Movie Description
Based on a story by author Ryne Douglas Pearson, KNOWING is a moody sci-fi thriller that stars Nicolas Cage as John Koestler, a widowed MIT astrophysicist who lives in wooded seclusion with his young son, Caleb (Chandler Canterbury). When Caleb is handed an envelope unearthed from a school time capsule buried 50 years earlier, its cryptic numerical sequence captures the interest of his dad, who soon realizes the powerful significance of the document, which seems to predict major world disasters throughout history. Unfortunately, there are three calamities that have yet to unfold, and John, aided reluctantly by widowed mom Diana Wayland (Rose Byrne) and her daughter, Abby (Lara Robinson), must try to unravel the mystery of the numbers before many more lives are lost.
Alex Proyas’s follow-up to 2004’s I, ROBOT, KNOWING returns to the shadowy atmosphere of the director’s revered cult film, DARK CITY, while staying within the realm of the Hollywood big-budget disaster movie. Though the plot takes some outlandish turns, the film is grounded by solid performances from Cage, Byrne, and the impressive child actors, and Proyas further anchors the proceedings in moments of captivatingly bleak realism. Like the remake of THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL, KNOWING is a pensive and melancholy thriller that rewards discerning viewers willing to follow its strange and intriguing tale.
In this thriller from director Alex Proyas (DARK CITY; I, ROBOT), a drawing in an unearthed time capsule from 50 years ago has predicted cataclysmic events since its burial. Nicolas Cage stars as a man who discovers the drawing and tries to figure out what is happening as the final date on the drawing approaches, and with it, comes the apocalypse.
| Credits | | Producer: | Alex Proyas, Jason Blumenthal, Steve Tisch, Todd Black, Topher Dow | | Cast: | Ben Mendelsohn, Chandler Canterbury, Lara Robinson, Rose Byrne |
Editorial Reviews
"[A] moody and sometimes ideologically provocative film....Director Alex Proyas has long been drawn to otherness. He's definitely mucking around in that and more here, with KNOWING his most overtly allegorical film yet."
Los Angeles Times - Betsy Sharkey (03/20/2009)
4 stars out of 4 -- "[F]rightening, suspenseful, intelligent and, when it needs to be, rather awesome....With expert and confident storytelling, Proyas strings together events that keep tension at a high pitch all through the film."
Chicago Sun-Times - Roger Ebert (03/18/2009)
"[KNOWING] has more on its mind than the run-of-the-mill effects-driven extravaganza. Absorbing....Canterbury and Robinson are rock-solid as the two crucial kids."
Variety - Todd McCarthy (03/19/2009)
"[D]irector Alex Proyas sprinkles in just enough CLOSE ENCOUNTERS sci-fi weirdness to keep things interesting..." -- Grade: B
Entertainment Weekly - Chris Nashawaty (07/17/2009)
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