish sets, and well-blended CGI effects such as Nick and Watts' memory machine, and they're all handled well to create a convincing atmosphere. Black levels are deep and inky with very little loss of shadow detail, with suitable color saturation that provides ample boosts to neon-infused signage and complimentary color schemes. Don't get me wrong: the 4K offers a clearly superior native presentation but this isn't proportionately far behind, so anyone not yet equipped for that format will still get a good-looking disc.

Reminiscence Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Both this Blu-ray and the 4K disc offer an identical Dolby Atmos track, capably supporting the film's admittedly solid sound design. Dialogue remains clear and well-balanced, with voice-over narration (unfortunately) dominating this production but nonetheless coming through the center channel cleanly. Surround are used generously, from the wide-open expanse of "the sunken coast" to cavernous interiors and crowded conversations, not to mention the memory sequences that take sonic liberties to create a more dream-like atmosphere while occasionally making good use of height channels. Action sequences, rare as they are, also serve up plenty of discrete activity and hefty bass response, while the hit-or-miss original soundtrack by composer Ramin Djawadi splits the difference between subtle background ambience and propulsive, center stage priority. Overall, it's clean and well-balanced; not necessarily mixed for home theaters, but hardly a mix that requires constant volume adjustment to enjoy in a smaller venue.

Optional subtitles, including English (SDH), are offered during the main feature and all extras.

Reminiscence Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with attractive cover art, a matching slipcover, and a Digital Copy redemption slip. The extras are limited in scope but at least provide a cursory overview of the production.

• Behind the Scenes Featurettes - This series of four short promotional pieces includes a basic story/character overview, notes about the production design, location shooting, the future tech, working with old friends, and other topics. Several key cast and crew members are interviewed including Hugh Jackman, Thandiwe Newton, Daniel Wu, actor Maina De Tavira ("Tamara"), writer/director Lisa Joy, producer Jonathan Nolan, production designer Howard Cummings, producer Aaron Ryder, composer Ramin Djawadi, and a few others.

• You're Going on a Journey (4:07)
• The Sunken Coast (7:05)
• Crafting a Memory (8:24)
• Reminiscence: A Family Reunion (8:14)

• "Save My Love" Music Video (4:41) - Performed by Lonr and Amber Mark and also available here.

Reminiscence Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Writer/director Lisa Joy's Reminiscence is an ambitious but deeply flawed debut in a way that usually applies to the passion project of an young up-and-comer who's already scored box-office gold. Despite its great visuals and relatively deep cast, there's just not a lot to like here -- it's tough enough to get through once, which doesn't bode well for repeat viewings. Nonetheless, Warner Bros. offers the film as a 4K combo pack as well as this stand-alone Blu-ray, with both releases offering proportionately solid A/V specs and the same lightweight bonus features. It's still not recommended blind buy material, but die-hard fans of the cast and crew may want to give it a spin out of sheer curiosity.