User reviews

I 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!!!

Five 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")

This movie is engaging in the first twenty or so minutes, with a good cast including famous celebrities (Greg Kinnear, Barry Pepper, James Caviesel) and some appearances from indie stars (Peter Stormare, Joe Pantilona, Jeremy Sisto, and Marke Boone Junior). The acting is pretty good and the camera work is OK as is the story, with enough twists and turns to probably entertain most viewers for the running time. It's not a bad movie but not a great one either, with it's story there is no moral to be learned and that's fine but i wish the director gave the movie more style since it's not a heavy drama, the camera wasn't very flashy almost bland and the scenes outside of the warehouse were poorly done. If only the movie took place all inside that warehouse and the if the director didn't try to make it so straight forward. overall i give this a B-, it's worth seeing but don't make a huge effort. Also don't listen to the ads saying that this has the same story style as Memento, because it doesn't. Rating: the film when i watched it was not rated, the movie contains many F words although not extreme, and the violence in this movie is toned down, yes there's some but not too bad.

saw it on Demand in IFC in Theatres

From the start of the movie you want to know what is going on! This I think is always a good move! That way you will get drawn in the movie! I love the little twists and turns! For once I didn't have to wait long for something to be revealed! So it didn't get annoying! All the actors did well! All of the men in the building were able to convince me that they could have been as much of a good guy as a bad guy! This makes the movie very compelling! The movie has a nice pace,not to slow but not fast either! Just fast enough to get the story going and slow enough for the viewer to digest the twists! To be honest I didn't expect the great twist at the end! But that made the movie so much better! I understand that people compare "Unknown" to movies like "Saw" and "Reservoir Dogs" because of the similar situations the main characters are in! But that is where the comparison stops! "Unknown" is completely different! And should be judged as an original movie!

A group of strangers waked up in the middle of no where.With no name,no identity and no memories.The awkward situation pushed them into a kind of bizarre symbiosis.They have to work together to figure out a way to escape and improvise their next move based on their limited recurrent memories.Sounds like a unique and mind-blowing set-up,but the flick never really reached its expectation.

Matthew Waynee did put some surprising twist at the end of the movie,but since some of the characters are not built-up through the whole movie.I didn't pick up any crumbs along the journey,if there is any.In the end the identity revealing session is just like a teacher's roll calling.You,you,and you should play the bad guys.And nobody should break the rules,my stick would see to it.

"Unknown" is the type of film that looks brilliant before, during and even shortly after watching it. The names of the actors appearing during the opening credits are fantastic, the basic premise sounds awesome and instantly reminds you of a handful of other cinema classics, there's an almost constant high level of action & mystery and the director maintains a fast pacing and regularly provides new plot twists! This film actually contains all the aspects you hope to see on a big cinema screen, and it isn't until quite a while after finishing "Unknown" before its flaws and shortcomings come to the surface. It sounds rather strange, but by now – only a couple days after my viewing – I can't even remember that many things about "Unknown" that were really original and/or genuinely impressive. In spite of delivering constant thrills and mystery, the only thing I can think of now is how simplistic the story really is and how the script actually reverts to such easy excuses to explain the oddities. If you're planning on seeing "Unknown", I strongly advise to enjoy the wild ride while it lasts and immediately put your mind to other things when the film is over, because if you contemplate too much about what you saw, there's a large chance your opinion will change as well. The film already often gets compared to "Reservoir Dogs" and it's fairly easy to see why. Five rather sinister men are gathered in a secluded desert hangar and it's more than likely that they're all involved in some kind of criminal affair. Slight problem, though ... they suffer from mass-amnesia following an incident or violent struggle and none of them knows whether he is a good guy or a bad guy. One of them is tied down to a chair, one is handcuffed and slowly dying from a gunshot wound, one guy's nose is broken and the last remaining two men are desperately trying to figure out what connects them. As the day passes by, brief flashback and awkward phone calls reveal that the men are involved in a kidnapping and that they are waiting for other accomplices to return to the hangar. But, which of them are kidnappers and which of them are hostages? And, even more importantly, what caused their temporary loss of memory? The amnesia-aspect of the plot is intriguing at first, but it becomes less plausible and definitely sillier as the film evolves. It's a little too hard to believe that the characters don't remember anything about their unusual situation and when the cause of the amnesia is finally revealed, it only comes across as a mildly acceptable excuse. Thanks to the minimum amount of filming locations, "Unknown" does feature quite a bit of suspense and an occasionally claustrophobic atmosphere. The screenplay suffers from the 'one twist too many' syndrome at the end, like so many wannabe intellectual psychological thrillers nowadays, but the writing skills of newcomer Matthew Waynee are definitely promising and hopeful for the future of the genre. The multi-talented cast provides this film with a bigger status than it actually deserves, but they all play their roles with great devotion. Jeremy Sisto's role ("Six Feet Under", "May", Wrong Turn") is sadly the smallest and it hurts to realize he'll probably always remain underrated. Greg Kinnear, Barry Pepper and Jim Caviezel are good in their rather unconventional roles, while Peter Stormare steals the show as the maniacal gangster.

While 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.

I usually am disappointed in psychological thrillers - typically the twist at the end never lives up to the hype. It was a wonderful surprise that this one failed to let me down at the end. Although the film is slow at times, there are numerous twists and turns so you don't have to wait until the end for all of the excitement.

Unknown is a great movie that keeps the viewer trying to stay one step ahead through the collective confusion. Caviezel and Peppers gave strong and engaging performances. Kinnear skillfully draws both dislike and sympathy. Stormare is a great character actor and perfectly cast for the role.

I agree with other viewers the lighting was dim and depressing but I would give a good guess that this was intentional. Certainly the movie would not have "felt" the same otherwise.

As others have pointed out, this film is wholly forgettable. The script was tripped over by actors who deserve better. And the plot went down like a case of selective memory loss. The premise was good but the execution was messy.

"Who am I? Who are you?" After a while I was asking myself the same question, along with some others, "What am I watching this for? Where is this going" Truth be told, a fine ensemble cast (Barry Pepper certainly deserves better) couldn't help the flawed script and the screwy nonsense of a story. Still, they made the effort, which was the only thing that made the film palatable. Unfortunately for all concerned, they couldn't figure out how to leave the building. Half way through, I was looking for door too.

In fact, parts of it I liked a lot. It had some interesting twists. But it just left me with a been there, seen that feeling after all of the SAW movies. Granted the ending was different from a typical Saw, but let's face it...a group of guys, unknown to each other (or so they believe) tossed together in an abandoned chemical factory....

But then it loses something. There's no intensity, there's poor group dynamic, there's no sense of urgency.

Some nice twists at the end, and definitely worth a watch if there's nothing else on your plate, but it just left me empty...it passed the time, but it didn't satisfy.

Five men (Jim Caviezel, Greg Kinnear, Barry Pepper, Joe Pantoliano, and Jeremy Sisto) wake up in an old warehouse, unaware of how they got there. They're all strangers to one another. Worse yet, they don't even know their own identities.

We're kept in the dark along with them, only getting small clues as they slowly piece things together. This makes us feel like we're trapped in the warehouse ourselves.

UNKNOWN is an exceptional mystery-thriller that uses what has already happened, what is happening, and what will happen, to great effect. If you enjoy suspenseful, psychological conundrums, then you'll probably love this!

Co-stars Bridget Moynahan and Peter Stormare in another great, sinister role...

Jim Caviezel, Greg Kinnear, Barry Pepper, Joe Pantoliano, Jeremy Sisto, and Peter Stormare star in this gripping, underrated little thriller about five men who awaken in a chemical plant, completely unaware of who they are and what they're doing there. It becomes soon apparent that some are good and some are bad.

The talented cast make the single setting not only tolerable, but interesting and intimidating. The real surprise is the independent actor's performances, Pantoliano and Sisto hold their own against heavyweights Caviezel, Kinnear, and Pepper.

The film isn't long on logic, but provides enough chills and twists to keep the viewer glued to their seat as it hurtles toward it's suspenseful, unexpected finale.

When 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!

The 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.

The 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".

Since the characters begin with "Unknown" identities, they not identified by name, so you start with handsome James Caviezel waking up in a warehouse. He finds out the place is locked up tight. Don't ask - the windows are made with security glass, and it's impossible to get out. Four other awakening men make it a quintet - Mr. Caviezel in his "Jean Jacket", Barry Pepper in a "Ranger Shirt", Greg Kinnear with a "Broken Nose", Joe Pantoliano as a chair "Bound Man", and Jeremy Sisto shot and "Handcuffed Man". Oh, Man…

These five men have collective amnesia. They think that three of them are kidnappers, and two are victims - but, they don't know who is which or which is who. The forgetfulness is due to a pipe leak. Don't ask - it happens. Meanwhile, on the outside, lead lawman David Selby (as Parker) sends his cops to solve the kidnapping while one of the men's wives, Bridget Moynahan (as Eliza Coles), frantically waits. But, criminal element's gang leader, Peter Stormare in "Snakeskin Boots", is also on his way to the scene.

Like the DVD synopsis says, "As secrets are revealed and clues unraveled, (the five men) must race against time to figure out who is good and who is evil in order to stay alive." This story reads a lot better than it looks on film, unfortunately. When the secrets are finally revealed, and memories become clear, there is no longer much interest in what has happened. Simply, director Simon Brand has a great premise with Matthew Waynee's idea, but they encumber light investment in the characters holding the short end of the stick.

**** Unknown (11/1/06) Simon Brand ~ James Caviezel, Barry Pepper, Greg Kinnear, David Selby

Maybe 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 really enjoyed this movie. I loved the gimmick of these 5 men waking up in such a strange scenario having memory loss. We watch as they gradually have memories, some specific, some vague and some misleading, which give them clues as to who they may be and who the others are. They have them at different paces and it is interesting to watch unfold. There was action but not too much, which I don't care for. Some other reviewer called this movie slow, I don't know what he is smoking.

I do have a major beef with the film, but it is not one I would say should keep anyone from seeing it. The film is partially funded by IFC. But the final act of this film reeks of movie studio executive interference. The ending is not horrible, and I understand why 90% of the gratuitous violence is in the last 10 minutes, and I don't mind that. But we are subjected to a needless and fake fireball explosion and a twist on top of another twist.

You can just sense some executive saying, it needs an explosion, where's the explosion. So they film a scene where someone throws a lighter on gasoline and a fireball shoots up 40 feet in the air while the protagonist is in the foreground walking away from it. Oh my god, have we not seen that in half every studio picture for the last 15 years!? Then you could just see the doing a re-write. There is an interesting twist at the end, which is fine. Twists are not necessary in every film, but I liked it. But then just seconds before the film ends, they slap another twist on top of that twist. You can just sense the re-write, no no we need another twist, nowadays films need multiple twists that's what the kids expect, how else can we market it?.

That last twist was just gratuitous and a bit confusing leaving you to spend 20 seconds or so figuring it out while the closing credits and song roll. I thought IFC would not stoop to these tactics, but apparently I am wrong. But once again, I did really enjoy this. It is still better than most of the junk that comes out.

I guess the best way to summarize this film is they took 4 great films and tried to spawn their own film from it. On the surface it would work if you have only seen one of the following four films: SAW, RESERVOIR DOGS, THE USUAL SUSPECTS, or CUBE. But if you have seen more than one of those you will probably immediately be saying to yourself, I have seen this film before and recently. The cast is great but the acting is just marginal. The plot twists aren't overly annoying but you damn well know they are coming. It's that kind of movie, written at a time when "plot twists" were the cool hip thing in Hollywood. Do yourself a favor and skip this one and watch any of the four mentioned above that you have not seen. If you have seen those four, skip this one anyways.