8. Memento
Considering this entire movie plays out in reverse, it makes it that much harder to figure out the twist. This clever script written by Christopher Nolan is actually based on his younger brother Jonathan Nolan’s short story, “Memento Mori”. It follows the life of Leonard Shelby, who is searching for the man who raped and killed his wife; the thing is, he suffers from anterograde amnesia and is unable to store recent memories.
Because of his condition, Shelby tattoos clues on his body at the end of each day so when he wakes. up he has an ink trail to follow back to his prior leads. In the end, we learn Shelby had already caught the man who raped his wife and killed him, but because of his condition he doesn’t remember and continues to search for him. Even crazier is that Shelby is responsible for his wife’s death, due to an accidental insulin overdose. However, this twist is far more complex than explained and should be interpreted by the viewer.
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