Hugh Jackman stars in Reminiscence, a new futuristic noir mystery film on HBO Max and in theaters. The movie is filled with twists and turns as the characters each race to unravel the mystery of Mae's disappearance and the larger conspiracy at play. As the characters attempt to outsmart each other, some of them emerge as more successful than others.

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As with any good mystery, the story is filled with characters who are actively trying to use their intelligence to deceive the others, while some are trying to piece together the puzzle and solve the crime, and others are not even smart enough to realize that they are caught up in the middle of a mystery.

Hank

Hank prepares to go into the pod in Reminiscence

Hank is a simple man who enjoys reliving his memories of playing with his dog in the days before the war. Seeing the mental and physical toll that the war took on Hank, causing him to lose his legs and develop an addiction to the drug Baca, Nick often allows his friend to use the memory tanks for free, introducing the audience to the technology at the heart of this noir story.

However, Hank is unable to see through Mae's attempts to get intel on Nick, selling out his friend for some Baca. With his love for the narcotic compromising his decision-making, Hank is not able to comprehend the magnitude of his betrayal.

Elsa Carine

Elsa leaves her session in the pod in Reminiscence

Elsa Carine is one of Nick's most faithful customers, frequently coming in to relive the memory of her romantic affair with an older, wealthy man. Watts even comments on how tired she is of seeing the two engage in their display of affection. But Nick later realizes that the man Elsa was intimate with was none other than land baron Walter Sylvan.

Unfortunately for Elsa, she does not realize that this secret affair and the son that resulted from it are valuable information that she needed to protect more carefully. As a result, Elsa is eventually found out and killed by Boothe.

Saint Joe

Saint Joe sits shirtless in a chair in Reminiscence

Drug kingpin Saint Joe is a mid-level criminal who uses brutal tactics and dirty police officers to run his drug empire. Despite his intimidating and violent history, the movie depicts him as someone who is often double-crossed and tricked by others, including both Mae and Boothe.

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While he is powerful and willing to do whatever it takes to retain that power, he is not shown to be the smartest or most strategic character. This results in him losing his stash of Baca, losing out on profits that Boothe stole, and ultimately to his death at the hands of Watts.

Walter Sylvan

Walter discusses his legal situation in Reminiscence

Land baron Walter Sylvan is a powerful and wealthy businessman who abuses his position and resources for his own selfish gain. He is cunning and conniving, finding ways to evade legal accountability for his wrongdoings in his personal and professional life. Despite the local law enforcement's best efforts, Walter is able to constantly outsmart them and stay one step ahead.

While everything Walter worked to build eventually collapses, he is just smart enough to keep it all together for his lifetime, never personally receiving any punishment for his actions.

Tamara "Swati" Sylvan

Tamara tries to relive the past in Reminiscence

Having had her memories damaged by resisting them too often, Tamara Sylvan clings to a time when she was more hopeful about her life and her marriage to Walter, fixating on a specific memory that took place while she was pregnant. The people around her have done everything they can to keep up the charade.

But even in this compromised state, Tamara is still smart enough to know what is going on and is able to use a moment of clarity to give Nick the information he needs to continue his pursuit of the truth.

Sebastian Sylvan

Sebastian speaks with his father in Reminiscence

For much of the film, Sebastian Sylvan is the unassuming son, and presumably sole heir, of Walter Sylvan. However, he is revealed to be the mastermind behind the film's events, attempting to erase any evidence that his father had another son so that he could be the lone beneficiary of his father's estate. All of the best murder mystery movies have a surprise villain pulling the strings, and Reminiscence follows this trend with the reveal of Sebastian as the true bad guy of the story.

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While the plan is clever enough to keep the other characters guessing for the duration of the film, it ultimately falls apart at the end and causes the entire Sylvan empire to unravel. He is smart enough to concoct this plan but not quite smart enough to pull it off without getting caught.

Cyrus Boothe

Boothe is confronted by Nick in Reminiscence

Despite starting the movie as one of Saint Joe's minions, Cyrus Boothe is able to seize the opportunity to branch off on his own, eventually becoming the primary executor of Sebastian's plan to eliminate Walter's son and mistress.

As part of this, he recruits and manipulates Mae into doing his bidding. In essence, Boothe is able to mastermind the entire plan of how to trick Nick into falling for Mae and letting his guard down so she can steal the files. His plan nearly works to perfection until he is outsmarted by Mae at the very end.

Emily "Watts" Sanders

Watts talks to Hank in Reminiscence

Nick's business partner and friend, Emily "Watts" Sanders, is one of the few characters in the film that does not appear interested in reliving her past, often drinking to avoid having to even think about it. This objective and firmly anti nostalgic perspective allows her to make smarter decisions than everyone else involved.

Because of her smart choices, Watts is one of the only characters that is able to engineer a happy ending for herself, growing old peacefully and making amends with her family.

Nick Bannister

Nick tries to hold back his anger in Reminiscence

As is the case with many of Hugh Jackman's best movies, he plays a charming and intelligent character with a dark side. As the protagonist and narrator of the film, the audience is privy to Nick's thoughts on a deeper level than all the other characters. These thoughts reveal Nick to be an intelligent and contemplative man who is also prone to letting his emotions get the best of him and cause him to make decisions that he would not otherwise.

Nick is smart enough to follow the clues and figure out what happened to Mae, exposing the Sylvan family's misdeeds in the process. Even his final decision to trap himself in a memory, as tragic as it may be, is thought out and intentional.

Mae

Mae stands in her kitchen in Reminiscence

Ultimately, the smartest character in Reminiscence is Mae. Like many other femme fatales in mystery stories, Mae is a complicated character who keeps Nick guessing about her true intentions and role in the larger plot. She is able to use her wit and intellect to stay one step ahead of everyone else in the film.

The moment that most clearly cements her status as the smartest character comes at the end of the movie as she speaks to Nick through Boothe, knowing that Nick will one day access the memory through Boothe. It is further proof that she is constantly calculating what will happen next and how everything will play out.

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