MEMORY (2022)
A riveting thriller with a conscience — for discerning adults.
Should You Watch It?
Four stars means Memory delivers as a thriller. It is riveting and well-directed, with Liam Neeson giving one of his better performances as a lone-wolf action star. Guy Pearce provides the film’s moral center as a compassionate, heroic FBI agent trying to bring human traffickers to justice.
The cost is serious. The movie contains lots of strong foul language, including excessive “f” words and strong profanities. It also includes extremely bloody gun violence, sexual exploitation, and a moral complication at the end involving vigilante justice by a police officer.
If you are a discerning adult who can weigh those elements without harm to your conscience, Memory is worth the trip. It is not appropriate for children or young teens.
The Story
NO SPOILERS — WE KEEP THE SURPRISESAlex Lewis is a professional hitman hiding the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. When he is ordered to kill Beatriz, a young teenager rescued from a sex-trafficking ring, Alex refuses.
An FBI agent named Vincent Serra is also trying to protect Beatriz and uncover the people behind the trafficking operation. After the girl is murdered, Alex begins hunting those responsible while Vincent and his team follow the trail.
Is It Any Good?
Four stars means this is a strong thriller, and the source praises it without reservation on craft. Memory is riveting and well-directed, with Liam Neeson delivering one of his better performances as a lone-wolf action star.
Guy Pearce also does an excellent job as Vincent, the compassionate and heroic FBI agent. His character serves as the movie’s moral center. The film’s action and pursuit story are effective, though the violence is extremely bloody.
The Worldview
Memory presents a strong moral, biblical worldview through its positive view of police officers trying to bring evil criminals to justice. Its central conflict clearly rebukes human trafficking, while the FBI agent is portrayed as compassionate and heroic. The film also contains some light, brief Christian references.
The movie’s moral vision is marred by vigilante justice committed by one police officer. That ending introduces moral relativism into a story otherwise concerned with confronting evil and protecting the vulnerable. The film recognizes that human trafficking and corruption are wrong, but it does not leave justice entirely in the hands of lawful authority.
The film’s concern for opposing evil aligns with Scripture’s call not to answer evil by becoming evil: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).
The Content Guide
The specifics — spoilers included by nature — so you can judge for your own family.
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements
Strong moral, biblical worldview with a positive view of police officers trying to bring evil criminals to justice, with some light brief Christian references, marred by some vigilante justice by one police officer
Foul Language
62 obscenities (about 40 or so “f” words), six Jesus profanities, one OMG profanities
Violence
Lots of gun violence, including some extreme and bloody gun violence, such as hitman kills sex traffickers involved in murder of young teenage girl who’s a possible witness, hitman tied to steering wheel of car as another hitman detonates the bomb that the first hitman had placed under the car to kill the second hitman, FBI tackles sex trafficker and they fly through a window and land on a car below (sex trafficker is killed), several gun battles, man patches up bullet wound in stomach, killer cuts character’s throat with a garrot, body of young teenage girl found with gunshot wound in forehead, innocent bystander killed in one gun battle
Sex
Sexual content includes implied fornication, FBI agent poses as a client in a sex trafficking sting by the FBI, video shows older man entering room of teenage sex slave, and there’s brief talk later of the man being guilty of raping multiple such girls, man traffics his young teenage daughter
Nudity
Upper and rear male nudity in two scenes
Alcohol Use
Some alcohol use
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse
No smoking or drugs;
Miscellaneous Immorality
Human trafficking but rebuked, two bad parental figures, corruption.
Talk About It
Questions for the drive home, the dinner table, or the youth group.
The film portrays police officers trying to bring evil criminals to justice. What does God require of people who pursue justice, especially when they have power over others?
Micah 6:8 · Romans 13:3–4Human trafficking is presented as evil and is rebuked. How does Scripture call us to protect vulnerable people and speak for those who cannot speak for themselves?
Proverbs 31:8–9 · Psalm 82:3–4The story includes vigilante justice by a police officer. Why is taking personal revenge different from pursuing righteous justice?
Deuteronomy 32:35 · Romans 12:19–21Alex faces the moral consequences of violence and murder. What does genuine repentance look like when someone has done serious wrong?
2 Corinthians 7:10 · Psalm 51:1–4The Final Word
Memory is a riveting, well-directed thriller with a strong moral center. But its strong profanity, extreme bloody violence, sexual exploitation, and vigilante justice make it a film for discerning adults only. For children and young teens, choose something else.
WORTH THE TRIP — ADULTS ONLY.
