Year: 2011
Runtime: 113
Language: English
Director: Jaume Collet-Serra
Budget: $30M
Awakening from a car crash in Berlin, Dr. Martin Harris discovers his wife no longer recognizes him, and another man has assumed his identity. Dismissed by the authorities, he begins a dangerous search to uncover the truth behind this unsettling situation. Pursued by relentless assassins who want him silenced, Martin must fight to reclaim his life and expose the imposter’s scheme.
Warning: spoilers below!
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Read the complete plot breakdown of Unknown (2011), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.
Martin Harris (Liam Neeson) and his wife Liz (January Jones) arrive in Berlin for an important biotechnology conference, where he is set to present a paper. However, chaos ensues when Martin realizes that he left the briefcase containing their passports at the airport. While Liz checks in at their hotel, he rushes off to retrieve it. Unfortunately, a sudden truck accident sends his cab plunging into the river. Just in the nick of time, he is rescued by Gina, a cab driver who vanishes as the authorities arrive.
Following a four-day coma, Martin wakes up with fragmented memories and a sense of urgency to attend the conference. He checks out of the hospital, intent on reuniting with Liz at the hotel. To his shock, she claims not to recognize him and introduces another man, Martin B (Aidan Quinn), as her husband. Confused and desperate, Martin meanders through Berlin, trying to piece together what has gone wrong.
His search leads him to Gina, who is hesitantly working multiple jobs as an illegal immigrant. Fearing deportation, she initially resists helping him. Martin then tries to meet with Professor Bressler (Sebastian Koch), with whom he was supposed to collaborate on groundbreaking advancements in food production. Yet, upon arrival, he finds Martin B already there, leading to an altercation that gets him removed by the police.
Feeling increasingly desperate, Martin returns to the hospital for further evaluations and learns from a nurse about a private detective, Ernst Jurgen ([Bruno Ganz]). Jurgen, a former Stasi officer, believes Martin’s implausible tale and advises him to reach out to Gina again. After finding her, he gives her a watch that Liz gifted him, asking for her help. But their refuge is short-lived when a hit man confronts them; Gina manages to save Martin by eliminating the assailant with his own poison. They narrowly escape from further danger by seeking refuge in a nearby discotheque.
United with Jurgen once more, they obtain valuable intelligence regarding Martin’s situation, including the whereabouts of security footage from the airport. Martin follows Liz to a photography exhibition where she confides her torment—she’s being coerced to betray him, yet she still loves him and awaits him at the airport. Just as Martin makes sense of everything, trouble arises again with the appearance of Martin B and another hit man, forcing Martin to flee with Gina once more.
Meanwhile, Rodney Cole (Frank Langella) arrives at Jurgen’s office, but his true intentions become apparent when Jurgen chooses to take cyanide rather than disclose information concerning him. Martin and Gina then find the vital briefcase containing their passports and a windfall of euros. Deciding to leave for the airport, Gina parts ways with Martin, only to witness him being abducted by the second hit man, with Cole revealing himself to be a government assassin using the name “Martin Harris” as a cover. When Martin regained consciousness after the accident, he believed this false narrative, prompting the need for Martin B to complete their mission.
In a climactic moment, Gina rescues Martin from imminent death, resulting in a chaotic confrontation that ends with a dramatic crash. Now fully remembering the events that led to this chaotic moment, Martin recalls plotting a bomb with Liz to take out Bressler in a way that could be blamed on others. Racing against time, Martin and Gina rush to infiltrate the hotel where Liz prepares to detonate the bomb. In a heartbreaking sequence, Liz fails in her attempt to disarm it, leading to a catastrophic explosion.
The next day culminates with Bressler and Prince Shada unveiling their new agricultural contribution aimed at combatting world hunger, while Martin and Gina, under assumed identities, prepare to leave Berlin together as Henry and Claudia Taylor.
Last Updated: November 03, 2024 at 11:41
Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.
Protagonists who must prove their own existence while hunted by unseen forces.If you liked the premise of 'Unknown', explore more movies where a character's identity is stolen or erased. These similar stories feature protagonists fighting to prove who they are, often uncovering larger conspiracies in fast-paced, tense thrillers filled with deception and pursuit.
These stories typically begin with a sudden, shocking event that severs the protagonist from their known life. The narrative follows their isolated and desperate investigation to reclaim their identity, often revealing a web of conspiracy that makes them a target for assassination or silencing.
They are grouped by the shared core theme of identity theft and the resulting psychological paranoia. The tone is consistently tense and disorienting, with a fast pace driven by the urgent need to solve the mystery before the protagonist is erased or eliminated.
A lone hero, hunted through an anonymous city, with no one to trust.Fans of the relentless pursuit through Berlin in 'Unknown' will enjoy these similar fast-paced movies. Discover other tense thrillers where a lone protagonist is hunted through a city's shadows, forcing them to rely on their wits to survive and expose the truth.
The narrative thrust is a non-stop chase through a metropolitan setting that feels alien and hostile. The protagonist, cut off from official help and allies, must navigate the urban landscape, using its chaos and anonymity to evade capture while piecing together the puzzle of why they are being hunted.
This thread connects movies through their shared atmosphere of urban paranoia and relentless pacing. The experience is defined by high-intensity action, a tense and anxious mood, and the core feeling of a single individual against a vast, uncaring system.
Don't stop at just watching — explore Unknown in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what Unknown is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.
Track the full timeline of Unknown with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.
Discover the characters, locations, and core themes that shape Unknown. Get insights into symbolic elements, setting significance, and deeper narrative meaning — ideal for thematic analysis and movie breakdowns.
Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of Unknown that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.
Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about Unknown: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.
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