Is Total Recall scary?

Only a little. Total Recall has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.

How gory is Total Recall?

Graphic gore and brutal violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.

What is Total Recall rated, and is it OK for kids?

It is an R, with moderate sex and nudity, brutal violence, and some strong language. Keep it for adults.

Total Recall (1990)

Film · 1h 53m · Rated R

Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

A construction worker's virtual vacation to Mars becomes a gritty, relentless fight for a shifting reality.

Pulpy and suspenseful. A full-attention watch at full speed. Emotionally it is heavy.

Streaming on Paramount+ and Kanopy (free).

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Total Recall parents guide

It stays inside its R, with moderate sex and nudity, and brutal violence.

Scare: Mildly scary; A few tense or eerie moments.
Jump scares: A couple; One or two sudden jolts.
Gore: Graphic gore; Blood and wounds shown clearly.
Violence: Brutal violence; Our top level for violence.
Sex and nudity: Moderate; Moderate means a sex scene or nudity on screen, even brief, or sexual violence that is described or implied but never shown.
Language: Moderate; Some strong profanity, a few f-words.

How we rate: an AI reads what is known about each title and tags it 0 to 3; we check the tags against a hand-rated set and correct them by hand when readers tell us. Estimates, not a scene-by-scene review. Spot a mistake? Tell us.

Three questions

Is Total Recall scary?: Only a little. Total Recall has a few tense moments, nothing that follows you to bed.
How gory is Total Recall?: Graphic gore and brutal violence. If graphic gore is a dealbreaker, skip it.
What is Total Recall rated, and is it OK for kids?: It is an R, with moderate sex and nudity, brutal violence, and some strong language. Keep it for adults.

What is Total Recall about?

Construction worker Douglas Quaid's obsession with the planet Mars leads him to visit Rekall, a virtual vacation company that manufactures memories. When something goes wrong during Quaid's memory implant procedure, his life turns upside down, leading him to question what is reality and what isn't.

Does it have a happy ending? (spoiler-safe)

It leaves the ending open to interpretation.