Knowing
A grieving astrophysicist races to decode a schoolgirl’s impossible numbers before their final predictions bring catastrophe to his family and the world.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- brooding
- foreboding
- melancholic
- late night thriller viewing
- apocalyptic movie marathon
What critics said
Critics generally found the film visually arresting and atmospherically intriguing but undermined by an uneven, predictable script and a divisive conclusion.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lucinda's time-capsule sequence of numbers gives John a concrete trail linking past disasters to future events.
John struggles to understand whether the numbered disasters can be prevented or are fixed by an unknowable design.
The film foregrounds visually arresting visions of transportation disasters and planetary destruction.
John's mourning for his wife shapes his response to Caleb's voices and his urgency to decode Lucinda's message.
Films like Knowing, and why
The Mothman Prophecies
shared apocalyptic science fiction, ominous numerical clues, and escalating cosmic mystery
Contact
shared intellectually driven extraterrestrial mystery, melancholy atmosphere, and questions about fate
Signs
shared family-centered supernatural suspense, cryptic warnings, and looming catastrophe
The Day the Earth Stood Still
shared disaster spectacle, fatalistic prophecy, and a protagonist trying to protect a child
Movie Details
- Director
- Alex Proyas
- Release Date
- 2009-03-19
- Runtime
- 121 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (6012)
Cast
- Nicolas Cage
- Rose Byrne
- Chandler Canterbury
- Ben Mendelsohn
- Nadia Townsend
- Terry Camilleri
- Lara Robinson
- Adrienne Pickering
- Danielle Carter
- Alethea McGrath
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- YouTube TV
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Knowing about?
- A grieving astrophysicist races to decode a schoolgirl’s impossible numbers before their final predictions bring catastrophe to his family and the world.
- What is Knowing like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Knowing as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Knowing violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in Knowing as moderate.
- What did critics think of Knowing?
- Critics generally found the film visually arresting and atmospherically intriguing but undermined by an uneven, predictable script and a divisive conclusion.
- Which films are like Knowing?
- Films with a similar feel include The Mothman Prophecies, Contact, Signs, and The Day the Earth Stood Still.
- How long is Knowing?
- Knowing runs 121 minutes.
- Where can I watch Knowing?
- In United States, Knowing streams on YouTube TV.
