Before Christopher Nolan blew all of our minds with Inception, he directed the incredible 2001 movie Memento, which is revolutionary in its own right. I remember watching the film as a teenager and being fascinated by the backwards (and forwards) storytelling structure. To celebrate its 15th anniversary, I thought it would be fun to consider how different Memento would be set in 2016. To refresh your memory, Memento follows Leonard Shelby (Guy Pierce) as he tries to track down his dead wife's attackers, but he suffers from anterograde amnesia, which prevents him from forming new memories. He certainly tries, though, by taking Poloroids, writing notes, and tattooing need-to-know information.
Last November, a remake of the movie was announced in The Hollywood Reporter, but naturally a modern Memento would be very different. Let's face it: A lot has changed in 15 years — for starters, Polaroids are so retro now. That was 2001 and now in 2016, we've got Twitter, Facebook, smartphones, clouds, YouTube, Google (as a verb), Reddit, iPads, and so much more. These days, Leonard wouldn't have to the lengths of tattooing pertinent information on his body — he could put the information on so many of his devices and social media accounts. Like all of us, his digital footprint would never let him forget anything. And then Leonard could be re-reminded about everything once a year via TimeHop. What a time to be alive.
Here's how I think Memento would be different in 2016.
He Has A Video Of The Sammy Jankis Story
Remember the Sammy Jankis story Leonard tells over and over again to pretty much everyone he meets? It's a story about a man who has a similar mental condition (but spoiler alert: It's actual a story about Leonard himself). Instead of telling it over and over, perhaps it's a video story from YouTube he plays for everyone, like the one above.
He'd Use Cell Phone Alarm Reminders
In the film, Leonard uses tattoos to remind him of necessary info about himself and his mission. In 2016, he'd probably use what I use to remind myself about things like rent or doctor's appointments — cell phone alarms and calendar alerts. He could set them to repeat as often as he needs — no needles needed.
He Could Take Photos Of All Evidence & New Facts
Here's a given: Instead of Polaroids, Leonard would have a cell phone filled with photos and videos of the people he's met and new evidence.
His Police File Would Be On A Cloud
In the film, Leonard often consults a police file, which could now be on a cloud, so he could access it anywhere.
He'd Use Google A Lot
Leonard goes to great lengths to find out who a license plate belongs to. These days, I'm pretty sure he could find a service online to dig up that info for him — and probably more info than he ever wanted to know about every John G in the world.
He'd Crowdsource Using Social Media
Because why not. I bet Leonard would record his mission on social media and even crowdsource some info from his followers, hashtag mystery.
Instead Of Burning Poloroids At The End, He Could Delete Files — Or Destroy The Cell Phone
Spoiler alert: At the end of the film, the audience finds out that Leonard has already killed his wife's attacker and he keeps up this endless hunt to give himself a sense of purpose. So he destroys evidence of his victory and goes on the hunt to kill again.
Of course, that ending is still plausible in the age of digital footprints — social media accounts can be deleted and wiped, smartphones can be destroyed, and clouds could be cleared. Just like nothing ever existed on them.
Images: Newmarket/Mallory Carra/Bustle; Mallory Carra (2)/Bustle; Giphy (3)
