Knowing
Metascore
41 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 12 out of 27
  3. Negative: 11 out of 27
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  1. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Joe Neumaier
    0
    Isn't prophetic ... just pathetic
  2. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    38
    UH-UH. Non. Nein. Negative. Sept. 11 is not to be used as the setup for a cheesy disaster prophecy flick.
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Cammila Albertson
    25
    Knowing is the path to eternal pain.
  4. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Kirk Honeycutt
    30
    Director Alex Proyas resolutely thinks in B-movie terms. Even with an A-list budget, he oversells every plot point and gooses the thrills with hokey lighting, bombastic music and serious overacting.
  5. USA Today
    Reviewed by: Claudia Puig
    38
    If you're of a mind to believe a dreary and far-fetched thriller about numerology-crazed alien life forms, then you may find the movie mildly diverting.
  6. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Ty Burr
    38
    Starts off mildly ridiculous, ascends to the full-blown ludicrous, and finally sails boldly off the edge of the absolutely preposterous.
  7. Charlotte Observer
    Reviewed by: Lawrence Toppman
    38
    Reviewers sometimes insult actors by saying they don't vary their expressions across an entire movie. But until Knowing, I never thought that could literally be true. Nicolas Cage does widen his eyes with about 15 minutes left in the film.
  8. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Peter Hartlaub
    25
    If you see only one bad movie this year, definitely make it Knowing. The first major disappointment from director Alex Proyas is a disaster movie, a horror picture, a "Da Vinci Code"-style thriller and an end-of-days religious film all at once.
  9. Entertainment Weekly
    Reviewed by: Owen Gleiberman
    33
    If you want to know how inept the movie is...well, it's so inept that you may wish you were watching an M. Night Shyamalan version of the very same premise.
  10. Salon.com
    Reviewed by: Stephanie Zacharek
    30
    If Alex Proyas' Knowing were reasonably entertaining -- instead of just dour, pointless and tedious -- it would be a camp classic.
  11. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Jim Ridley
    30
    What would a Christian Apocalypse movie look like with a big budget, a talented director, and star power of higher wattage than a discount Baldwin brother? Here comes the answer: like a glum hybrid of the "Final Destination" movies, an Irwin Allen disaster bash, and the kitschiest parts of Darren Aronofsky's "The Fountain."

User Reviews

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User Score
6.1 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 290 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 110 out of 179
  2. Mixed: 25 out of 179
  3. Negative: 44 out of 179
  1. kilopascal
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click full review link to view. okay, the film was nicely made and the story worked for itself and it was quite simple but catching and tense. but there is one big problem. why on earth would the aliens play with people by giving them cryptic messages, being mysterious weirdos and throwing black stones around for fifty years, if they can simply come, take the kids and go away?! ah, i know, then there wouldn't be any movie...… Full Review »
  2. ryancarroll88
    3
    The plot errors and bad writing seem to be the least of this movie's worries, and considering the movie's flaws, that's saying a lot.... Nicolas Cage has never looked so ridiculous (ok, that's a lie, but I need to fill the 150 character count)… Full Review »
  3. joeh
    0
    It felt like this movie was written by a group of brooding college students with too much time on their hands. While on one hand you have plot points so meticulously constructed that you forget there is an actual story unfoldidng, on the other you have gaping holes so big you'd think they were made by a Boeing 747. Not only is it stupid, but pretentious at the same time, talk about a real winning combination.… Full Review »
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