As the year 2012 approaches, some believe that the Mayan calendar date is a prediction of the end of the world. With this, we have seen tons of apocalyptic motion pictures over years. Everything from a zombie apocalypse, asteroid assaults on the earth, plagues, natural disasters and so on. KNOWING is a film that takes a few of these ideas and puts them together to form one movie. Its premise is based on the solar flare theory, but it combines some Biblical references as well.
KNOWING stars Nicholas Cage as John Koestler, an astrophysicist, teacher and single father whose son, Caleb’s, elementary school is about to open a time capsule which was buried on the school grounds fifty years ago. Each student gets a picture from the capsule created by a student from that time. Caleb, however, gets a picture that is a series of numbers. While at home, John recognizes the picture in Caleb’s backpack, and begins to decipher the codes. After doing his research, he realizes that the numbers are the dates, death counts and latitudes and longitudes of all the disasters that have happened in the past fifty years, and of those to come. As the film progresses, John tries to stop these disasters from happening. Meanwhile, a group of strange men is following John and his son, and John and Caleb meet the daughter and granddaughter of the girl who drew the picture. Together, they will try to find the true meaning behind everything right up until the final disaster.
This script is very original. It has certain elements that keep the story a mystery most of the time and let the audience know the meaning behind everything as the story progresses. The character development is perfect, and I like how the writers add Biblical elements. However, my complaints about the script also involve those Biblical aspects. If the viewer is not educated in the Bible and Christian thought, they most likely will not understand the film’s conclusion as it is not entirely explained.
I have many friends and colleagues who cannot stand Nicholas Cage and think he is a bad actor. I, however, completely disagree and love his work. I think, as an actor, he can make any film that he is in, no matter how bad the script, better. KNOWING is another of those action thrillers in which he delivers. Nevertheless, I cannot give him all the credit, as his supporting cast is very good as well.
The film has some great production values. The visual effects are good, but the sets and location really give this film its polished and dark look. There are some great set pieces, especially in some the scenes that take place around the Koestler home and the forest around Lucinda Embry’s trailer. Some of the visuals towards the end of the film have a fantastic feel to them and almost look like cartoons, however, many of the scenes involving disasters look great. The film also has some excellent sound design and editing.
The Blu-ray disc has a few special features, which include commentary with director Alex Proyas. There are also two featurettes on the disc titled” Knowing All: The Making of a Futuristic Thriller,” and “Visions of the Apocalypse,” a feature with interviews with some of the world’s smartest people on the theory of apocalypse. and if and when they are more likely to happen.
In the end, KNOWING is a a great deal of fun to watch and it kept me guessing all the way to the end. It is, however, that conclusion that left me with more questions than answers. That is not to say I did not understand the ending. I got it, but just wish more was explained rather than shown in silence. KNOWING is a film that will keep thinking the whole way though. Depending on your Biblical knowledge and beliefs, you might like it, will not understand it, or just will not care for it.
– Horror Bob
- Interview with J.R. Bookwalter - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Andrew J. Rausch - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Rick Popko and Dan West - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Director Stevan Mena (Malevolence) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Screenwriter Jeffery Reddick (Day of the Dead 2007) - January 22, 2015
- Teleconference interview with Mick Garris (Masters of Horror) - January 22, 2015
- A Day at the Morgue with Corri English (Unrest) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Writer/Director Nacho Cerda (The Abandoned, Aftermath) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actress Thora Birch (Dark Corners, The Hole, American Beauty) - January 22, 2015
- Interview with Actor Jason Behr, Plus Skinwalkers Press Coverage - January 22, 2015
