The Actor (2025)
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12-month trend
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2025-09 to 2026-08
A New York actor with amnesia finds himself stranded in a mysterious small town in 1950s Ohio.
The story
A New York actor suffering from amnesia finds himself stranded in a mysterious small town in 1950s Ohio. While attempting to navigate his surroundings, he struggles to reclaim his lost identity and find a way back home. The narrative follows his journey through this enigmatic setting as he faces the challenges of his memory loss and the mysteries of the town.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
A New York actor with amnesia in 1950s Ohio becomes stranded in a mysterious small town and struggles to get back home and reclaim his life and identity. The film explores his journey of self-discovery and the obstacles he faces in this mysterious environment. The story is based on the 2010 novel Memory by Donald E. Westlake.
- First release year
- 2025
- Runtime (minutes)
- 98
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Duke Johnson
- Writers
- Duke Johnson · screenplay; Stephen Cooney · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- André Holland · Paul Cole; Gemma Chan · Edna; May Calamawy · May / Benny's Girl / Mattie / Rita / Karen / Lady; Asim Chaudhry · various characters; Joe Cole · Nick; Fabien Frankel · Benny; Olwen Fouéré · Old Lady Track / various characters; Edward Hogg · Make Up Artist; Toby Jones · Lieutenant Murray / Artie Bellman / Cabbie / Arnold; Youssef Kerkour · Black Jack / Ed / Defense Attorney / Busdriver; Simon McBurney · Doctor Croft / Doctor Edgarton; Tanya Reynolds · various characters; Tracey Ullman · Mrs. Malloy / Helen / Deerville Woman; Thomas Dominique · Phil
- Genres
- crime mystery; crime thriller; mystery thriller
- Themes
- identity; memory
- Tone and mood
- experimental; enigmatic; artful
- Setting
- 1950s Ohio
- Premise and plot tags
- amnesia; mystery; small town
- Source material / true-story basis
- Memory by Donald E. Westlake
- Reception
- The film received generally favorable reviews, with a 78% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 62 out of 100 score on Metacritic. Critics praised its experimental style and exploration of identity.
- Production trivia
- Ryan Gosling was originally attached to star as Paul Cole but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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