During the COVID-19 years, many films were released that flew under the radar, and ended up flopping at the box office.

One such film was Hugh Jackman’s Reminiscence, in which he stars in alongside Rebecca Ferguson and Thandiwe Newton. However, the film has since found new life after being added to streaming services, including Apple TV+, and fans have been singing its praises.

A synopsis for the film read: “Nick Bannister, a private investigator of the mind, navigates the darkly alluring world of the past by helping his clients access lost memories. Living on the fringes of the sunken Miami coast, his life is forever changed as he uncovers a violent conspiracy while trying to solve the mystery behind a client who disappeared.”

However, with a confusing release schedule, the film was pushed back on several occasions to avoid competing with other major releases, and the COVID-19 pandemic, the film barely registered at the box office, only making $16.4 million.

Fan response

Viewers have been receptive to the 2021 film, with one writing on social media: “Reminiscence – a beautiful movie that deserved the attention of moviegoers. Too bad WB chose to experiment with their release policy for this one. A memorable portrayal from Hugh Jackman – action cum romance cum drama!”

A second added: “I genuinely thought Reminiscence was going to be a big hit with Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson especially with the trailer,” while a third commented: “Reminiscence never fails to make me sad. I need Hugh Jackman and Rebecca Ferguson to get a third movie where they both end up together and happy at the end,” and a fourth posted: “Someday, Reminiscence will have the renaissance that it deserves.“

Rebecca Ferguson and Hugh Jackman embracing in a scene from Reminiscence© Alamy Stock Photo
Fans have been impressed with the film

However, film critics were less than complimentary about the movie. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film only has a 37% rating, with its consensus reading: “Although Reminiscence isn’t lacking narrative ambition, its uncertain blend of sci-fi action and noir thriller mostly provokes memories of better films.“

The Guardian’s Simran Hans only gave the film a two-star rating, calling it a “sci-fi noir you may want to forget”. Meanwhile, in a separate two-star review, Outtake Magazine’s Stanyo Zhelev said: “It has its moments and you probably won’t regret watching it – but it’s incredibly frustrating to see, it has all the ingredients of something truly special, yet never really pulls it off.”

A shirtless Hugh Jackman in a scene from Reminiscence© Netflix
Critics slated the film upon its release

Some critics, including in the Chicago Sun-Times, unfavourably compared the film to hits like The Maltese Falcon, Inception and Vanilla Sky.

Who stars in Reminiscence?

Reminiscence has an A-list cast, with its leads being played by Hugh Jackman (Wolverine), Rebecca Ferguson (Dune) and Thandiwe Newton (Line of Duty). It marked the second time that Hugh and Rebecca had acted opposite one another, following 2017’s The Greatest Showman.

The film also stars Cliff Curtis (The Meg), Marina de Tavira (Roma), Daniel Wu (Into the Badlands), Mojean Aria (The Enforcer), Brett Cullen (The West Wing), Natalie Martinez (Ordinary Joe) and Angela Sarafyan (Westworld).

Hugh Jackman and Thandiwe Newton in a scene from Reminiscence© Alamy Stock Photo
The film had an A-list cast

It ended up being a family affair for Thandiwe in the film, as she was joined by her daughter, Nico Parker, in a cameo role at the end of the film.

Alongside its incredible cast, the film was also the directorial debut for Lisa Joy, who had previously directed Westworld, while also writing for the likes of Pushing Daisies and Burn Notice. Since 2024, she has been the executive producer for Prime Video’s smash hit, Fallout.