If you loved
Total Recall
Paul Verhoeven · Film · 1990
You loved Total Recall because you are captivated by narratives where reality fractures and your own identity becomes an unreliable mystery.
Books on the same thread
Red Planet
Robert Anson Heinlein · Book · 1990
Like the Martian setting of Total Recall, this book traps you in a high-stakes colonial conflict where the survival of the human population hinges on uncovering a hidden conspiracy.
Dark Matter
Blake Crouch · Book · 2016
If the identity crisis in Total Recall kept you guessing, you will find this exploration of fractured realities and alternate lives equally gripping as the protagonist fights for his existence.
Dune
Frank Herbert · Book · 1965
Much like the power struggles seen in Total Recall, this epic centers on a desert planet where control over a precious resource drives the political and corporate maneuvering of humanity.
The Martian Chronicles
Ray Bradbury · Book · 1977
This collection mirrors the Martian focus of Total Recall, providing a deeper look at the psychological and environmental toll of colonizing a planet that is indifferent to human survival.
Series on the same thread
Severance
Dan Erickson · Series · 2022
This show takes the memory manipulation seen in Total Recall to a corporate level, forcing you to question how much of your own personality is manufactured by those in control.
Moon Knight
Jeremy Slater · Series · 2022
Much like the protagonist of Total Recall, the lead here struggles with blackouts and competing memories, creating an unreliable perspective that makes every discovery feel dangerous and deeply personal.
Farscape
Rockne S. O'Bannon · Series · 1999
This series captures the fish-out-of-water intensity of Total Recall by throwing an ordinary man into an alien conflict where he is constantly forced to adapt to survive.
Quantum Leap
Donald P. Bellisario · Series · 1989
Fans of Total Recall will appreciate this premise of a man trapped in different identities, forcing him to navigate unfamiliar lives while searching for his own true reality.
Podcasts on the same thread
Dan Carlin's Hardcore History
Dan Carlin · Podcast · 2025
While non-fiction, this podcast echoes the dark, cynical view of human nature and power dynamics present in Total Recall, analyzing the consequences of history with a similarly intense perspective.
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
If the feeling of uncovering a hidden, unsettling truth in Total Recall kept you hooked, this investigative journey into a man’s isolated life offers a similarly gripping, character-driven mystery.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Total Recall about a construction worker?
Yes, Total Recall follows the story of Douglas Quaid, a construction worker who becomes obsessed with the planet Mars. This obsession leads him to visit a company called Recall to purchase memory implants, which ultimately causes him to lose his grasp on what is reality and what is artificial.
What is the premise of Total Recall?
Total Recall centers on Douglas Quaid, who visits a company that manufactures memories. After a memory implant procedure goes wrong, he finds himself unable to distinguish between his actual life and the manufactured memories, leading to a conflict regarding his true identity and his obsession with Mars.
What company does the protagonist visit in Total Recall?
In Total Recall, the main character Douglas Quaid visits a company called Recall. This organization specializes in manufacturing memories. His decision to visit the company is driven by his intense personal obsession with the planet Mars, which triggers the events that compromise his sense of reality.
Does Total Recall involve memory implants?
Yes, memory implants are a central plot device in Total Recall. After Douglas Quaid visits the company Recall to obtain an implant, the procedure malfunctions. This failure leaves Quaid questioning his own reality and unable to determine if his experiences are genuine or simply manufactured by the company.