Father and child sit together smiling while looking at a smart phone.

Want more recommendations for your family?

Sign up for our weekly newsletter for entertainment inspiration

Parents' Guide to

Knowing

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Grim sci-fi thriller is too intense for young kids.

Movie PG-13 2009 122 minutes
Knowing Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Community Reviews

See all
age 14+

Based on 45 parent reviews

sterdun
sterdun Parent of 11-year-old
December 5, 2021
age 16+
Rarityfan2019
Rarityfan2019 Adult
December 6, 2019
age 15+

GPS does not commute

A disaster movie for the thinking audience, and not for everyone that's why it must had been failing 10 years ago.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much consumerism
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 45 parent reviews

What's the Story?

When a time capsule buried by an elementary school class in 1959 is dug up in 2009, one little girl's strange, unsettling entry -- a paper filled with hundreds of random numbers -- finds its way into the hands of single dad/astrophysicist John Koestler (Nicolas Cage) and his son, Caleb (Chandler Canterbury). John soon determines that the numbers aren't random at all: They actually reveal a prophetic listing of all the major catastrophies on earth since 1959 -- and, even more frightening, disasters in the immediate future. Is it coincidence or part of a grand plan? Fear and panic escalate as John, working with the daughter (Rose Byrne) of the now-dead little girl who foresaw it all, tries to stop the inevitable.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (45 ):
Kids say (104 ):

KNOWING wants to be a lot of things, but logical isn't one of them. From early in the movie when John lectures his M.I.T. students about randomism vs. determinism (unsubtly setting the stage for what's to come and also sounding like he's talking to a seventh grade class) to the final moments when Earth's very survival is at stake, style and action take precedence over coherence.

The characters never behave in a rational way, instead serving only to move the story from one harrowing event to another. In its desire to cover such major issues as humankind's frailty in the face of nature, religion, parenting, and even a glimmer of hope for the future, the film loses its way amid showy special effects, thinly drawn characters, and lack of plausibility. Dark City, an early Alex Proyas movie, was far more successful at giving life to the science-fiction genre.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how the movie creates suspense. Would it be as spooky or scary without the music, close-up shots, or shadows?

  • Parents, if the movie's end-of-the-world subject matter upsets your kids, be sure to address their fears.

  • And on a lighter note, you can also discuss what you'd put in a time capsule to represent your life.

Movie Details

Inclusion information powered by

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate