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.

Total Recall (2012)

Film · 1h 58m · Rated PG-13

Action, Sci-Fi, Thriller

A factory worker's implanted spy memories trigger a gritty, relentless fight for survival against a corrupt chancellor.

Suspenseful. A full-attention watch at full speed. Emotionally it is heavy.

Streaming on Prime Video and The Roku Channel (free).

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Total Recall parents guide

For a PG-13, this one goes further: moderate sex and nudity, brutal violence, and graphic gore. Beyond that, mild language and a few tense moments.

Our estimate: fine from about 16, higher than the PG-13 suggests, because of the gore and 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: Mild; Mild words like damn, hell or crap.

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 rated PG-13, with moderate sex and nudity, brutal violence, and graphic gore. Your call for older kids.

What is Total Recall about?

Factory worker Doug Quaid takes a virtual mind-trip vacation with the Rekall company, opting for implanted memories of being a spy. When the procedure goes wrong, Quaid becomes a wanted man by the police and joins forces with a rebel fighter to stop the evil Chancellor Cohaagen.

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

It leaves the ending open to interpretation.