If you’ve been meaning to finally watch Liam Neeson’s latest “is he really this old and still doing the chasing” kind of thriller—now’s the moment. Memory, the 2022 action-thriller remake, is now streaming for free in the UK with ads.
The movie centers on Alex Lewis, an expert assassin who’s dealing with early-onset Alzheimer’s. That already sets the tone: he’s not just trying to survive the violence, he’s trying to keep hold of his own memory while the job he’s on keeps getting more dangerous. The premise kicks in when Alex refuses to complete a contract on a young girl, and then he quickly becomes the target himself—so the story basically turns into a hunt. He ends up trying to track down the people who hired him, piece by piece.
Neeson isn’t doing this alone. Monica Bellucci joins as a powerful mogul who hires hitmen to go after Alex, and Guy Pearce plays an FBI agent closing in on what’s happening. It’s a cast that suggests bigger stakes than the average straight-to-streaming B-movie, even if the film’s tone stays pretty pulpy throughout. At one point in the action, you can almost hear the clipped thump of footsteps on a corridor—like the movie’s insisting you stay alert.
Memory is directed by Martin Campbell, and it’s a remake of the 2003 Belgian movie De Zaak Alzheimer. The film was released in 2022, and since then it’s had the kind of reception that splits people right down the middle. On IMDb, it currently holds a rating of 5.8 out of 10, based on user sentiment that doesn’t pretend the film is flawless.
One user called it “underrated,” writing: “Wasn’t as bad as the unreliable rating suggests, the movie was actually quite interesting and original with some nice twists like Liam’s typical movies that has a rather different ending.” That sentiment—“interesting,” “original,” “nice twists”—is kind of the whole vibe for why people are sharing it now that it’s easier to access. But critics have been less forgiving in a more standard way. The film currently holds a 29% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 100 reviews.
Misryoum newsroom reported that the filmmaking, by Martin Campbell, lacks the texture and sense of place that could have made Memory something more than a throwaway. Misryoum editorial team stated that one reviewer put it plainly: Memory is better than some Neeson action flicks, worse than others, but predictable enough that you’ll have trouble remembering it much longer than its run time. Vulture said of the film: “In the end, Memory’s greatest asset might be that it knows exactly what it is — a fun combination of sleazoid action and surprising emotion. It’s the best kind of B-movie.”
Still, for a free watch—especially one that just landed after airing last night on Film4—lots of viewers will probably take the chance. Memory is now available to stream for free with ads on Channel 4’s streaming service.
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