Leonard Shelby is tracking down the man who raped and murdered his wife. The difficulty of locating his wife's killer, however, is compounded by the fact that he suffers from a rare, untreatable form of short-term memory loss. Although he can recall details of life before his accident, Leonard cannot remember what happened fifteen minutes ago, where he's going, or why.
Direction
Nolan's reverse chronology isn't gimmick—it's empathy engine.
Writing
Every scene is setup AND payoff. Short story origin shows.
Editing
Two timelines interlock like memory itself: broken, insistent, incomplete.
Director
Christopher Nolan
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based on Nolan's brother Jonathan's short story 'Memento Mori'—Chris optioned it before Jon finished writing it.
US
