How to watch
Total Recall Movie Watch Order in the correct order
How to watch the Total Recall movies in order
Last updated: September 12 2026
Written by: ChronoAlice
Based on a Philip K. Dick story, Total Recall blends sci-fi action with mind-bending questions about memory and reality. Between the Schwarzenegger classic and its remake, here's how to watch the films in order.
Total Recall arrived in 1990 as a violent, imaginative sci-fi spectacle starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as a man haunted by memories that may not be his own. A 2012 remake reimagined the premise with a different setting and tone, giving audiences two distinct takes on the same twisty story.
π Release Order
Release order covers the two Total Recall films, released 22 years apart.
- Total Recall (1990)
- Total Recall (2012)
The 2012 film is a standalone remake rather than a sequel, so there's no shared continuity to untangle β just two versions of the same core story.
π Story Chronology
Both films tell the same basic tale of a man who discovers his memories were implanted, but they diverge in setting β the original heads to Mars while the remake stays earthbound. Watch whichever version you prefer first.
- Total Recall (1990) β the Mars-set original
- Total Recall (2012) β the earthbound remake
Which Order Should You Choose?
Start with the 1990 original β it's the definitive, more memorable version with Schwarzenegger and Paul Verhoeven's wild imagination. The 2012 remake is a sleeker but less essential alternative you can watch afterward to compare. Since they don't connect, release order simply gives you the best film first.
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