Christopher Nolan’s Memento received its first United States theatrical release in 2001.
The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival on September 5, 2000, but its American theatrical release followed on March 16, 2001. This distinction explains why Memento is often associated with both years. Nolan directed the film from a screenplay he developed with his brother, Jonathan Nolan, whose short story “Memento Mori” supplied the central premise.
Memento follows Leonard Shelby, a man unable to form new memories after an attack. Its narrative is assembled through reverse chronological sections and intercut black-and-white scenes, making the viewer share Leonard’s uncertainty. The film became a major early example of Nolan’s interest in fractured chronology and subjective storytelling.
A common mix-up is treating the 2000 festival premiere as the main release date. For a question about the United States theatrical release, the canonical year is 2001.