Reviews

Unknown - New to DVD

I first saw trailers to this movie about a month or so ago and thought it looked interesting. Next thing I know it hits DVD without a theatrical release, a bad sign usually. As it turns out the film was completed in 2006 and was a lay over for some unknown reason then released straight to DVD.

Unknown is about five strangers who find themselves trapped in a warehouse with no memory of who they are or how they got there. They soon piece together that some of them are kidnappers and the others the kidnapees. With the clock ticking down to the arrival of the other kidnappers, the five struggle to free themselves and find out which one is which. Unknown features a strong cast including Jim Caviezel, Barry Pepper, Greg Kinnear and Peter Stormare. The film is directed by Simon Brand and written by Matthew Waynee who are both newcomers.

Overall, I enjoyed the film. It’s a well-put-together thriller that is entertaining, but lacks originality and suffers a bit from being too broad. What I mean by that is I would rather have not seen the outside of the warehouse and what the other kidnappers and police are doing. I would have just focused on the five inside and let the character drama fly. What you get is predictability and a slight twist ending that doesn’t really come through. Aside from this you do get an entertaining, though run-of-the-mill thriller that is at least a shade better than those awful Ashley Judd movies, but is nowhere near the superior Memento, Saw and Reservoir Dogs which have clearly influenced Brand.

7/10
George
Unknown is available to rent at Wild and Wooly Video