Unknown

Released Nov 3, 2006

1h 32m

Drama

Mystery & Thriller

List

38%

Tomatometer

48 Reviews

54%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

When five men awake in a locked warehouse, none of them can remember his identity or how he ended up locked inside with the others. They must determine who is good and who is bad, in order to stay alive. The film's events take place in reverse order, in a style reminiscent of "Memento."

Critics Consensus

Though it boasts a talented cast, this thriller fails to make you care about the twisty mystery of the men's identities and situation.

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Empire Magazine

Rated: 2/5

Jan 22, 2013

Full Review

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Entertainment Weekly

Rated: C+

Feb 17, 2011

Full Review

Jeff Shannon

Seattle Times

There's a good little thriller lurking somewhere in the depths of "Unknown," but it never quite rises to the surface.

Rated: 2/4

Dec 15, 2006

Full Review

Kaleem Aftab

The List

Unknown, with its fast cuts, bad monologues and psychedelic flashback sequences, relies too heavily on plot twists that are at best convoluted and more often just plain ludicrous. That said, the final pay off is great.

Rated: 3/5

Nov 3, 2018

Full Review

Matthew Pejkovic

Matt's Movie Reviews

Like an irritating sense of déjà-vu, you would swear that you've seen this all before, as paranoid amnesiacs, European locales, and leather jacket clad hit men collide to make for a mildly entertaining thriller.

Rated: 2.5/5

Apr 2, 2014

Full Review

Jennie Kermode

Eye for Film

Rated: 4/5

Dec 7, 2007

Full Review

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Ron S

Interesting premise and held my attention by trying to figure out which character was kidnaped and which ones were part of the gang.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

06/05/24

Full Review

Chance H

Enjoyable watch. An interesting take on what happens if we are to take an unbiased look at how we turned out in life. Some would not be so happy with themselves.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/02/24

Full Review

KB B

It wasn't bad but I'd probably not ever watch it again.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/04/24

Full Review

Audience Member

I found this to be a well-crafted thriller for the first 50 minutes of its running time, building toward an exciting finish along the lines of "The Usual Suspects." Much credit is due to the excellent cast. But just past the half-way mark it begins to lose its momentum and never recovers. It is at that point that the mens' true identities become known and the rest of the movie then unfolds in a predictable manner. I was even able to anticipate the tacked-on twist at the very end of the movie, which just felt formulaic and unnecessary. I have no doubt that this would have been a better movie had the identities of the characters been concealed for longer. Mostly what made the first half of the movie work was watching them eye one another with guarded suspicion, unsure of what side each of them is on. Once the mystery of who each man is becomes known to the audience, any suspenseful feelings quickly begin to taper off, as the characters naturally return to their individual agendas before the gas was released. This is far from being a bad movie, but I cannot help but consider ways that it could have been greatly improved.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Lackluster. Follows the typical movie blueprint like a step by step checklist.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Good movie. While the plot isn't a hundred percent original, the suspense is strong, the style is good, and the performances are great, especially Caviziel and Kinnear.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

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Simón Brand

Director

Greg Kinnear

Broken Nose

Joe Pantoliano

Bound Man

Jim Caviezel

Jean Jacket

Barry Pepper

Rancher Shirt

Jeremy Sisto

Handcuffed Man

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Synopsis

When five men awake in a locked warehouse, none of them can remember his identity or how he ended up locked inside with the others. They must determine who is good and who is bad, in order to stay alive. The film's events take place in reverse order, in a style reminiscent of "Memento."

Director: Simón Brand
Producer: Rick Lashbrook
Screenwriter: Matthew Waynee
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Rick Lashbrook Films, Eleven Eleven Films
Genre: Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 3, 2006, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $24.7K
Runtime: 1h 32m

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