Today’s quick review: Unknown. While visiting Berlin, Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) is involved in a car accident that damages his memory. He returns to the hotel where he was staying only to find his wife Liz (January Jones) with another man (Aidan Quinn) claiming to be the real Martin Harris. Unsure of whether he’s being set up or losing his mind, Martin searches for the one person who can help: Gina (Diane Kruger), the taxi driver from the crash.
Unknown is an action thriller about a doctor with amnesia who finds out that he has been replaced by an imposter. Unknown tries to combine the haunting mystery of a psychological thriller with the stakes and danger of an action movie. In this, it is only partially successful. The movie has good ideas, serviceable action, and paints its hero into an interesting corner. However, the two halves of its story blend poorly and lead to a weak payoff.
Unknown’s two key strengths are its setup and its competent execution. The early stages of the movie play out like a Hitchcock film, with Martin growing increasingly desperate as the impossibility of his situation sets in. The hook of having to prove one’s own existence is a strong one, and though the movie doesn’t play its hand expertly, it certainly has a sturdy foundation to build on. It also benefits from a capable main cast and decent writing.
The trouble comes when Unknown tries to take its story to the next stage. Action elements begin to creep in that work fine on their own but fit poorly with the first half of the movie. The mystery takes a back seat to survival as Martin’s enemies make themselves known. The answer to the mystery is similarly ambivalent, a creative idea that fits the clues and sets up an action-oriented finale, but one that marks an odd tonal shift for the movie.
Unknown’s premise, execution, and mixture of action and mystery make it a decent pick for anyone in the mood for a thriller. It does suffer from a few issues trying to reconcile the two halves of its story, and its ending won’t satisfy everyone, but it has enough to offer to be worth a watch for those who are curious. Those hoping for a pure, fully developed Hitchcock-style mystery should look elsewhere, as should those hoping for bigger action.
For a more delicately handled take on a similar premise, try North by Northwest. For a much more violent action thriller starring Liam Neeson, try Taken. For a more action-heavy thriller with an amnesiac protagonist, try The Bourne Identity. For one with a sci-fi twist, try Paycheck or The Adjustment Bureau. For a psychological thriller with a similar premise and a more unsettling tone, try Enemy.
6.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a strong setup and a few issues playing it out.