Fails the Bechdel test

Total Recall

Name: Total Recall
Released: 1990

1990. Directed by Paul Verhoeven, written by Philip K. Dick and Ronald Shusett and Dan O'Bannon.

The Bechdel test

Bechdel score

1 / 3

Fails

Yes 1. At least two women
20 women characters. 4 of them speak.
No 2. Who talk to each other
Our parser found no scene where two women talk to each other.
No 3. About something besides a man
Not reached: the film fails an earlier rule.

Second opinion

Agree bechdeltest.com readers give it 1 out of 3.

The film

Douglas Quaid is haunted by a recurring dream about a journey to Mars. He hopes to find out more about this dream and buys a holiday at Rekall Inc. where they sell implanted memories. But something goes wrong with the memory implantation and he remembers being a secret agent fighting against the evil Mars administrator Cohaagen. Now the story really begins and it's a rollercoaster ride until the massive end of the movie.

Released: 01 Jun 1990
Genres: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Rated: R
IMDb: 7.5 / 10
Metascore: 60 / 100
Awards: Nominated for 2 Oscars. 7 wins & 16 nominations total
Elsewhere: View on IMDb

Starring, by lines spoken

Women
Men
Not in the cast list
Bigger name, more lines

Quail 190 lines, man
Melina 62 lines, woman
Bennie 38 lines, man
Kirsten 32 lines
Cohaagen 27 lines, man
Mcclane 22 lines
Lull 17 lines, woman
Edgemar 14 lines, man
Kuato 10 lines, man
Telephone Voice 9 lines

Full cast, 61 people

Arnold Schwarzenegger as Quaid
Rachel Ticotin as Melina
Sharon Stone as Lori
Michael Ironside as Richter
Marshall Bell as George / Kuato
Michael Champion as Helm
Mel Johnson Jr. as Benny
Roy Brocksmith as Dr. Edgemar
Rosemary Dunsmore as Dr. Lull
Ronny Cox as Cohaagen
Ray Baker as Mc Clane
David Knell as Ernie
Alexia Robinson as Tiffany
Dean Norris as Tony
Mark Carlton as Bartender
Debbie Lee Carrington as Thumbelina
Lycia Naff as Mary
Robert Costanzo as Harry
Michael LaGuardia as Stevens
Priscilla Allen as Fat Lady
Ken Strausbaugh as Immigration Officer
Marc Alaimo as Everett
Michael Gregory as Rebel Lieutenant
Ken Gildin as Hotel Clerk
Mickey Jones as Burly Miner
Parker Whitman as Martian Husband
Ellen Gollas as Martian Wife
Gloria Dorson as Woman in Phone Booth
Erika Carlsson as Miss Lonelyhearts
Benny Corral as Punk Cabbie
Bob Tzudiker as Doctor
Erik Cord as Lab Assistant
Frank Kopyc as Technician
Chuck Sloan as Scientist
Dave Nicolson as Scientist
Paula McClure as Newscaster
Rebecca Ruth as Reporter
Milt Tarver as Commercial Announcer
Roger Cudney as Agent
Monica Steuer as Mutant Mother
Sasha Rionda as Mutant Child
Linda Howell as Tennis Pro
Robert Picardo as Johnnycab (voice)
Anne Lockhart as Additional Voices (voice)
Kamala Lopez as Additional Voices (voice)
Morgan Lofting as Additional Voices (voice)
Patti Attar as Additional Voices (voice)
Bob Bergen as Additional Voices (voice)
Joe Unger as Additional Voices (voice)
Karlyn Michelson as Additional Voices (voice)
Allan Graf as Harry's Henchman (uncredited)
Joel Kramer as Harry's Henchman (uncredited)
Steven Lambert as Man Standing Behind Fat Lady (uncredited)
Andy Armstrong as Richter's Henchman (uncredited)
Terry Richards as Richter's Henchman (uncredited)
Bennie Moore as Richter's Subway Agent (uncredited)
Billy D. Lucas as Richter's Subway Agent (uncredited)
Graeme Crowther as Richter's Subway Agent (uncredited)
Peter Kent as Richter's Subway Agent (uncredited)
Thomas Ebert as Subway Rider (uncredited)
Frank Allen Forbes as Vestron Soldier (uncredited)

Who talks, scene by scene

Lines of dialogue in every 3 scenes, start to finish. Women above the line, men below. 26% of lines come from characters we couldn't match to the cast list and aren't shown.

Women

Men

Scene 1 Scene 141

Hover, tap or tab to a bar to see those scenes: where they happen and who's talking.

Show the numbers

Scenes	Women's lines	Men's lines
1 to 3	0	0
4 to 6	0	7
7 to 9	3	12
10 to 12	18	18
13 to 15	0	0
16 to 18	0	14
19 to 21	0	19
22 to 24	0	0
25 to 27	0	2
28 to 30	0	0
31 to 33	0	0
34 to 36	0	0
37 to 39	0	7
40 to 42	0	1
43 to 45	0	5
46 to 48	0	2
49 to 51	0	2
52 to 54	0	5
55 to 57	0	0
58 to 60	0	9
61 to 63	0	3
64 to 66	0	0
67 to 69	0	4
70 to 72	0	15
73 to 75	0	5
76 to 78	14	25
79 to 81	5	44
82 to 84	0	0
85 to 87	3	6
88 to 90	1	5
91 to 93	1	5
94 to 96	10	19
97 to 99	2	18
100 to 102	0	1
103 to 105	5	13
106 to 108	3	10
109 to 111	6	9
112 to 114	3	6
115 to 117	0	1
118 to 120	0	0
121 to 123	0	3
124 to 126	2	3
127 to 129	1	5
130 to 132	1	3
133 to 135	0	4
136 to 138	0	0
139 to 141	5	17

The evidence

Straight from the script
Counted from the script and the credits

Tap an exhibit to open it.

Exhibit A: every 100 lines

Out of every 100 lines with a known speaker, 20 are women's.

83 lines from women, 327 from men.

Women
Men

Exhibit B: who's in it

20 women and 39 men in the cast. 4 women and 17 men from it get lines.

Characters

With lines

Women
Men

Exhibit C: who gets heard

The first woman speaks at line 27 of 552. The longest stretch with no woman speaking runs 181 lines.

Every line of dialogue, first to last

First line by a woman
Longest stretch with no woman speaking

Words spoken

Women speak 20% of the words (834), men 80% (3,392).

Exhibit D: the test the other way

Two named men talk to each other about something besides a woman. It passes the reverse test.

Conversations between two named characters

Two women

Two men

Exhibit E: behind the camera

4 of the 15 people in these jobs are women. Across the whole crew, 15% of the people whose gender is listed are women.

Directed by: Paul Verhoeven (man)
Written by: Dan O'Bannon (man), Ronald Shusett (man), Gary Goldman (man)
Produced by: Buzz Feitshans (man), Ronald Shusett (man)
Shot by: Jost Vacano (man)
Edited by: Frank J. Urioste (man)
Music by: Jerry Goldsmith (man)
Production design by: William Sandell (man)
Costumes by: Erica Edell Phillips (woman)
Cast by: Judy Taylor (woman), Mike Fenton (man), Valorie Massalas (woman), Claudia Becker (woman)