
Knowing
2009, Mystery and thriller/Sci fi, 1h 55m
184 Reviews 250,000+ RatingsWhat to know
critics consensus
Knowing has some interesting ideas and a couple good scenes, but it's weighted down by its absurd plot and over-seriousness. Read critic reviews
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Movie Info
Cast & Crew
John
Diana
Caleb
Abby
Phil
Grace
News & Interviews for Knowing
Critic Reviews for Knowing
All Critics (184) | Top Critics (49) | Fresh (62) | Rotten (122)
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... I was dozing off...
September 12, 2017 | Rating: F | Full Review… -
Knowing feels like a bunch of cool ideas that were strewn about a table, picked up, shoved together, tied up with duct tape and, somehow, managed to stay working for the ride.
August 14, 2009 | Rating: B -
Rather like watching an intricately arranged set of dominos starting to topple. That's neat. I didn't see that one coming, you think, as yet another train carriage joins the pile-up.
April 3, 2009 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review… -
The final message may be trite, even saccharine, but Knowing would be pretty well unbearable without it. Proyas has made a truly haunting and terrifying film.
April 3, 2009 | Rating: 4/5 | Full Review… -
As well as being perversely pessimistic for a blockbuster, it's rendered tedious by a dense plot and lifeless characters. Even M Night Shyamalan would have done a better job. How dare such an empty film ask us to endure many realistic scenes of carnage?
March 31, 2009 | Rating: 1/5 | Full Review… -
Mixing Spielbergian child-like wonder, disaster movie spectacle and the cod-religious silliness of M Night Shyamalan's 'Signs'. The premise is compelling, but the execution is over-cooked.
March 27, 2009 | Rating: 3/6 | Full Review…
Audience Reviews for Knowing
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Jun 11, 2014Enjoyable Science Fiction thriller, Knowing managed to be a more impressive film than what I'd initially thought. Although not a great movie, this is nonetheless a good film, well worth your time. The film had a very good concept, which kept me entertained, however at times I did feel that there were aspects of the film could have been improved upon. Halfway through the film, the film seems to lose its vigor, and in turn, the vibe of the film sort of falters a bit, and instead of being a truly memorable, standout feature, it lingers on as a good, entertaining picture that never realizes its ambition of being a thought provoking, truly interesting film. I mean, the film is good, and it's entertaining, but it could have been so much more as well. Director Alex Proyas, who has experience in the Sci Fi genre, helms the project, and through his lens, he captures a good atmosphere that is engaging, but does lack in terms of unrealized potential. I was hoping for something truly great with this film, but as a whole, it's a good affair, one that is one of the better of recent Nicholas Cage films. If you can forget the film's flaws, you'll like it for what it is, just don't expect a truly grand sci fi epic, as the film leaves a bit to be desired. Proyas has directed better movies, but Knowing for what it is, is worth seeing if you enjoy mindless entertainment, and it's far better than what you might think. Although not a great movie, this film definitely doesn't deserve the negativity it has received. Go into the film with an open mind, and you might enjoy it.Alex r Super Reviewer
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Apr 24, 2014It was interesting at first but then it didn't evolve into something impressive.Maymay A Super Reviewer
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Oct 22, 2012Scenario time: Some intern working in the studio renders out a 3D CGI scene of the sun's flares engulfing the world one city at a time, destroying everything. The future producer of "Knowing" sees this scene and immediate hires writers to come up with a screenplay as fast as possible revolving around this as the ending. They hire Nicolas Cage, because they know the movie's going to be awful regardless and . . . the birth of Knowing. Now, I wasn't there, but it seems like this is exactly how this film came to fruition.Jason 123 D Super Reviewer
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Jul 07, 2012When it comes to WTF endings, Knowing has a doozy. The story follows a MIT professor who gets a list of numbers that predict world disasters, and he soon becomes obsessed with finding a way to save his son when the numbers predict a global apocalypse. Nicolas Cage and Rose Byrne lead the cast and give good performances. And the story is quite interesting, full of intrigue and mystery. However, the ending is rushed and comes off as bizarre since it's not properly developed. Still, Knowing is a daring and provocative thriller that explores some interest themes.Dann M Super Reviewer
Knowing Quotes
Reverend Koestler: | This isn't the end, son. |
John Koestler: | I know. |
John Koestler: | Everybody Else. |
John Koestler: | Everybody else. |
John Koestler: | Don't let him watch the news. |
Diana: | What happens when the numbers run out? |
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