Unknown

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Unknown

PG-13

2011

1h 53m

Mystery & Thriller

Drama

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Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

56%

Tomatometer

199 Reviews

55%

Popcornmeter

50,000+ Ratings

After a serious car accident in Berlin, Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) awakes to find his world in utter chaos. His wife (January Jones) does not recognize him; another man is using his identity, and mysterious assassins are hunting him. The authorities do not believe his claims, and he must go on the run alone. With an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger), Martin leaps into a perplexing situation that will force him to discover how far he is willing to go for the truth.

Critics Consensus

Liam Neeson elevates the proceedings considerably, but Unknown is ultimately too derivative -- and implausible -- to take advantage of its intriguing premise.

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Leonard Maltin

leonardmaltin.com

Jun 24, 2011

2.1/2

In the French-made, English-language sleeper Taken, Liam Neeson was a former CIA operative who was (outlandishly) able to thwart a sex-trafficking ring. Audiences responded vociferously to his take-charge character. His latest film, Unknown...

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William Goss

Film.com

Jun 21, 2011

May eventually surrender to convention and implausibility in equal measure, but until then, Collet-Serra grounds the conspiracy with a proper sense of mystery and mood.

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Philip French

Guardian

Mar 7, 2011

Enjoy it and then forget it...

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Jul 31, 2023

2.5/4

Along with wanting humor, Unknown’s lacking sense of romance leaves the audience with nothing to root for except the promise that, by the end, Neeson will deliver some knockout blows to the bad guys.

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Rob Gonsalves

Rob's Movie Vault

Oct 4, 2022

C

This is a by-the-numbers thriller, in which nothing is what it seems, but nothing is what it seems in pretty much the way you’d expect, if that makes sense.

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Johnny Loftus

Decider

Jan 5, 2021

Fans of Neeson's Weaponized Old Guy roles will be sated by the times he goes mano a mano.

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Robert P

@Superbad Nov 4, 2026

Unknown is a *3* star Movie!

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Ponco H

@RT17961436 May 30, 2026

seamingly, copying Bourne Identity but not doing a good enough job of keeping the storyline

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Martin V

@RT01906314 Nov 9, 2025

After a nice start the story becomes messy and stupid

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David D

@David2026 Oct 16, 2025

Liam N is a one character pony and when it works, it works. Here it works. A good story with a solid pace. It's entertaining and is a solid addition to a well walked genre.

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Aluna U

@RT14704568 Sep 30, 2025

Unknown presents a gripping mystery with well-paced storytelling and strong character development, keeping viewers engaged through twists and intense action. Despite a few plot inconsistencies and logical gaps, the film delivers solid suspense and adrenaline-pumping sequences. Overall, it's an enjoyable thriller that appeals to action and mystery fans alike. Read the full review here: (Indonesian version : alunauwie.com) and (English version : uwiepuspita.com)

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Kevin P

@Tirnog2 Sep 9, 2025

Excellent. Bonkers story, but excellent mystery and as long as you stay away from spoilers, an excellent watch.

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Jaume Collet-Serra

Director

Liam Neeson

Dr. Martin Harris

Diane Kruger

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January Jones

Elizabeth Harris

Aidan Quinn

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Synopsis

After a serious car accident in Berlin, Dr. Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) awakes to find his world in utter chaos. His wife (January Jones) does not recognize him; another man is using his identity, and mysterious assassins are hunting him. The authorities do not believe his claims, and he must go on the run alone. With an unlikely ally (Diane Kruger), Martin leaps into a perplexing situation that will force him to discover how far he is willing to go for the truth.

Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Producer: Joel Silver, Leonard Goldberg, Andrew Rona
Screenwriter: Oliver Butcher, Stephen Cornwell
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Production Co: Panda
Rating: PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Action|Brief Sexual Content|Intense Sequences of Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 18, 2011, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 21, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $63.7M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

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