MEMENTO Breakdown | Ending Explained, Easter Eggs, Hidden Details & Things You Missed

[@heavyspoilers]

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[@PapiBocaChula]

my favorite indy movie

[@mykieclarke9797]

I think the 'discount inn' is code for an asylum. The guy who works there is the nurse. All rooms symbolises rooms in the asylum with other patients.

[@sadie9728]

I think it was spelled out pretty clearly that Sammy was Lenny all along. No ambiguity.

[@relativelyincorrect]

Teddy did find his keys. He was parked by Lenny at the motel. That is when he tried to trick him into thinking Teddys car was his.

[@coby7914]

Have you reviewed 21 Grams? It's also shown backwards.

[@sankeerthreddy295]

"How can I heal, When I can't feel time" is one of the best lines ever written.

[@urbanoutlaw858]

ties into the 5 stages of grief. Lenny is always in denial.

[@rhondasisco-cleveland2665]

Time helps heal, sometimes. Some wounds are so timeless I’m not sure it helps, and it takes force of will. If your struggling, I hope you can find your way.

[@paolothorpe1461]

@@rhondasisco-cleveland2665 Yo you got insta?

[@wattsnottaken1]

“My wife wasn’t diabetic, do you think I don’t know my own wife?

[@altprsn6929]

“Can’t remember to forget you”. What a devastating line!

[@JordanGurney]

It's a shame Guy Pierce didn't get more notable roles after this movie. His performance in this movie was MORE than oscar-worthy!

[@scottyjbd]

He didn't seem to want them, or maybe I'm just referring to Batman, whom Nolan wanted before Christian Bale.

[@JordanGurney]

@@scottyjbd good for him then, turning that down

[@IanJTaylor]

He just wants to be Mike from Neighbours

[@dreadsocialistroberts]

@@cwbb76That was in 1997. Guy Pearce went on to The Count of Monte Cristo as a great villain. The Hurt Locker, The King's Speech and Iron Man 3 just to name a few things.

[@kevindacruz1845]

Does someone has an idea of why Teddy compare shoes size at the end with the drug dealer ? I am so curious of whyyyy ahah Thankss

[@anthonybottigliero8336]

Natalie does seem like a villain, but think about her perspective: her husband left, and two hours later one of his killers is wearing his clothes and driving his car, and acting like he did nothing wrong. Of course she weaponized him! This is a story about revenge, and she's the one who gets it.

[@betterlatethannever2156]

I just finished watching the movie for the 1st time and I didn't even realize that that was him. That's genius!

[@cthejust2344]

Yes, and she even genuinely tried to help leonard at the end by giving info on Teddy. That wasn’t technically helping but at that time she was just tracing down a license plate and genuinely thought she was looking for the real murderer. Natalie was the only “good” guy in the story.

[@fleurphoebe]

@@cthejust2344 guy pearce is the only villain tbh, none of the others did any thing wrong

[@bababooey2744]

​@fleurphoebe I mean he can't really remember anything (also he he just seems straight wacko) i feel like you can't blame it all on him for the predicament

[@fleurphoebe]

@@bababooey2744 BUT we know he realised at least twice, that the evil dude had been killed. and that his life's purpose was done, but he chose to deny that and not remind himself, so as to cause havoc on tons of others anywayyyy. get it yet ? ffs

[@rockyblue92]

14:03 For a split second you can see in this scene Leonard has a tattoo saying "I'VE DONE IT", that doesn't appear in any other scene we see him with his shirt off.

[@taylorrose2278]

Wow

[@None-lx8kj]

It's also not backwards.

[@urbanoutlaw858]

@@None-lx8kj Its fictitious. Hes imagining and savoring the fact he did get John G. Just as he closes his eyes and imagines his wife when Natalie tells him to in the diner. Also fun fact is Lenny invented John G up just like he invented Sammy Jankis. There was no 2nd attacker.

[@La_Horca]

@urbanoutlaw858 Then how do you explain that he had an accident that made his brain develop a short time memory loss?

[@urbanoutlaw858]

​@@La_Horca The police on scene the night of his wife's attack determined there was no 2nd attacker, and that the lone attacker Lenny shot had a blunt weapon with Lenny's blood on it (from the police report). The attack that night caused a physical injury, and/or mental trauma which from that point forward caused Lenny's condition (which is psychological as determined by the tests involving Sammy Jankis, AKA Lenny). Also you can't trust Lenny's storytelling or flashbacks completely as he is simply put, a psychopath.

[@rachelm.3173]

I saw Memento in 2021 for the first time. It's definitely in a league of its own.

[@rachelm.3173]

@@coby7914 I'll check it out. Thanks!

[@Fake_The_Jab]

50 first dates clears

[@paolothorpe1461]

@@Fake_The_Jab Forgetful Lucy😭🔥

[@CordayDatzTuff]

@@Fake_The_Jabfinding dory clears...jk

[@Jacob-2796]

Thanks for sharing this important detail

[@parashar15384]

This movie made me fall in love with Guy Pierce’s acting. No other actor could have played it this well.

[@hulan2033]

Seeing Leornado on Shutter island Im sure he can nail that role

[@Wallyworld30]

The Part was actually written for Brad Pitt and Brad wanted to do it but he was already obligated to do Snatch released the same year. Hard to imagine Lenny being played by anyone but Guy Piece now.

[@thatboyakira4202]

A clueless vindictive and forgot full psychopath?

[@EFCDKZ]

The actor reminds me a lot of Brad Pitt

[@sodiumlights]

@@hulan2033 Leo does do a good confused.

[@TheXFireball]

Just watched this movie a couple of nights ago. Love that how the audience view of the protagonist can change depending on the order you watched the movie.

[@truevulgarian]

The DVD for this movie has an easter egg that lets you play the movie in chronological order. Obviously one should watch the movie as intended at least once.

[@wyattpotato4717]

But that’s not how the movie was intended

[@vanessaroper3028]

Ooh that’s cool

[@christiandavis7924]

@@wyattpotato4717he didn’t say it was lol. He was saying you should watch the movie the way it was intended before watching in chronological order

[@AllofJudea]

​@@wyattpotato4717"DURR DURR duh DUH HUH?" that's you

[@11arr1son4]

Does it have the alternate endings like he talked about towards the end? I haven’t been able to find anything about that

[@GSP-76]

I saw Memento in the theater way back when it first came out...I was totally blown away at how well it was made...classic Nolan movie telling.

[@Wallyworld30]

Same here I was 23 years old when I saw it and I thought it was the most brilliant movie ever made. 23 years later it's still in my top ten. Crazy I saw this movie at literally the halfway point in my life up until now.

[@GSP-76]

@@Wallyworld30 When I saw it in the theater, there were literally like 10-15 people there...every person was blown away with how amazing it was.

[@UniqueGeekFreak]

I was 13 years old went with my Big Sis, there were also just a handful of people in a small saloon, I didn't get anything, i was so confused lol. I saw it just now after 24 years , it felt as if it was the first time I watched it lol... I remember the movie as a great movie everybody appreciated at that time & was so cool & unique, i had a good impression of it being great lol. I must say, I was expecting more when I saw it now for the 2d time... Funny how memory works...

[@Thisguythisguys]

Great break down - two things I think you could’ve included: - 1 - Natalie takes all the pens at her house right before she gets Leonard to beat her up so he can’t remember it 2 - at 14:04 in this video, we see Leonard’s wife touch his “I’ve done it” tattoo on his heart - which means he killed the original John G before she died

[@urbanoutlaw858]

No. He still has the tattoo saying "John G raped and murdered my wife" in this scene. He is imagining just like he closes his eyes and imagines his wife in the diner scene with Natalie. Also John G was invented up by Lenny, just like Sammy Jankis, in order to create a false reality that gives Lenny purpose.

[@wattsnottaken1]

Natalie hiding all the pens 🖊 I noticed that when I was watching last week. So sneaky!

[@miguelcmr54]

​@@urbanoutlaw858Stop saying your opinion like it is a fact

[@urbanoutlaw858]

@@miguelcmr54 because it is. seen it 100 times and know more than you, so, pshhh off.

[@peterl3417]

@@urbanoutlaw858There is no proof John G is an invention. Teddy could be telling the truth knowing it’s safe to lie to Lennard without pissing him off too much.

[@RH1812]

The ability to play it in chronological order was also hidden on the dvd version

[@TV-Tony]

I heard it was on the Limited Edition release.

[@k.c.3022]

For the last 15 years I assumed Natalie was knowingly committing revenge on Teddy. However, following my latest watch and reading some online comments, I suddenly realized that there is no visible evidence that Natalie has any idea that Teddy and John Gammel/“that cop” whose license plate she had checked are the same person. She’s seen “that cop” in the bar before but doesn’t know him as Teddy, and Lenny never reveals the Teddy photo in her presence. So this is another ambiguity from Nolan: We’re primed to assume Natalie is aiding Leonard in killing Teddy for her own revenge, yet we don’t actually know that she knows John Gammel of the license plate and Teddy are the same person. She might be genuinely trying to help Leonard after all and only by coincidence is getting Teddy killed!

[@williamwheatley1852]

Natalie knows Leonard is the killer upon their first meeting, Leonard is wearing his clothes and she says 'your pocket' sarcastically showing she knows, shethen precedes to get everyone to spit in the cup and give it to Leonard, thus confirming the memory loss. Natalie is fair to assume that Leonard must have had help, plus she wants to know why as much as who, by befriending Leonard she can get more information, like Leonard telling her about his wife and his motives, this must have confirmed that someone has coerced Leonard into the killing, the logically option is Teddy, the only logical option is Teddy at that point, she never needs to meet Teddy to know it was him.

[@k.c.3022]

@@williamwheatley1852 yes correct on all of that. My point was that when she met Teddy in the bar he introduced himself as a cop and not Teddy (this happened off camera, she just recounts it). Then when she runs the license plate number, she recognizes his face and sees the name John Gammel. So that was the point I was getting at: It seems like she doesn’t actually know that Teddy and John Gammel the cop are the same person. Which blew my mind! She might’ve actually been helping Leonard out of pity after all. She knew someone named Teddy was helping Leonard and that this person was actually who caused Leonard to kill Jimmy. But it’s not clear she knows John Gammel is Teddy

[@watamatafoyu]

​​@@k.c.3022The prime suspect in Jimmy's murder was Teddy/John by the time she saw the plate tied to John's face... because she knew Teddy was a dirty cop. Now she knows John's a dirty cop. There were just too many connections at that point. She wanted Dodd off her back, she wanted revenge for Jimmy's killer, she was OK manipulating the Memory Man to get it, and she probably would have liked to have gotten Jimmy's money back since her primary breadwinner was gone. However, she probably also felt a lot of sympathy for Leonard, because they both lost their lovers, and let's be honest... they were both young and hot and single so you know things are gonna happen

[@k.c.3022]

@@watamatafoyu She didn’t realize until after she ran the license plate that “that cop who came into the bar looking for a guy with memory issues” was actually the person who Leonard was looking for as his next kill. But I don’t think she actually knew that “some guy called Teddy” who Jimmy went to meet was the same person as “that cop at the bar” who she personally met. Teddy introduced himself to her as a cop looking for Leonard, not as Teddy. And he introduced himself to Jimmy as fellow drug dealer named Teddy, not as a cop. At no point do we see on camera Natalie realizing that they’re the same person. Maybe off camera she saw Jimmy talking to him and then made the connection. And that’s what I always assumed is what happened, until I realized this past viewing that we actually don’t know for certain! It’s a logical assumption to make but not 100% definitive!

[@watamatafoyu]

@@k.c.3022 When Leonard met Natalie, she says a cop came in that evening looking for him. What cop was looking for Leonard other than Teddy?! Either she suspected he was the same guy Jimmy was working with, or she's incredibly stupid, or it's a plot hole.

[@38kdoncorleone]

I'm not a killer. I'm just someone who wanted to make things right. Can't I just let myself forget what you've told me? Can't I just let myself forget what you've made me do. You think I just want another puzzle to solve? Another John G. to look for? You're John G. So you can be my John G... Will I lie to myself to be happy? In your case Teddy... yes I will.

[@morphine001]

And that's what I think is a big hole in the story cause if Natalie knew Lenny killed her bf then why would she help him and who is dodd in this story he is just a distraction

[@spiralbuddy]

⁠@@morphine001Natalie said her bf was going to meet Teddy. When she figured out that Lenny really had a memory issue, she realized that Teddy was the one behind the disappearance/murder, and was using Lenny. She didn’t care about Lenny, just also saw she could use Lenny also. Dodd was after her and her bf about the drugs/money, and when her bf left to get the drugs, but didn’t show back up, Natalie would have been on the hook. So, she used Lenny also to get Dodd off of her back.

[@MikeDaMan10]

I love the older movie breakdowns

[@Kavilion]

Especially great, complex movies like this. I get to watch it again!

[@ABuffaloDub]

Same

[@infamuznyc]

Yes agreed

[@hugh_jasso]

Older movies were better written

[@ignatiusjackson235]

Can we stop calling me "older, eh? I'd prefer the term "classic" instead.

[@jasoncoward-aintscared]

I believe that Nolan is one of those types that is so clever, he can't even explain his own ideas. Memento, to me is more about experiencing Leonard's condition. It's the same with Inception and Tenet. The point isn't to understand the narrative. The idea is immersion inside an experience. He did the same thing with insomnia, and its all about perception outside of normal reality. Honestly, its what makes them so incredibly rewatchable. I've seen Tenet four times, and I still don't have a goddamn clue what to make of it.

[@vaakdemandante8772]

because none of Nolan's movies make actual sense when you dissect them scene by scene - there is at the same time too many conflicting information and not enough information for a reasonable and solid deduction. It's as you've put it a movie about the main character's experience of life, rather than a clear story that is just made to sound convoluted - most of the time Nolan's movies do not have a single story, they are an amalgamation of different viewpoints from different moments and when taken together, they become a mess.

[@ayandey137]

Exactly! I try to see movies in such a manner, not to dissect every part like it is real, which it is not, but as an experience Then if the movie is very good, i might watch 1 or 2 videos on yt to see what i missed , if i see that i have missed out on so much stuff, i might rewatch it after a week and thats it.

[@KnullnVoid]

I'm loving these Nolan breakdowns you've been doing. First watched Memento about a decade ago, when I was getting into cinematography and filmmaking, and I remember my teenage brain being completely blown by the end of the movie. Nolan has arguably one of the best filmographies of the 21st century, and I'm really looking forward to Oppenheimer.

[@5.kc.5]

Random but did you enjoy NOPE?

[@KnullnVoid]

@@5.kc.5 Thought Nope was pretty phenomenal, honestly. Really dug the overarching theme and felt it was a fresh spin on the sci-fi/alien invasion genre while still maintaining that unnerving, cerebral horror that Peele has been doing so well. It’s kinda hard to gauge Jordan Peele’s filmography against other modern directors, since he’s only on his third film, but all three are pretty ingenious IMO

[@eddysandland58]

​@@KnullnVoid, Same As Mate! Also he's (to Me anyway!) Similar to Ari Aster's style ie Hereditary and Midsommar! I know Aster's done others before them! But I get the same Vibe/Tension etc as Peele! So Yeah Both Great Writers and Directors! Cheers 🍻

[@SteefPip]

I think Sammy did exist, but as Teddy said he was just a conman. I know Teddy isn't to be trusted but that moment feels different than the scenes we know Teddy is manipulating him. That would mean that all of the Sammy flashbacks are actually Leonards memories, but since they were after his accident he doesn't believe that they're his own memories adding further tragedy to the story.

[@russellward4624]

And they both have the same rare memory condition?

[@SteefPip]

​@@russellward4624 No I said Sammy was a conman.

[@russellward4624]

@@SteefPip ? So you think Sammy was a different person and he intentionally killed his wife? And Leonard just happened to develope the same brain injury that Sammy pretended to have?

[@victorfergn]

@@russellward4624 Leonard has no brain injury, he's crazy and he deceives himself into believe there's a complicated plot and a man to hunt down... you see that right at the end when he creates a story to kill Teddy, he's done it before.

[@victorfergn]

The dude is crazy, he creates and modifies his memories so he can live in that fake world of an eternal conspiracy against him.

[@flykyleboyman23]

I saw both interstellar and memento for the first time this year. Both such good movies that deserved a break down like this

[@lilasky2178]

OMG how oddly specific: I watched both movies for the first time last week within 3 days!! Amazing huh? Nolan, master manipulator of time and space (quite literally, so Interstellar seems)

[@TheJunky228]

I saw this a looong time ago and I didn't even realize this was a Christopher Nolan movie lmao

[@BunderChowed]

I watch this movie every couple of years and every time I notice something new or get a different perspective. Brilliant!!

[@heavyspoilers]

Yeah it’s so good, incredibly well put together

[@urbanoutlaw858]

@@heavyspoilers The most interesting part I found after several rewatches is figuring out that John G is a figmentation just like Sammy Jankis. Plot twist!

[@Kenswifty]

@@urbanoutlaw858 how did you figure that out?

[@urbanoutlaw858]

@@Kenswifty Ive watched the chronological version. You can figure out the type of person Lenny is when he tells Teddy how he gets his suit and the Jaguar (he just makes up a fabricated lie on the spot and seems to even believe what hes saying). Lenny then goes over the police report at Natalies and you can tell he is lying and making it up that there must have been a second attacker (the police determined there was only a single attacker after their investigation). I'm more likely to believe the police are a much more credible source than a man who makes up his own reality. I highly recommend watching the chronological version of the film. If you are determined to know the answers to any questions you have and have the patience, rewatch the film, write out facts, watch interviews, read drafts of key scenes in the script, etc. The movie is a puzzle and follows character themes throughout.

[@Kenswifty]

@@urbanoutlaw858 i have watched it several times, but i thought the first, real john G has been killed already by the help of teddy. And after that, because lenny just cant remember he has already revenged, teddy is using him and making up new john G's every time. That's what I thought and i do think now that movie doesnt really tell you that much to determine whether this real john G actually existed or not. Yes yoy cant really trust a man who's been lying to himself for such a long time, but some of the facts provided by him are still facts and after all, maybe he isnt lying about this john G, a burglar who happened to broke into their house.

[@6dmiller]

By pure random chance I wandered into an independent theater and saw Memento when it opened, which was a pleasant surprise. I always thought that the multitude of conflicting details were not meant to be resolvable, with the point being that the audience would have the same maddening experience as Leondard: never being able to figure everything out.

[@mlsaulnier]

good observation

[@bobbyhillthuglife]

Memento is still the best Christopher Nolan film imo, it is so tight and without any the self-indulgence that he succumbs to at times in his later movies. As much as I love the fact that he's one of the only guys left doing large practical effects, there's something about the small budget of Memento that creates an attention to detail that can sometimes get lost in the larger-scale productions.

[@MonkeeKnucklez2]

Same. I just love this movie

[@jjcoola998]

The film also exudes a “grimey” feeling that’s hard to describe but adds so much

[@Redmenace96]

I think one of the Cohen Bros said, "Every directors first film, is their best film." Because it has all their best ideas, and most passionate commitment to the story. I think it is true (except for Kubrick) because all directors who are great become bigger and bigger budgets and more dilution of thier best/primary goals.

[@caranook]

I watched this in a rerun in the cinema as a teenager, about ten years ago, and I didn’t really understand it then. The other day I was on a flight and I wanted to watch a movie, saw this on Netflix, and was like ‘hey, how about I try this again’. Bloody masterpiece. It’s such an unbelievably clever film in every sense of the word, it leaves you thinking and is super open to interpretation. This video broke it down super well, nice work!

[@ianjeffery3762]

I never knew there were multiple endings on the dvd...amazing

[@evantobias1023]

I can't tell you how much your breakdowns of film have strengthen my life in a positive way and the respect I have for the people like myself who live movies so much and view them a certain way to understand what geniuss like the Nolan brothers are !!! Thank you

[@heavyspoilers]

ah thank you so much, that really means a lot, really appreciate the comment and hope you have a great 2023

[@jwall2415]

This movie truly is incredible! Despite being heralded as such being phenomenal it's still underrated! Watching this breakdown has me wanting to rewatch it all over again!

[@unfunken]

Just finished watching this movie today. What a masterpiece - a film that you can’t stop replaying in your head for hours after.

[@thephilosopher7173]

This is actually the first movie I personally sat down and independently studied. Was recommended it about a decade ago and finally watched it during the Pandemic. Definitely a mind bender!

[@GippyHappy]

To me, Memento is a perfect film, and my favorite of all time. It's the only movie to ever pull off the "ambiguous ending" in a way I actually liked.

[@tstone15]

I LOVE THIS MOVIE!! Thank you for breaking it down paul! This movie has been living rent free in my head since I saw it as an 11 year old on showtime and made me a lifelong Christopher Nolan fan! Amazing movie, amazing breakdown

[@uub_plz2651]

Rewatching this movie showed me that Nolan had been thinking about Tenet for DECADES

[@sk8mafia214]

He did say when he did Memento that’s how Tenet idea came to mind, specifically the reverse opening scene with the gun.

[@drivingintothedesertuntilt3202]

pity tenet is such a shit movie

[@mikebraithwaite6537]

@@sk8mafia214bruh said “pacifically”

[@sk8mafia214]

@@mikebraithwaite6537 lol I didn’t even realize I put pacifically instead specifically…damn

[@sidology1.0]

Wow..

[@Redmenace96]

Guy Pearce and Carrie Moss never equalled their respective performances in this film. This is their best work, to date. For Joey Pants, this is in his top 3. He is always fantastic!

[@tommullinerart]

Memento has been my favourite film since it came out. It's just a shame how many people still haven't seen it. It's certainly one of those films that you have to properly watch and be in the right mood to take in. So i understand why it's not for everyone.

[@perry92964]

never judge a book by its cover, i have recommended this movie to dozens of people and none have watched it cause they said it didnt look interesting

[@Will_022]

First two times I saw it I was high 😭 insane experience

[@houseofhas9355]

I just saw memento and I feel like everyone who loves it. Its like my mememory of this film was restored. I heard about it never got around to watching it. Its been 20 years. 😂

[@TiagoCavalcanti-ji6hu]

I didn't know who Nolan was when I first watched this movie. I remember being mesmerized by its brilliance. It became one of my favorite movies ever. Nolan is one my fav movie makers as well. Thanxx for making this one !!!!

[@lucas41mavs]

This is one of my all-time favorite movies. I absolutely love when you break down movies outside of the superhero genre.

[@rossbooth4635]

I've watched this movie probably 20 times, and you've pointed out soooo many things I've always missed.

[@pietskari]

Just watched this movie few nights ago, I absolutely loved it. It's just so good, scenes like the Natalie and Dodd one or the ending even the intro scene are so good for me this movie sits right there with Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, Pulp Fiction, The good The bad and The ugly and LOTR: Return of the king as my favourites. Masterpiece

[@Wallyworld30]

I saw this movie when I was 23 years old in the Cinema. As of this year it's been 23 years since I saw it. This movie marked the halfway point of my lived experience. Perfect movie to fall on that timeline!

[@nostromoclyde3112]

The Polaroid of him pointing at his heart but when he has flashes of him and his wife on the bed and it has a sudden tattoo of “I’ve done it” in the place of it is another part that makes things even better

[@davidd.3555]

Couple issues I had; Teddy doesn’t lie to Lenny about his name for fear of retaliation of Lenny picking him as a John G, otherwise he would’ve never told him his name at the end(beginning) of the movie. That would defeat the purpose. He gave him an alias bc he doesn’t want anyone else knowing he’s talking to him. He wants to keep his relationship with Lenny secret to better hide his ulterior motives. Sammy is real, Teddy despite his manipulation of Lenny for personal gain, is the most reliable person in the movie. Teddy explained it, Sammy was a conman that tried to commit insurance fraud, using the loss memory as his mechanism but he was caught by Lenny and denied his claim. He never had a wife. Lenny simply blended the two stories bc he doesn’t want to face the truth that he killed his wife.

[@paul_particularlyunhappynut]

THANK YOU I was wondering if Sammy was partially based off a real person. I knew lenny made the insulin part up to lie to himself about (accidentally) killing his wife, but I was wondering where Sammy jenkins came from to begin with and if he was even real at all. Or, if Teddy was just fucking with him As you said, it makes the most narrative sense that teddy isn't just completely lying out his ass at the end

[@MonkeeKnucklez2]

Yeah, and I don’t think the real Sammy was ever in an asylum. That was just tipping the hand that his memory of Sammy was actually a memory of himself. Leonard must have been in the asylum for quite a while in order to remember it at all. (Note: it appears the comment I was replying to that said Sammy was in the asylum with Leonard was deleted, so this comment from me now makes no sense, lol)

[@joshualilleker4005]

@@MonkeeKnucklez2 how did he kill his wife then in your opinion?

[@MonkeeKnucklez2]

@@joshualilleker4005 As David D was saying, I also believe Teddy is telling the truth at the end of the movie. Leonard’s wife (not Sammy, who he said was not married) was diabetic and died from the repeated insulin injections because she was “testing” Leonard, never believing his memory was actually gone. Leonard has flashbacks of his real memories of giving his wife injections when he is telling him this. He said that Leonard successfully proved the real Sammy was faking it, which is why I don’t think the real Sammy was ever in the asylum and those flashes were just more examples of how Leonard was twisting his own memories through conditioning. Leonard was purposely conditioning himself to remember his own story as Sammy’s story to escape the guilt of what he had done. (The writing here is a bit flawed because he wouldn’t even remember his wife dying at all if he truly had no short term memory. I believe Nolan is fudging the logic of his own premise a bit to make his story more engaging). (Note: I now see the original post I replied to saying Sammy was in the asylum with Leonard is gone now, so my original comment now has no proper context)

[@TauroCorsa]

Bro this comment section got me so befuddled im just gonna have to re watch the movie

[@Yakuza92158]

all the flashy movies by Nolan, not saying those are bad, but memento will always be my favourite.. this is pure raw cinema with exceptional screenplay and direction

[@gleaso108]

His final monologue before pulling over to get his tattoo at “Emma’s” is so beautiful and sad. (For me at least). What a wonderful video, thank you!

[@louisberry4403]

This is one of Nolan's best. Love the journey of this film and the smalls detail you notice watching the film. Guy is amazing in this and wish he was in more Nolan films. Wish Nolan will do something low budget like this again but i'm excited for Oppenheimer.

[@selder_7]

Just finished watching it, then rewatched the first 5 mins and it already started clicking. Watched the Prestige last night, I could watch this and that again next week and have them be new experiences, so well made

[@YungLanxx]

Broooo I needed this review and breakdown holy smokes, thank you 😭

[@cameronmendez6483]

I’ve always thought Leonard and Sammy are one in the same, but it doesn’t really make sense when you see the insurance scenes. There’s no way an insurance broker doesn’t have great insurance lol

[@vikingodin1986]

One of my all time films ....love these breakdowns

[@Dom_510]

This is a great movie and the way the story unfolds blew my mind the first time I saw it. Keep up the great work, I love these breakdowns of older movies.

[@heavyspoilers]

Thank you

[@joshea7861]

Watched this for the first time in many years, and the license plate being synonymous with both capital i and 1 stood out for me. I'm so glad you brought this up because it just seemed like 24 year old movie directing, rather than a bread crumb to be found.

[@izzynobre]

6:46 but wait - Lenny thought Teddy killed his wife…? I thought he never did but intentionally left clues for himself to arrive at that conclusion, so he would kill Teddy and end the cycle.

[@LemurMaster]

Love to see you breaking down older films like this. So excellent!

[@heavyspoilers]

Thank you

[@harun9063]

Holy shit, I just finished watching the movie, and it was so confusing that I needed to find a video explaining the movie. And five hours earlier, you upload this video. Kind of freaked me out a bit! Need to make a quick note.

[@JonathanAcierto]

Saw this movie in a theater with not very many people and it blew my mind. I instantly became a Nolan fan.

[@williamlusk52]

LOVED THIS MOVIE. Made me a kinda cinephile and a forever lover of Nolan's films. Lots that comes back, as I haven't watched Memento in some time, but the story is so heart breaking, Leonard just trying to keep his delusion going... Thanks for one last go round, Paul!

[@michaelcovel1633]

I saw this when it came out at a local movie theater in Boise, the Flicks. They would really promote the few movies they would play each month and their description of this movie made me want to see it. A friend and I went and after it was over we tried to figure out what the hell we just watched. Still my favorite movie to this day as I feel there really are several different explanations.

[@RobertDusek]

Love this movie, so glad you did a review!!!

[@heavyspoilers]

Hope you enjoy it

[@watermusic4381]

I've only ever rewatched a movie straight away 3 times and this was one of them.

[@DOC_951]

Just watched this a week ago… so good. I can’t believe it isn’t more popular.

[@justinrazon7200]

I can actually relate to the wife reading that book multiple times as I rewatch series on youtube a lot and I currently am rewatching one that I've probably rewatched too many times for me to count over the past 6 years.

[@rancosteel]

I agree. All his other films are Hollywood drama genre. This film was so great. The editing alone was epic plus the soundtrack.

[@cheekster777]

Great movie! 👍🏻 Thank you. 🙏🏻

[@rens6374]

Got a dementia ad during watching this. Hope it was the first time.

[@GamezGuru1]

Amazing analysis - you made me wanna rewatch this film in a whole new light...

[@Dazs]

Love this breakdown. Memento is one of my favorite movies!

[@jameskramer3685]

Never seen it,but now I will. Thanks Paul!!

[@G_Machine_Joe]

I've only seen it once, back in '08, and I'm still scratching my head. I gotta rent it again soon, and then watch it backwards.

[@yrejsalaver334]

nice intro hahah was confused for a sec there

[@gussiejives]

I just rewatched this movie and there was a line that stuck out to me on this viewing: “All I said was Sammy’s problem was psychological, not physical.” And something clicked for me that hadn’t quite gelled even after umpteen viewings. That line works on two levels: 1) Assuming Teddy is telling the truth, it describes the dynamic of Sammy/Lenny’s life after the attack, where clearly the trauma affected him so much that he couldn’t function. You do see this dynamic in the flashbacks where she’s clearly not very happy, always looking like she’s yearning for something, like the past before she had to deal with his problem. Now whether or not the attack the was the initial manifestation of Leonard’s memory problem can’t be known, but what clearly is known by Leonard and the audience at the end of the film is the second level that phrase works: 2) Leonard’s psychological problem now isn’t the inability to make memories, it’s the inability to live with his actions and without purpose. The lack of ability to make memories is merely the symptom, a coping mechanism that clouds his actions and renews that purpose. Because if revenge is all he has to “make things work” in his words, then conveniently the hunt for John G will always have to continue, as Leonard himself knowingly sets himself up to do as Teddy had always done, always the avenger, never a killer. So indeed, Leonard is Sammy, for his problem is very much psychological, not physical.

[@freshnotfresh7571]

Watching this movie felt like drinking a strong cup of black coffee....

[@hexagonshorts2186]

The sheer brilliancy of this film is unmatched. I feel it even surpasses Inception at some points

[@ebethbarr1807]

YESSS Memento is my favorite movie. Thanks for all these Chris Nolan movie videos I’m enjoying them so much 😁😁

[@heavyspoilers]

Ey thank you, really enjoyed making them

[@thomassnyder9020]

In all my watchings of this movie, I never caught the Lenard/Sammi swap at 4:55

[@heavyspoilers]

I dont think its even on screen for a full second, such a good inclusion by Nolan

[@kristineilochi4615]

I did and it made me truly believe that Leonard and Sammy were one in the same. Fantastic movie! In my greatest top three of all time.

[@lgarza9640]

I love this movie! It’s such a head scratcher and you could watch it multiple times and discover things you hadn’t noticed!

[@ReggiePerez1784]

I was introduced to this movie by an old friend and i was amazed how amazing this movie really is!!

[@mlsaulnier]

Really good video - learned lots from it.

[@bonyannie]

Saw this movie for the first time ever hours before you posted this video. Creepily perfect timing for me 😅

[@kennethalvarez8346]

I just saw this last weekend, I think i had a short term memories after watching it :)

[@JordanGurney]

Momento is not just one of my fav Nolan movies, it's gotta be in my all-time top 10.

[@jefferyflood]

It's kindve weird that I just finally watched this movie and now your doing a breakdown on it

[@ckotcher1]

This was the first time I saw Guy Pearce. He’s such an underrated actor. He was amazing in “LA Confidental”

[@douglastaylor43]

I had this on DVD and I was always confused at the ending. This explains a lot

[@Giant2005]

You keep referring to Teddy trying to convince Leonard to ditch the car, because Teddy is greedy and wanted it for himself. I don't think that is the case, I just think that Teddy didn't want Leonard driving around in the car belonging to the guy he just killed.

[@frankbivona5924]

lenny is 100% sammy. i freakin loved this movie! glad to see the classics never die!

[@SusieG]

WOWWWWW. This was super helpful thank you!! 🙏

[@GamingGambini]

It’s interesting that the “remember Sammy” notei s written in the same font as the unreliable note teddy made him write and he crosses out

[@howardron543]

I never get/understand this movie completely... But i love it for that same reason... Its just awesome and i always enjoy it no matter how many times i watch it

[@voiceinject]

I'm not smart enough to follow the movie and keep the order of events straight. This video inspired me to check out the chronological cut.

[@joelfisk]

Great video. I miss movies that don't hold the viewers hands. I wish more filmmakers would trust the audience.

[@makethisgowhoosh]

Just noticed this. I've tried to see the text of the book before, this is the first time it's clear. The book the wife was reading is Claudius the God, sequel to I, Claudius.

[@Mr.C0ffee]

Thanks 4 the video Lenny

[@cristos]

WoW, I LEARNED ALOT From This VIDEO. I SEEw This MOVIE A BUNCH of Times AND NEVER GOT THIS MUCH DETAILS ! ! !

[@stevendouglas3781]

It’s interesting that the Sammy Jankis reveal makes the situation much clearer. Initially Mrs. Jankis is hard to understand. Having a husband with that condition would be difficult, but it’s strange she thinks he’s lying and even stranger she risks her life to call his bluff. Thus abandoning the man she loved (enough to try this) to helplessness. However when we learn the Jankis situation is really the Shelby situation, the motivations make sense. Leonard had just outed an actual conman for this, and Mrs Shelby had suffered a traumatizing assault. No doubt viewing this test as a win win. She either gets her husband back or she stops the pain. Very good twist.

[@ThEKilLInGJOkEr2]

I can't remember to forget you! I love that line, great movie

[@LotanLevant]

I watched this for a philosophy class. They don't make em like this very often.

[@IanMSantos]

I LOOOOOOVE this movie, and your breakdown is GREAT. Thank you, and Happy New Year! 🙌🏽

[@souleater1366]

Just saw this movie a few minutes ago was amazed! Really starting to like Nolan’s movies and loved Interstellar. Now I can’t wait for Oppenheimer!

[@IsimemenEbhomien]

It won an Oscar after release.

[@JonathanOber]

I feel like I watched Memento several times enjoying it and picking up on something each time. It's been a long time since I have seen the movie, might just give it a go since you reminded me just how good of a movie it is.

[@reinajalana]

Just watched this, and one interesting observation I'm surprised I haven't heard or seen mentioned is how much Leonard's and Sammy's wives favor, the latter just being a bit older. But both have that dark-brown hair with a reverse-triangle cut, both have distinct eyes... that, hell, might even be the same or a similar color!! And both with that more pale skin. For the similarities and suspicions surrounding Leonard and Sammy and how so much of the rest of the film seems painstakingly detailed, strategized, and intentional, I'm *preeeetttty sure* that lil' tidbit wasn't mere coincidence.

[@Lance37a]

I love the smaller budget on this movie. I don't know if Nolan could do a movie like this now.