Total Recall (1990) is a mind-bending sci-fi action classic directed by Paul Verhoeven and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger at his explosive best. When a construction worker’s trip to a memory-implant company unlocks buried secrets about Mars, espionage, and his own identity, reality and illusion begin to blur.
Do you remember every twist, alien rebel, and one-liner? Test your memory (real or implanted) with our 10-question trivia challenge and see if you truly recall Total Recall!
Total Recall (1990) Trivia Questions & Answers
- Who plays the lead role of Douglas Quaid in Total Recall (1990)?
Correct Answer: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Schwarzenegger stars as Douglas Quaid, a seemingly ordinary construction worker whose visit to Rekall leads him into a spiral of espionage, rebellion, and existential uncertainty. Schwarzenegger’s blend of action-hero charisma and vulnerability gives the film its lasting appeal.
- What planet does Quaid dream of visiting?
Correct Answer: Mars
Quaid is obsessed with Mars, constantly dreaming about life on the red planet. His fixation is what leads him to Rekall and sets off the story’s events. Mars later becomes the main setting, where he uncovers truths about his identity and the planet’s rebellion.
- What is the name of the company that offers memory implants?
Correct Answer: Rekall
Rekall is a futuristic company that implants vivid false memories, offering clients experiences they never actually lived — like luxury vacations or dangerous missions. Quaid chooses the “secret agent on Mars” package, which might be exactly what his life really was — or maybe not.
- What occupation does Quaid believe he has before discovering the truth?
Correct Answer: Construction worker
At the start of the film, Quaid believes he’s just a blue-collar construction worker on Earth. He leads a mundane life until his visit to Rekall triggers memories that suggest he may have once been someone very different — possibly a spy named Hauser.
- Who plays Lori, Quaid’s wife, who turns out to be a spy?
Correct Answer: Sharon Stone
Sharon Stone plays Lori, Quaid’s seemingly loving wife who is later revealed to be an agent assigned to monitor and manipulate him. Her sudden transformation from doting partner to cold killer is one of the film’s earliest twists, and Stone delivers it with chilling precision.
- What is the name of the rebel leader on Mars?
Correct Answer: Kuato
Kuato is the mysterious and telepathic leader of the Martian resistance — a mutant with psychic powers who literally lives as a conjoined twin within another man’s body. He urges Quaid to “open your mind” and is key to unlocking the ancient Martian reactor.
- What shocking truth does Quaid discover about himself?
Correct Answer: He was a secret agent working for the enemy
Quaid learns he was once a ruthless agent named Carl Hauser who worked for the villain Cohagen. His memory was wiped so he could be reprogrammed. The revelation that he may be fighting against his original self raises compelling questions about free will and identity.
- What is the name of the corrupt governor of Mars?
Correct Answer: Vilos Cohagen
Cohagen, played by Ronny Cox, is the tyrannical administrator of Mars who hoards air and suppresses the mutant population. His greed and authoritarian control make him a classic Verhoeven-style villain — corporate, corrupt, and ultimately doomed by his own arrogance.
- What ancient Martian technology is central to the film’s climax?
Correct Answer: A terraforming reactor
Buried beneath the Martian surface is an alien-built reactor capable of releasing breathable air for the entire planet. The resistance believes activating it will free Mars. In the final showdown, Quaid manages to trigger the device, reshaping the planet’s future.
- What is left ambiguous at the end of the film?
Correct Answer: Whether the events were real or part of a dream
The film ends on a bright, hopeful note — but not without a lingering sense of doubt. Was the entire adventure real, or just the implanted fantasy from Rekall? The film intentionally leaves this question open, making the audience question the nature of memory, reality, and identity.
