The Best Movies About Amnesia And Memory Loss You’ve Never Seen
By Rob Hunter/April 19, 2017 9:00 am EST
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. (Welcome to The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, a series that takes a look at slightly more obscure, under-the-radar, or simply under-appreciated movies. In this edition: some of the best movies featuring amnesia or memory loss you’ve never seen… or may have just forgotten.)A new movie called Unforgettable hits theaters this weekend starring Rosario Dawson and Katherine Heigl, and while it doesn’t appear to have anything to do with amnesia, audiences will probably be forgetting it as soon as they exit the theater. I kid. We love Rosario Dawson. 1996’s Unforgettable however, does involve ideas of memory. So now that we’ve established that incredibly tenuous connection for this week’s topic, let’s take a look at some great movies about memory loss!Amnesia, whether medically sound or contrived for genre purposes, has been a popular plot point in film for decades, popping up in titles as diverse as Memento, The Bourne Identity, and 50 First Dates. Some are universally acknowledged masterpieces like Angel Heart and Overboard (I’ll hear no dissent on the matter), while others are Danny Boyle’s Trance. I kid. We love Rosario Dawson.As is my won’t here, I’d prefer to point attention towards some lesser known but equally compelling films. So without further ado, here are six good-to-great movies involving memory loss you’ve probably never seen.
The Unholy Four (1970)
A fire in a prison madhouse leaves numerous inmates dead, but four escape, including a young man with no memory of who he is. He’s drawn to a small town, unclear of his connection to it, and the other three join him for lack of anything better to do. The locals recognize him, but his return sees him become a pawn between two families, one of whom may be his own.
This Italian spaghetti western takes a literal approach to the whole “man with no name” idea, at least for a little while, as our main protagonist struggles to remember who he is and who among the townspeople can be trusted. The amnesia plot line offers a different approach to the otherwise expected gun play and saloon shenanigans expected in a western, and while we get little back story on the other men they make for an interesting enough gang of outsiders. Most of the cast are relative unknowns here in the west, but western fans will undoubtedly recognize Woody Strode from titles like The Quick & the Dead, Posse, Once Upon a Time in the West, and many more. There are no great surprises here, but the story offers a few layers as even the truth of his identity can’t stop the bloodshed.
This is director Enzo Barboni’s feature debut before going on to make the more well-known Trinity westerns starring Terence Hill, and he comes out guns blazing with some well-crafted action sequences. Barboni covers the action with an array of angles, close-ups, and wide shots that keep the visual energy high throughout. [Buy The Unholy Four on Blu-ray or DVD]
A Pure Formality (1994)
A man is found stumbling and running on a rainy night and brought to the local police station for questioning after a dead body is found nearby. He identifies himself as a famous author named Onoff (Gerard Depardieu), a fact which pairs well with the inspector (Roman Polanski) working the case, who just happens to be the writer’s biggest fan. Onoff has no explanation for his presence in the rain, and he can’t recall the events that led him there. An interrogation commences between the angry and dismissive writer and the wily inspector, and piece by piece the truth is revealed with each new turn of the page.
Writer/director Giuseppe Tornatore makes a second appearance in this column, again with a film other than Cinema Paradiso, and he once again plays around with convention in a successful effort to deliver something fresh. The film is a thriller in construct, but as much of it occurs within the walls of the interrogation room it’s one more concerned with language, deception, and discovery than action or violence. It’s never less than engaging though as it moves towards its revealing climax. Some viewers are destined to see the film’s ending coming in advance, but happily advance knowledge of it doesn’t lessen the film as a whole to a noticeable degree. That’s due almost entirely to the power and thrill of seeing Depardieu and Polanski go head to head for much of the running time. The former is a blunt force while the latter is more precise, but both men are utterly compelling in their face-off. It helps that both characters are seeking the same thing, the truth, even if one already knows more than he’s letting on.
[A Pure Formality is not currently available in the US]
The Best Movies About Amnesia And Memory Loss You’ve Never Seen
By Rob Hunter/April 19, 2017 9:00 am EST
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. (Welcome to The Best Movies You’ve Never Seen, a series that takes a look at slightly more obscure, under-the-radar, or simply under-appreciated movies. In this edition: some of the best movies featuring amnesia or memory loss you’ve never seen… or may have just forgotten.)A new movie called Unforgettable hits theaters this weekend starring Rosario Dawson and Katherine Heigl, and while it doesn’t appear to have anything to do with amnesia, audiences will probably be forgetting it as soon as they exit the theater. I kid. We love Rosario Dawson. 1996’s Unforgettable however, does involve ideas of memory. So now that we’ve established that incredibly tenuous connection for this week’s topic, let’s take a look at some great movies about memory loss!Amnesia, whether medically sound or contrived for genre purposes, has been a popular plot point in film for decades, popping up in titles as diverse as Memento, The Bourne Identity, and 50 First Dates. Some are universally acknowledged masterpieces like Angel Heart and Overboard (I’ll hear no dissent on the matter), while others are Danny Boyle’s Trance. I kid. We love Rosario Dawson.As is my won’t here, I’d prefer to point attention towards some lesser known but equally compelling films. So without further ado, here are six good-to-great movies involving memory loss you’ve probably never seen.
We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.
36 Hours (1964)
The Unholy Four (1970)
A fire in a prison madhouse leaves numerous inmates dead, but four escape, including a young man with no memory of who he is. He’s drawn to a small town, unclear of his connection to it, and the other three join him for lack of anything better to do. The locals recognize him, but his return sees him become a pawn between two families, one of whom may be his own.
This Italian spaghetti western takes a literal approach to the whole “man with no name” idea, at least for a little while, as our main protagonist struggles to remember who he is and who among the townspeople can be trusted. The amnesia plot line offers a different approach to the otherwise expected gun play and saloon shenanigans expected in a western, and while we get little back story on the other men they make for an interesting enough gang of outsiders. Most of the cast are relative unknowns here in the west, but western fans will undoubtedly recognize Woody Strode from titles like The Quick & the Dead, Posse, Once Upon a Time in the West, and many more. There are no great surprises here, but the story offers a few layers as even the truth of his identity can’t stop the bloodshed.
This is director Enzo Barboni’s feature debut before going on to make the more well-known Trinity westerns starring Terence Hill, and he comes out guns blazing with some well-crafted action sequences. Barboni covers the action with an array of angles, close-ups, and wide shots that keep the visual energy high throughout. [Buy The Unholy Four on Blu-ray or DVD]
This Italian spaghetti western takes a literal approach to the whole “man with no name” idea, at least for a little while, as our main protagonist struggles to remember who he is and who among the townspeople can be trusted. The amnesia plot line offers a different approach to the otherwise expected gun play and saloon shenanigans expected in a western, and while we get little back story on the other men they make for an interesting enough gang of outsiders. Most of the cast are relative unknowns here in the west, but western fans will undoubtedly recognize Woody Strode from titles like The Quick & the Dead, Posse, Once Upon a Time in the West, and many more. There are no great surprises here, but the story offers a few layers as even the truth of his identity can’t stop the bloodshed.
This is director Enzo Barboni’s feature debut before going on to make the more well-known Trinity westerns starring Terence Hill, and he comes out guns blazing with some well-crafted action sequences. Barboni covers the action with an array of angles, close-ups, and wide shots that keep the visual energy high throughout.
[Buy The Unholy Four on Blu-ray or DVD]
Suture (1993)
It’s a crime that this beautifully-crafted thriller isn’t more well known as it finds suspense, smarts, and style in an otherwise straightforward setup. Directors/writers Scott McGehee and David Siegel (who were also behind the equally under-appreciated What Maisie Knew) craft a film about identity and perception that takes great advantage of its black and white photography. Creative cinematography and subtle contrasts play as backdrop to an increasingly twisted tale that asks who you are when everything about you is stolen from someone else.
One of the film’s many joys, one that goes unmentioned in the film itself, is that not only do Harris and Haysbert look nothing alike, but one is white and the other black. It’s an incredibly intriguing reality presented without comment… which in turn is itself a comment. How much of who we are rests in our physical appearance? How easy is it to convince ourselves that we’re somebody else? Haysbert is especially strong as a man struggling to find himself amid the chaos of violence, loss, and love, and his performance gives an affecting quality to the dramatic thrills.
A Pure Formality (1994)
A man is found stumbling and running on a rainy night and brought to the local police station for questioning after a dead body is found nearby. He identifies himself as a famous author named Onoff (Gerard Depardieu), a fact which pairs well with the inspector (Roman Polanski) working the case, who just happens to be the writer’s biggest fan. Onoff has no explanation for his presence in the rain, and he can’t recall the events that led him there. An interrogation commences between the angry and dismissive writer and the wily inspector, and piece by piece the truth is revealed with each new turn of the page.
Writer/director Giuseppe Tornatore makes a second appearance in this column, again with a film other than Cinema Paradiso, and he once again plays around with convention in a successful effort to deliver something fresh. The film is a thriller in construct, but as much of it occurs within the walls of the interrogation room it’s one more concerned with language, deception, and discovery than action or violence. It’s never less than engaging though as it moves towards its revealing climax. Some viewers are destined to see the film’s ending coming in advance, but happily advance knowledge of it doesn’t lessen the film as a whole to a noticeable degree. That’s due almost entirely to the power and thrill of seeing Depardieu and Polanski go head to head for much of the running time. The former is a blunt force while the latter is more precise, but both men are utterly compelling in their face-off. It helps that both characters are seeking the same thing, the truth, even if one already knows more than he’s letting on.
[A Pure Formality is not currently available in the US]
Writer/director Giuseppe Tornatore makes a second appearance in this column, again with a film other than Cinema Paradiso, and he once again plays around with convention in a successful effort to deliver something fresh. The film is a thriller in construct, but as much of it occurs within the walls of the interrogation room it’s one more concerned with language, deception, and discovery than action or violence. It’s never less than engaging though as it moves towards its revealing climax.
Some viewers are destined to see the film’s ending coming in advance, but happily advance knowledge of it doesn’t lessen the film as a whole to a noticeable degree. That’s due almost entirely to the power and thrill of seeing Depardieu and Polanski go head to head for much of the running time. The former is a blunt force while the latter is more precise, but both men are utterly compelling in their face-off. It helps that both characters are seeking the same thing, the truth, even if one already knows more than he’s letting on.
[A Pure Formality is not currently available in the US]
Key of Life (2012)
The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014)
There’s no amnesia at the heart of this memory-related movie, but it takes the themes of lost connections every bit as serious as the other films (and more so in some cases). Alzheimer’s is no mere gimmick here, and the script treats the heaviness of it all with respect, even as it twists the illness towards horror. It’s elevated further by Larson’s performance which leaves us both sympathetic to her plight and terrified of her power throughout.
Your instinct upon discovering that this is a found footage film (of sorts) will understandably be to look the other way, but while most examples of the format are garbage, director Adam Robitel (Insidious: Chapter 4) delivers a film that never leaves viewers wondering how or why these things are being recorded. Part of that’s due to how smartly-written it all is, but the film also brings the creepy and terrifying in a major way. Small but effective scares fill the film, leading up to one hell of an unsettling image and sequence in the final minutes. Avoid any marketing (trailer, photos) for the film and just watch it.
