Despite being only 14 years old, Unknown is a largely forgotten Liam Neeson vehicle. One of several action movies Liam Neeson made during the 2010s, Unknown was a modest success at the box office, pulling in $136 million. That wasn’t enough to make it comparable to the Taken franchise, but it was clearly not a failure – at least not financially.

Critically speaking, however, Unknown did not fare very well at all. The 2011 thriller, which also boasted the inclusion of both Diane Kruger and January Jones, went over rather poorly with critics and seemingly a large portion of audiences as well, as evidenced by its underwhelming 55% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

As for what went wrong with Unknown, the consensus appears to be that its story was too implausible. Yet, that ᴀssessment doesn’t do it justice. On the contrary, Unknown is an extremely entertaining mystery thriller, and an underrated Liam Neeson movie definitely deserves at least one viewing.

It’s True, Unknown Does Have A Convoluted Plotline

The Movie’s Story Is Woven Together By Several Complicated Plot Twists

Much of the criticism that’s been aimed at Unknown revolves around the story, which was considered convoluted, messy, and a bit unbelievable. In all fairness, Unknown does indeed weave a complex web of storytelling, and the plot is anything but straightforward.

Unknown tells the story of Liam Neeson’s Martin Harris, a seemingly happily married man who has an accident that puts him in a coma. When he wakes up, he discovers that another man – played by Aidan Quinn – has taken his place in his life, in more ways than one. He has Martin’s job, and what’s worse, his wife, who no longer recognizes the real Martin Harris.

Martin finds that his entire life has been turned upside down by the situation.As a result, he takes part in a reluctant team-up with Diane Kruger’s character to find out what’s really going on: why his wife doesn’t appear to know him, who the impostor is, and how idenтιтy could have been stripped away without any trace.

As it turns out, the truth of the matter is that Martin Harris’ entire understanding of who he really was (including what the audience was led to believe) at the start of the movie was based on a lie. He was never “Martin Harris,” but an ᴀssᴀssin in disguise. He and his “wife” were a team ᴀssigned to the same mission. The accident left him unable to do his job, prompting a replacement.

Apparently, Unknown’s biggest plot twist boils down to a case of amnesia. When he awoke, Martin Harris forgot his true self, and only remembered his cover idenтιтy as if it were his real life. Unknown had to employ various convoluted plot devices in order to keep all of this information hidden for as long as it did.

Unknown’s Story Does Have A Plausibility Problem, But It Doesn’t Ruin The Movie

Unknown’s Entire Story Is Rooted Is One Of The Biggest Tropes In Action Movies

The entire idea of someone taking his place and no one in his life knowing who he is anymore almost has a It’s a Wonderful Life vibe to it, and it’s one that – on the surface – doesn’t befit an action movie meant to be grounded in reality.

Because of that, enjoying Unknown requires some suspension of disbelief, which may have been too much to ask for some critics, considering how its poor reviews have repeatedly bashed that particular aspect of the film. But that shouldn’t ruin the film’s entertainment factor, because the premise behind the story is actually an incredibly compelling one.

In Unknown, you have a main character who comes to the shocking discovery that everyone in his life doesn’t know him, including his wife. It makes for a great foundation for a fun mystery thriller, and Unknown does well to work in some intriguing twists and turns as Martin Harris tries to get to the bottom of it, with Liam Neeson delivering a standout performance as a man bewildered by his idenтιтy being stolen.

Unknown Is An Action Movie That Liam Neeson Fans Should Watch At Least Once

Unknown Doesn’t Have A Lot Of Rewatch Value, Though

Thanks to a well-crafted mystery and a great cast, Unknown is a worthwhile entry in Liam Neeson’s filmography, but unfortunately, that doesn’t lend itself well to its rewatch value.

A big part of Unknown’s appeal is the mystery and suspense that drives Martin Harris’ story. Unknown’s story is a thought-provoking movie in that it asks you to consider multiple different possibilities as to what’s really happening to Martin.

Dreams, alternative realities, and various conspiracies make up some of the many answers to the questions Unknown poses. Figuring all of this out alongside Liam Neeson’s character is ultimately what makes it fun, hence why knowing all the answers inevitably dilutes the film after watching it for the first time.