Reminiscence is a story about love, about memory, and about nostalgia for the past. Lisa Joy‘s debut film dives deep into a futuristic post-apocalyptic world that is doused in noir themes. From her Westworld roots, Reminiscence tells the story of a world where the oceans have risen, the times have gotten harder, and people have turned to the past in order to get by.
Nick Bannister (Hugh Jackman) is a man who helps people get into their minds and relive their memories. At his side is Watts (Thandiwe Newton), a functioning alcoholic who helps Bannister manage his memory machine. The two meet Mae (Rebecca Ferguson) one night and Bannister is immediately enraptured by her. But when things take a tragic turn, Bannister is sent down a path that will reveal a complicated truth about Mae and his relationship with her.
The Beat spoke with director Lisa Joy, Rebecca Ferguson, Thandiwe Newton, and Daniel Wu. We discuss Joy’s inspiration for the film and her intentions behind the creation of the film. With Ferguson, we discuss the aspects of being a noir dame and creating the complicated character of Mae. With Newton, we discuss Watts’ relationship with Bannister and her own struggle with her addictions. And finally, with Wu, we discuss the development of his character Saint Joe both in the world and also semantically for Wu as an actor.
Watch our exclusive interviews below!
Nick Bannister (Jackman), a private investigator of the mind, navigates the darkly alluring world of the past by helping his clients access lost memories. Living on the fringes of the sunken Miami coast, his life is forever changed when he takes on a new client, Mae (Ferguson). A simple matter of lost and found becomes a dangerous obsession. As Bannister fights to find the truth about Mae’s disappearance, he uncovers a violent conspiracy, and must ultimately answer the question: how far would you go to hold on to the ones you love?
Reminiscence is in theaters now and available to stream on HBO Max.
