Unknown Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Trust no one. Fear everyone.
Five men wake up in a locked-down warehouse with no memory of who they are. They are forced to figure out who is good and who is bad to stay alive.
| James Caviezel | Jean Jacket |
| Greg Kinnear | Broken Nose |
| Bridget Moynahan | Eliza Coles |
| Joe Pantoliano | Bound Man |
| Barry Pepper | Rancher Shirt |
| Jeremy Sisto | Handcuffed Man |
| Peter Stormare | Snakeskin Boots/Stefan Burian |
| Chris Mulkey | Detective James Curtis |
| Clayne Crawford | Detective Anderson |
| Kevin Chapman | Detective McGahey |
| Mark Boone Junior | Bearded Man/Juarez |
| Wilmer Calderon | Detective Molina |
| David Selby | Police Captain Parker |
| Adam Rodriguez | County Doctor |
| Jeffrey Daniel Phillips | Iron Cross/Ray |
| Simon Brand |
6.40 out of 10 (3399 votes)
Visitor Reviews
OK but could have been better
posted on 26 Jul 2009While undeniably containing many similarities to Saw II and Reservoir Dogs, Unknown boasts a unique (if contrived) central idea that lacks the necessary anchoring in reality to make it believable. Five men, all of them battered to some degree, awake in an abandoned mine (or refinery) with no memory of who they are or how they got there. As the story unfolds, they discover that two of them are hostages, which means the other three are bad guys. Even worse, the bad guys' accomplices are returning from collecting the ransom money to put a hole in the hostage's heads.It's an intriguing premise, and writer Matthew Waynee touches all bases while not quite managing to exploit the opportunity for suspense inherent in the plot. Despite its short length (85 minutes), the time doesn't pass that quickly, even though the film is never boring. Everyone is understandably stressed and shouts a lot and they're all generally unpleasant to one another, so we don't develop any particular attachment to their characters. Given this, and the fact that there are some glaring plot holes (these guys don't have wallets?) the film falls short of its potential by some distance.The cast is surprisingly good for what looks like a low budget effort, and they all perform well, and the story will keep you watching to the end to find out just who is who but, ultimately, Waynee adds just one unnecessary twist too many, leaving the suspicion that he wants to show us how clever he is as much as he wants to tell us a story.
Unknown
posted on 22 Jul 2009A good premise - five men wake up in a warehouse, trapped, with no idea of who they are or why they're there. From a newspaper they deduce that two of them are hostages and three are kidnappers, and a phone call reveals the rest of the gang are on their way - isn't exploited as well as it might have been. There are a few moments of interest as alliances are formed and shifted within the group but there's no genuine tension to speak of. Even though we see plenty of the gang making their way to the warehouse they always feel like something abstract; irrelevant to the story. The blurry flashbacks reveal nothing, so essentially we're as clueless as the characters are until the final scene. This all results in a film which lacks momentum. It's pretty much at the same pitch until the end, and there's no build up. This isn't to say the film isn't enjoyable; it is. The twist won't floor you but it's a genuine surprise and a satisfying pay-off. The performances from a reliable cast are all decent and help keep things moving along at a quick pace.
Starts out strong...but the resolution will leave you wanting
posted on 22 Jul 2009The film starts out well with five people in a seemingly abandoned warehouse in the middle of nowhere, none of whom have any memory of who they are or how they got there. It winds into a nice character development piece, mixed with a story of cops chasing down the typical bad guys, who are heading towards this warehouse.Caviezel is very entertaining in his role and is obviously the main character, though Pepper and Kinnear were clearly meant to play almost roles. The characters do develop nicely, at least the ones in the warehouse. The rest of them are only there to progress the plot, which almost has no real meaning until the end.There are some nice twists as the characters begin to understand who they are and how they came to be there, though many of them can easily be seen coming. I will not go into them for fear of ruining the film for anyone else who might care.I would have given it an 8, except for the ending which left me wanting so much more. Otherwise, worth a watch.
It finally came to a Theater near me
posted on 16 Jul 2009I thought Unknown was great. I really had to keep up with the twists and turns...it certainly forced me to pay attention (which is a good thing!) as sometimes I start to zone out. I was impressed with the cast given the independent nature of the movie and the fact that it isn't playing in many theaters. I love Jim Caviezel..he's a babe! I also like Greg Kinnear and was surprised to see him play a not-so-likable guy but then again...what do you expect given the circumstances. Joe P was funny in his own way and Barry Pepper was an unknown to me until this movie. One of my new favorite TV shows is Six Degrees which stars Bridget M. She was great in this movie and a total surprise to me at the end. I never predicted the end at all and that made the movie all the better. I did not foresee a lot of what transpired in the end...don't want to give it away though. I sure hope it gets to more theaters but if it doesn't, buy it through pay-per-view or rent the DVD. I thoroughly enjoyed it and it kept me on my toes.
Solid writing. This is NOT Saw or anything like it...
posted on 10 Jul 2009When I rented this movie, I was skeptical about it. From a distance it seems like a Saw rip off. The line up kept me interested. Most of the actors in this movie wouldn't commit to a script unless it had something going for it.I've also read reviews where some compare it to Unusual Suspects. They're all far off. Look at the list of actors/actresses who are involved in this movie. That alone should at least tell you that the script is interesting.It is.This is a solid movie, with good acting and editing. Definitely worth renting and trust me... you won't be able to put this one together until the end.This is a definite rental!
It's never a good idea to untie Joe Pantoliano, or to let Peter Stormare get you close to a chipping machine or anything else that can maim or kill
posted on 02 Jul 2009In a remotely located, locked warehouse, somewhere on the low desert, perhaps in southern California or near there, several men gradually awaken, as if from a toxic slumber or coma, with nearly total amnesia for their identities and past events. It is obvious to all that they are imprisoned here. As they regain their wits (indicating that there is no permanent damage to their ability to form new memories), they find few if any clues to help them understand how they have gotten to this place and into this predicament, or how they are interconnected.One man is wounded, has lost blood, and is shackled by one wrist to a steel banister. These guys do not for a second trust each other: everyone is suspicious that other members of this little band are perpetrators of the predicament in which they collectively find themselves.Flashbacks slowly permit the viewer's construction of a context for comprehending the circumstances in which these men find themselves, but the brief glimpses we see of past events are not only ephemeral but often shadowy, and different images are seen by different characters, making the assemblage of a coherent picture nearly impossible for them, given the level of distrust among them, and, thus, a decided reticence to share information. Outsiders begin to call in on the telephone, but these contacts raise more questions than they answer. What's going on here? Who are the good guys, and the bad? And over what issues are they in conflict?.This compelling whodunwhat drama dishes out bracingly realistic imagery and conjures circumstances that are plain scary. This is Sartre's "No Exit" redux, but with several more players, not to mention more menace. I can't say any more about the plot without being a spoilsport.If you like suspense and paranoia-wracked proceedings (if, for example, you liked Darren Aronofsky's film "Pi," Soderbergh's "Kafka," the Nolan Brothers' "Memento," or Christian Bale's cadaveresque presence in "The Machinist"), you'll definitely enjoy this unsettling movie. The fine cast includes James Caviezel, Greg Kinnear, Joe Pantoliano, Barry Pepper, Jeremy Sisto and Peter Stormare. This is a successful directorial debut for Simon Brand. My grades: 7.5/10, B+ (Seen on 11/21/06).
"Twisty Thriller" is right! Five men, all stripped of their short-term memory, can't figure out why they are confined to a locked-down chemical plant in the desert.
posted on 02 Jul 2009Maybe the critic who wrote (something like) '...written by the smartest kid in film school...' was right--you really need to pay attention to understand the game, the rules and the players.And just when you believe you've figured it out, yikes, there are more twists.Solid performances by all players, every one believable in their loss-of-memory-ness.Several characters transformed with nice arcs that cross, mesh, repel and attract.Smart clues dropped unexpectedly.Plus, released to cable partners of IFC (at least in the NYC, NJ and Conn area) and is also available now with video-on-demand service. This makes this nice little film available to many, many more viewers, because the number of theatres listed across the US playing it numbers about one dozen.
i'm not a criminal...
posted on 24 Jun 2009when you reference, or homage movies like reservoir dogs or the usual suspects, you have to be sure that you are able to hold and captivate your audience, like the other two movies did. it has to be something special.the set-up is s great idea, five guys wake up in a factory, wondering what they are doing there and have no idea of who they are and aht they do. what they do know is that a few of them are injured and two of them are bound.now this is the tricky part for the film makers, they have to keep the audience guessing, and keep the tension high, unfortunately, this doesn't happen very often, and the outcome is more like five schoolboys having an argument about who took what, and who's who, with a little bit more violence.with a cast like this, i expect more, and they all do well in their respective roles, even if a few of them are typecast (Stormare has this mad gangster thing down to a tee now) and Caviezal is ever the brooding lead. but the film fails in the final third, with double crossings and red-herrings and suffering from the the twist too clever for it's own good syndrome.even at the slim running time, the film can be a chore to watch, but just don't expect the outcome to be as interesting as the premise.
This is not Saw
posted on 14 Jun 2009It has nothing do do with Saw. It's just state of the art paranoia.Shows us that you can make a good film without loads of money,special effects, monsters,......"Who are you? Who the f#*^ are you?" That's what it's all about. The film takes 95 or some minutes to explain that to us.And it's not about a kidnapping(of course it is,but it's secondary to the film). Putting us cleverly on sidetracks,whenever we get to close.This is an intelligent film with loads of good actors.Also proofs us that a film doesn't have to be 2,3 or more hours long to get the message across.Yes true,five men find themselves slowly awakening from gas cannister leak,caused by a (gun)fight and discover they are in the middle of nowhere with little recollection of how they got there, and more importantly who they are.We all have a deja-voe feeling about this. But this feeling has been handled in a way that doesn't allow you to grasp it from the start,or even closer to the end.Furthermore people have been telling it looks like Saw. If you are going to compare every film in which people have been locked up against there will to Saw,just because in Saw there were a surgeon and a photographer tied up together in a place against there will.Well there are a lot of films with a hint of Saw around.Don't get me wrong Saw was an excellent and even better film then this one. But it is just not the same type of film,or story or whatever.The same thing applies for RESERVOIR DOGS, or any other mentioned film. Well it has elements of all those films,but then again; it is difficult to make an original feature these days without referring to other great films.Great films that use elements of other great films,and so on,and on,...... Original,NO Good,Yes even excellent at times Remake,let's hope not Sequel,let's hope not
When you don't know who you are nor where you are
posted on 06 Jun 2009Another movie ala Saw. Five people wake up in some house from which they cannot escape. They don't remember a thing, not even their own names. One of them is bleeding and handcuffed, one of them is tied up to a chair and the other three are trying to figure the way out. For some reason they know they cannot trust each other (human instinct I presume). There's also a newspaper that says that somebody's been kidnapped. Obviously somebody of those five is a criminal. Their memory is slowly coming back. One realizes he's innocent along with his friend and the other ... Well, he realizes that he's the opposite. The ending reveals it all.Similarity with Saw, House Of 9 and Cube.8/10
Group amnesia
posted on 04 Jun 2009Group amnesia Unknown is about a group of guys who wake up in a locked factory and can't remember who they are or how to get out. Clues are dropped along the way as they figure out they were poisoned by a gas that leaked into the air causing the amnesia. They figure out that they are all involved in a kidnapping and other members of the gang are heading back to the factory with the ransom and the cops in pursuit. They struggle to figure out who the bad guys and good guys are. Then everything becomes apparent when the others arrive. (Ratings: Bad=1; Average=5; One of the best=10); Acting=08; Plot=08; Scenery=02; Character believability=07; Continuity=07; Dialog=05; Directing=07; Casting=08; Special effects=05; Overall Rating=07
Excellent!
posted on 29 May 2009The thing that I love about this movie is that it seems like it was very low-budget. I love movies that rely entirely on the plot, and not big action sequences and flashy sets. The acting is above par with some very well known names, and some not so well known names. I actually found most of the film humorous because of the interactions between the men trapped with failing memories. It is a long comedy/drama that keeps you guessing (but not for too long so that you can catch up with the characters and enjoy watching THEM discover what is going on). I highly recommend this movie to people who enjoy films like "Momento" and even "Fight Club".
Who Is Who?
posted on 19 May 2009Five men wake-up in a chemical warehouse without memories. One man is handcuffed and bleeding with a shot on the chest; the other one is tied-up to a chair; the other one has the nose broken; and the other two are lying on the floor. They unravel that two of them have been kidnapped and the other three are bad guys, bur who is who? Meanwhile, the police force try to track the criminals that will catch the ransom and find where their hideout is."Unknown" is a surprisingly good thriller, with a dramatic and suspenseful story that uses elements of "Cube", "Memento", film-noir genre and many other movies ("Saw", "Reservoir Dogs" among others). The explanation for the lack of memory of the men is very reasonable, the acting is excellent and the final twist is totally unexpected. The character played by Jim Caviezel is very interesting and complex. My vote is seven.Title (Brazil): "Os Desconhecidos" ("The Unknown")
I Loved this movie
posted on 19 May 2009Jim Caviezel and Joe Pantoliano had awesome performances and I give it all two thumbs way way up.This was an all star action thriller Like Jim Caviezel From Passion Of The Christ,Greg Kinnear from Stuck On you,Jeremy Sisto from Population 436,Bridget Moynahan from I Robot, and Barry Pepper from Battle Field Earth. The movie is like saw but they are in different situations and are not forced in to suicide.Everone did a good for a first time directer. SupercalifragilisticexpealidociousI watched the movie on Comcast on demand with IFC In Theaters Because this movie isn't playing where i live.
Some questionable dialogue at the outset, but it's fun from there on.
posted on 11 May 2009People seem to be obsessed with finding faults in good movies, while ignoring the most violent crimes against logic in bad films, crap such as "The Butterfly Effect" or that dumb evil Bunny movie with Jake Gyllenhaal... what's it called... (I forget garbage so easily...) This especially goes for this site's movie-goers, who seem to have a penchant for getting it wrong, most of the time. What can I compare this phenomenon with? It's like working hard to find faults in Elisha Cuthbert's face, while praising the "beauty" of a certain Jennifer Aniston or Drew Barrymore."Unknown", unlike that garbage "Saw", is not an exploitation sadism-fest and the logic checks out completely. Almost completely. There is a flaw: it doesn't quite make sense that the handcuffed/hanged kidnapper shared his childhood with the undercover cop - as corrupt as that cop might have turned out to be.I don't see any similarities worth mentioning when it comes to "The Usual Suspects", even though many people seem to think the two movies have common ground. Certainly the "Cube" and "Identity" parallels are valid to an extent.But even if "Unknown" isn't perfect, beggars can't be choosers. So many of this decade's movies are incredible malarkey, so when a truly entertaining mystery comes along it's best to enjoy it, especially when it doesn't insult the viewer's intelligence.The clues are given out throughout. All one needs is to play slow-motion scenes of some of the more-or-less vague memories...Kinnear very surprisingly fails to be (too) annoying.
Not so stunning
posted on 16 Mar 2009Well this film starts as if a saw series. The story is good. But it is clearly seen that it is a low budget film. The idea is good but the rest, I was telling myself what is the problem of this movie...Than I realized. The flashback scenes are lacking in technology. Especially that unbelievable flashback scenes in Silent Hill... Unkowns flashback quality is far beyond silent hill.Another point the characters actually do nothing. The story does all. But the point is that: the way to tell the story must be important. This film is not capable of it. Sorry to say that.It is worth seeing though. But not something that will leave a spot in your mind...
Not as good as I thought
posted on 10 Mar 2009Honestly, I had high expectations for this movie. It sounds brilliant...5 guys wake up in a warehouse in the middle of a desert, not knowing who they are, how they got there, or why the majority of them are wounded. It's a race against time to try and figure out who they are, and who put them where they are.Sounds great right? Wrong. It was very slow, and wasn't as 'action packed' as i'd liked it to be. The whole storyline is clever, but it can get confusing, especially since you don't know any of the characters names until you're more than half way through the film. However, the acting was very good, especially from the likes of Peter Stormare (Snakeskin Boots/Stefan Burian). He wasn't a main character and only made more of an appearance towards the end of the film, but his acting is always impeccable.I have given this movie 5/10. It is a good idea, with a good cast and an overall good outline. But it just didn't quite give the WOW factor.It's still probably advisable to watch though!
A real beauty! ...much better than expected.
posted on 16 Feb 2009I saw "UNKNOWN" yesterday in a midnight special screening and it was surprisingly good! In deed, this one is a real beauty among so many mystery, psychological thrillers hitting the cinemas in the last years.This movie is a little bit of "SAW", a little bit of "IDENTITY", a little bit of "RESERVOIR DOGS" spiced with some tiny little pieces of "CUBE" - so far, so good and so anticipating. BUT: in many movies of this kind there is a story with some huge holes in the plot and a final twist at the end which may be unexpected and surprising - but after some minutes you feel a little bit strange about it because the final twist being of some strange coincidence."UNKNOWN" is better: the only coincidence you will have to swallow is right in the beginning of the movie, that there is a chemical gas which is strong enough to wipe out the complete memory of five people (including their whole identity!) for some hours, but fails to kill one of them although "death" being one of its side effects.Under this premise the rest of the story is fully logical and surprisingly clever. And it makes the best out of the fact, that in many scenes the audience is better informed about the real identity of the characters than the characters themselves.And the end is just stunning: when the final credits hit the screen you have seen many final twists and you know everything about what was going on in the chemical factory, but you do not know all about the motive force of any character. In fact, 24 hours after seeing this movie I still try to find out what is my personal opinion about Jean Jacket and his role in this game....and a movie which is worth to think about more than 10 minutes is always worth a watch. Enjoy this ride!!!
Unknown release
posted on 01 Jan 2009I hope this movie comes out in more theaters. Its got Joey Pants, Jeremy Sisto, and Jesus! I mean Jim Caveizel, or whatever his name is. I had been looking forward to this movie for a long time, even though it was more or less forgotten about by most people in the midst of BORAT mania, it was a really good film that has been prematurely abandoned by its studio. I can only hope that more people get to enjoy it. Hopefully in the near future I will see an aggressive wide release push of this movie, or at the least a nice deluxe DVD package of some sort. Something to show off to my friends as a killer-indie-thriller. It, like most IFC flicks, has wonderful performances, nice twists, and a unique feel that is worth trying to find, whether it be in a theater or on DVD.
A pleasant surprise.
posted on 03 Aug 2009I must say that the marketing for this film in Portugal was rather poor, if not almost none - except for the occasional poster inside a Blockbuster store. That's not fair. It was the cast (I confess) that made me rent this film, not exactly the plot summary on the cover. Once again, not fair. Surprisingly, UNKNOWN proved itself to be a fast-paced, exciting piece of craft. It keeps you on your toes all the time and just as paranoid as the characters themselves. I can easily say that this film made me go back to the sharp suspense and edgy story of an Alfred Hitchcock thriller. Good writing,good performances. Jim Caviezel, Greg Kinnear, Barry Pepper e Joe "forever-Cypher" Pantoliano constantly switch masks from villain to victim with the flick of an eye. I give it a well.deserved eight.