With over a hundred years of filmmaking and original stories being explored and shared in film, a select number of trends and story concepts would inevitably get repeated over the years. One of the most unexpected yet effective concepts frequently used within stories is that of amnesia, the infamous ailment that causes someone to lose major parts of their memory, including their own identity. Amnesia has found itself to be an effective tool for cinematic storytelling, whether as a central crux for a main character, an unexpected twist that changes everything, or a quirk of a supporting character.
While most of these iterations of amnesia are much different compared to the effects of the real-life ailment,it’s undeniable that they make for more enthralling and exciting stories to watch unfold. As long as there is continued potential and twists from having these forgotten pasts revealed to characters, amnesia will continue to be a valuable asset in the toolbox of many filmmakers. Various exceptional films have used amnesia as a jumping off point to tell brilliant and groundbreaking stories that were only possible in the medium of film.
10’Finding Nemo' (2003)
Directed by Andrew Stanton
While amnesia doesn’t play a part in the film’s central plot, it’s impossible to deny thatFinding Nemomay just have one of the most immediately recognizable depictions of amnesia in cinema in Dory. Voiced byEllen DeGeneres, Dory is a comic relief blue tang fish that accompanies Marlin on his quest across the Great Barrier Reef to retrieve his lost son Nemo. Dory suffers from a comedically charged short-term memory loss, often forgetting things immediately after they happen and leading to a great deal of comedic frustration for Marlin.
Thanks to its notion as a widely beloved children’s film in Pixar’s lineup, Dory becamemany young audiences' first introduction to the very concept of amnesia and short-term memory loss. Dory proves to be a comedic highlight of the film, as well as having countless hilarious and quotable moments thanks to her inherent charm and optimism for the world around her. While Dory would eventually get her own cinematic film inFinding Dory, it’s her appearance inFinding Nemothat is still the highlight of the character and has helped make itone of Pixar’s most rewatchable films.
Finding Nemo
9’RoboCop' (1987)
Directed by Paul Verhoeven
Amnesia can act as an effective tool not just as the primary selling point for a film’s central premise, but as an additional layer onto an already effective thesis, most effectively shown off inPaul Verhoeven’s classic satire,RoboCop. The film follows street cop Alex Murphy, who after a dangerous altercation that gets him killed in the line of duty, has his body transformed and robotically modified into the robotic crime fighter, Robocop. However, all of his memories and life as Alex Murphy have been removed in able to make him the best crime fighter possible, a painful truth that soon has Robocop turn on those who created him.
Amnesia plays a major role in the overall themes and central core of Robocop’s story while managing to both not be the main selling point of the film as well as not a major twist revealed in the final act.It’s yet another layer of tragedy and corruption that works to build Verhoeven’s satirical world, and works to emphasize the painful lengths that power and corporate greed will take in the name of profit. The struggle and inner turmoil of Murphy’s own identity is one of the emotional highlights of the film, and easily makes the film stand out as one of the best sci-fi action films of the 80s.
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8’Overboard' (1987)
Directed by Garry Marshall
Despite the more serious and dour tone that is taken when discussing the topic and consequences of amnesia in other films and in real life, it doesn’t stop a select few comedies from making the topic lighthearted in execution. While many are quick to think of50 First Dateswhen considering romantic comedies about amnesia,Overboardtackled the concept of an amnesia-driven romcom decades prior with both more respect and higher comedic highs.
The film sees Heiress Joanna Stayton (Goldie Hawn) hiring carpenter Dean Proffitt (Kurt Russell) to help renovate her yacht, yet refuses to pay for the work he’s done. However, after Joanna ends up falling overboard, the resulting injury gives her a case of amnesia, allowing Dean to seize the opportunity and get sickly sweet revenge against her. Despite the initially offputting and possibly even problematic premise,Overboardis a film that ismassively elevated by its inherent charm and heartwarming tone, with a duo of standout performances that make the filmone of the best romcoms of the 80s.
7’Total Recall' (1990)
Only three years after Verhoeven used amnesia as a tool to elevate the story of Alex Murphy inRobocop,Total Recallwould fully adopt the consequences and possibilities of amnesia as a part of its central thesis. The film follows construction worker Douglas Quaid (Arnold Schwarzenegger), who finds himself traveling to the planet Mars and, more specifically, the facility of Recall, a company that specializes in manufacturing memories. However, when Douglas’s planned memory implant goes haywire, his entire perspective of what is and isn’t real goes haywire, as he begins to question who he really is.
Even more than any of his other efforts, the chaotic sci-fi world presented inTotal Recallis filled with a wide macabre of strange mutations, intricate characters, and disturbing psychological concepts thatamnesia/memory replacement is just a drop in the bucket of the film’s worldbuilding. At the same time however, the amnesia that Douglas faces throughout the film is the linchpin that ties everything together, coming to form one of the most memorable science fiction films of all time in the process.
Total Recall
6’Shutter Island' (2010)
Directed by Martin Scorsese
As far as films that use amnesia as a shocking, unexpected twist are concerned, few are as infamous and well crafted asMartin Scorsese’s thriller masterpieceShutter Island. The film follows U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (Leonardo DiCaprio) who finds himself investigating the disappearance of a patient from a hospital for the criminally insane. However, as the investigation continues, Teddy finds himself constantly being disrupted by an array of disturbing visions, as well as a mysterious doctor who seems to know much more than he puts on.
The amnesia present withinShutter Islandis the type that is not directly established or shown off from its initial premise, but plays a major role inthe film’s defining twist endingand the overall themes of the film as a whole. As with many other twist-centric films, the twist in certain ways comes to largely define the experience of the film as a whole, yet even outside the payoff, Shutter Island isuncontested in terms of buildup and tension in the lead-up to its climactic finale.
Shutter Island
5’The Bourne Identity' (2002)
Directed by Doug Liman
One of the classic ways that action movies have implemented amnesia as a part of their stories is the concept of the sleeper agent, someone who has been trained to be a dangerous world-class tool of destruction, yet has no memory of their own skills. The film that has largely popularized this concept for a majority of audiences is 2000s classicThe Bourne Identity, which follows Jason Bourne, an amnesiac who was rescued at sea with no memory of his previous life. As he begins to form the pieces of his old life together, he realizes that a wide variety of different people and agencies want him dead.
The Bourne Identitymakes perfect use of its instantly engaging premise to build upa highly engaging and unpredictable mix of high-stakes action and wildly enjoyable central characters. The movie’s unique filmmaking style helped largely revitalize what action could be in the 21st century, for many audiences felt like the first true venture as to what modern action filmmaking could look like. While the amnesia element would largely be pushed to the wayside in the various sequels and continuation of Jason Bourne’s story, the original film still holds a spot in the hearts of many action fans.
The Bourne Identity
4’Mulholland Drive' (2001)
Directed by David Lynch
If any director was going to excel at creating a wild and unpredictable story that played into all the psychoanalytical elements that amnesia provides, it would be the master of all things surrealist,David Lynch.Mulholland Driveuses amnesia to its fullest potential in cinematic storytelling, following the story of aspiring actress Betty Elms (Naomi Watts) who finds herself befriending an amnesiac woman (Laura Harring) recovering from a car accident. The two set off on a venture to uncover the truth of the amnesiac’s identity, all while various other stories unfold around them.
Mulholland Drivehas a distinct energy and style that only Lynch could truly provide, playing off of the potential and concepts of amnesia perfectly to createa perfect mystery film. The film is massively acclaimed and among the best films that Lynch has ever created, thanks not only to its ingenious plot but also the perfect pacing, great central performances, and instantly memorable moments. It’s the type of film that isat its best when you know as little as possible going in, and has become a signature cult classic for decades thanks to these monumental strengths.
Mulholland Drive
3’Paris, Texas' (1984)
Directed by Wim Wenders
A cult classic by legendary directorWim Wenders,Paris, Texasis a beautiful story of self-discovery and the beauty of life and all of its mysteries. The film follows disheveled man Travis (Harry Dean Stanton) who has wandered out of the desert without knowing anything about his own identity or where he came from. He ends up being discovered by his brother, Walt (Dean Stockwell) who begins helping the man to regain the memories of his life, attempting to bring him back to his family whom he walked out on and disappeared four years ago.
One ofWenders’s greatest strengths as a directorhas been bringing to life stories that emphasize the beauty present within life, no matter how crass or unappealing things may seem on the surface.Paris, Texasis easily one of the director’s greatest achievements when it comes to bringing to life these quintessential themes, as the audience learns to grow and appreciate the notions of life alongside Travis. The film has an almost dreamlike aura to it thanks to how it tackles the fluidity of life, both good and bad, beingone of the most self-reflective and brilliant movies that make the most out of the concept of amnesia.
Paris, Texas
2’Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' (2004)
Directed by Michel Gondry
Using the classic sci-fi approach of erasing memories and using it as a jumping-off point to tell a powerful and dynamic story about love and connection,Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mindis a transcendent work of art on film. The film follows now broken-up couple Joel (Jim Carrey) and Clementine (Kate Winslet), who, after a notoriously painful falling out, decide to take the ultimate step in moving on by having their memories of each other removed. However, the love that they once shared proves to be simply too strong, as they end up finding a way to reconnect and fall in love all over again.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Minduses the concept of forgotten memories perfectly as a tool to tell its story of love and undeniable connection, tellinga beautiful and heartbreaking story that has touched the hearts of audiences for 20 years. The film has a fundamental understanding that amnesia and memory loss acts as much more than just an avenue for hijinks and miscommunication, but another chance at life in all of its messy, passionate glory. As far asnon-linear romance moviesare concerned, Eternal Sunshine is among the best of the best.
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind
1’Memento' (2000)
Directed by Christopher Nolan
Christopher Nolan’s infamous legacy of non-linear storytelling and mind-melting twists can all be traced back to his masterful breakout film,Memento, a film that shows the most visually satisfying representation of short-term memory loss. The film follows the continuing struggles of Leonard (Guy Pearce), a man dealing with debilitating short-term memory loss who is on a quest to track down the man who raped and murdered his wife. Using tattoos on his body as a guide to know what is real and who to trust, Leonard navigates a dangerous world that is constantly abusing his short-term memory.
The way thatMementogoes about telling its story and showing its memory-loss on screen is one of the most ingenious executions in film history and instantly placed Nolan in the history books as a writer/director. The film follows a non-linear story, going back and forth between the story starting from the beginning and the end, eventually meeting in the very middle as everything is explained. Each cycle and swap coincides with Leonard’s own short-term memory, and despite its daunting concept, the film is perfect in its execution to not make audiences confused or lost. While other films have done a great job at using amnesia as a jumping-off point for powerful stories,no film quite definitively explores the concepts of amnesia in the very filmmaking itself likeMemento.
