Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		5.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Knowing 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman April 7, 2018

It’s taken a while, but I believe I’ve finally figured out how Lionsgate is deciding which of its catalog items to release on 4K UHD. I first started commenting on the seemingly random array of Lionsgate 4K UHD titles maybe about a year ago, and the studio’s arguably weird choices have continued apace in the subsequent months. But it finally occurred to me that there must be a low level functionary, someone with a solid if generic name like Carl or Fred, tucked away in a basement office in a top secret Lionsgate location, tasked with a very special job. This gentleman is equipped with a dartboard labeled with every Lionsgate release in the studio’s history and Carl and/or Fred simply dons a blindfold, takes out a dart, fires it in the general direction of the wall, and then a team of scientists measures whatever the closest title to the dart’s arrival spot is. Voila! — a new Lionsgate 4K UHD release has been announced. Hopefully my joking tone is obvious, but Lionsgate does in fact seem to have a release “strategy” (if it can even be called that) vis a vis its 4K UHD product that may cause a few heads to be scratched. The latest two releases, Push and Knowing, at least have a couple of common threads between them, including both expoiting a science fiction premise and each beginning with a flashback. That said, even their science fiction underpinnings don’t automatically lead to a consistent “wow” factor in the visuals department in either film, and neither film was met with universal acclaim when it was released theatrically or even in earlier home video incarnations. Interestingly, though, Lionsgate has provided both of these releases with new Dolby Atmos tracks, and both films offer a number of interesting elements in their sound mixes that may recommend these outings to audiophiles even if they're not that interested in the actual films. Each release also touts one new brief supplement exclusive to the 4K UHD disc.

Knowing was released on standard 1080p Blu-ray way back in the relatively early days of the format in 2009, and my colleague Martin Liebman gave that release pretty much top marks all around in his Knowing Blu-ray review, and here’s where “different reviewers, different opinions” comes into play. There’s a lot about Knowing that is quite compelling, but I personally find the film almost ludicrously overheated at times (no pun intended, given its Apocalyptic climax), with a number of logical and/or presentational lapses that make it almost laughable on occasion. I’ll refer interested readers to Marty’s review for a basic plot summary, but let me give a couple of examples of elements that (for me, anyway) just didn’t quite work, or at least were passingly questionable.

The film’s introductory flashback to 1959 is really rather arresting, with a neatly disturbing performance by Lara Robinson as a seemingly deeply troubled little girl named Lucinda Embry. Lucinda is a student at the brand new William Dawes Elementary School. (There’s a probably intentional subtext here, since the real life Dawes was instrumental who forewarned the American colonists of impending doom due to encroaching British forces, and Knowing’s focal character of John Koestler (Nicolas Cage) assumes much the same “role” as he attempts to warn folks of another, even larger, calamity that awaits them.) In an almost ridiculous elision, Lucinda’s teacher talks about a contest that had been held to celebrate the school’s opening (which is already open, by the way, as evidenced by the class itself), which Lucinda has won, suggesting a time capsule. Only here’s the thing: the teacher says the decision on the winning idea has just been made, and yet right there outside the school is an absolutely deluxe concrete plaza with an equally ornate chamber for the time capsule. There’s also a handsome tubular metal time capsule there as well. Someone did some extremely fast planning, is all I can say.

The questionable elements continue apace in this introductory flashback when Lucinda disappears shortly after the “burying” ceremony for the time capsule has taken place. Here director Alex Proyas, a helmer who can go for the gusto in terms of his visuals (as evidenced by Dark City and I, Robot) stages the entire search of the school in darkness — seemingly so that he can have the search parties use what I jokingly refer to as “The X- Files flashlights”. Does the school not have electricity when kids go missing? Now admittedly both of these issues with the opening few minutes are relatively “minor”, but for a certain kind of curmudgeon (ahem), they point out some of the lapses of Knowing’s screenplay, problems that these same curmudgeons will probably continue to have as the film’s story moves into more or less “contemporary” time (meaning circa 2009).

Now both of those perceived hiccups already documented are admittedly on the picayune side, but Knowing has a more gnawing macro problem at its very metaphysical center. Without overtly spoiling the denouement of the film, and with another suggestion that those interested in the film’s plot parse Marty’s summary, why exactly would the Deus Ex Machina documented in the film “communicate” a series of disasters to little Lucinda, rather than what ends up being their “real” point, namely salvation (for at least a few)? It creates a necessary labyrinth for Koestler to wend his way through to get to the big reveal, something that drenches the film in angst and a certain amount of mystery, but it ends up playing like a cosmic McGuffin.

Knowing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080p Blu-ray.

Knowing is presented on 4K UHD courtesy of Lionsgate Films with a 2160p transfer in 2.35:1. In the "different reviewers, different opinions" category, I'm giving Knowing's 1080p version a 4.5 rather than Marty's 5, as I personally was a little less than perfectly pleased with a couple of brief instances of banding (one of which makes it through to the 4K UHD presentation), as well as occasional crush in the darkest scenes. Knowing was digitally captured with Red cameras, and according to the IMDb had a source resolution at 4K, which was then finished at a 2K DI. I'd be really interested to see some kind of presentation of Knowing sourced from the Redcode RAW data files, since in my estimation the biggest changes to Knowing in its 4K UHD version are not in fact the expected if subtle upticks in detail levels from a 2K DI, but the really interesting new look Dolby Vision has given to this already distinctively graded feature. There are upticks in detail levels, something that's noticeable as early as the credits sequence, where some of the tiniest numbers are more easily visible sooner as they come into view and/or focus, or even some more "material" elements like the fur on a petty bunny of Caleb's. But over and over what really impressed me about this presentation was the difference in palette. The opening flashback is actually more desaturated looking in its 4K UHD version than on the 1080p Blu-ray, something that clearly separates it from the bulk of the "contemporary" moments. That said, there's still interesting desaturation combined with an almost sepia tone that defines a lot of the rest of the film, with a somewhat more ochre or slightly orange-beige look in a lot of scenes than is evident in the 1080p Blu- ray version. There are also a number of much cooler gradings employed, including long stretches of gray and/or blue, especially in some of the torrential downpour sequences. These tend to have what I'd call a slightly more slate quality to the grading now. As with the original version, the unrelenting darkness (as in lack of light) does tend to defeat even some of the interesting additions Dolby Vision gives to the presentation. Very brief bookending moments look a bit soft, with the opening credits underlay looking a bit fuzzy and with a very brief flirtation with banding on the left side of the frame as planetary light breaks through. That same softness accrues in what is the film's most potent visual conceit (see screenshot 2), but the unreality of the moment is probably only enhanced by the gauziness.

Knowing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Knowing has been granted an extremely effective new Dolby Atmos track, one that immediately offers new sonics, including midair placement, of the whispering voices that are haunting little Lucinda. There are numerous instances of extremely impressive engagement of the Atmos channels, with standouts like the horrifying jet crash a prime example. Not only is there a quick, terrifying pan, the rumble overhead is almost palpable as the jet plows into a highway and then a field. But the film is filled with a number of well placed ambient environmental effects, as well as washes of sound courtesy of Marco Beltrami's pulsing score. There's also some very forceful LFE in the film's final moments when spacecraft come into play. Through it all, dialogue remains smartly prioritized and flawlessly delivered.

Knowing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Lionsgate has commendably included all of the supplements from the original 1080p Blu-ray release on the new 4K UHD disc, along with one new (very brief) one. Because Marty's review was written so long ago that it doesn't have the listing format we employ now, I'm detailing everything that way:

• Commentary by Director Alex Proyas


• Knowing All: The Making of a Futuristic Thriller (HD; 12:36)


• Visions of the Apocalypse (HD; 17:15)


• Knowing: Five Things Worth Knowing (HD; 2:00) is the new supplement on this release, a short piece that gives a quintet of factoids about the shoot.

Additionally, the 1080p Blu-ray still has supposed BD Live functionality, though I had trouble connecting, which may mean that data is no longer accessible given the age of the film.

Knowing 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

I wasn't quite as enamored of Knowing as Marty was, and so readers who haven't yet seen the film are encouraged (again) to read Marty's original review for comparison's sake. That said, even not loving the film totally, I was thoroughly engaged by this 4K UHD presentation. Detail levels are improved, in subtle but noticeable ways that are often seen in 4K versions culled from 2K DIs, but the changes in the film's already really unique palette are fascinating and at times at least make this version almost like a completely new experience. The Atmos track is also expansive and visceral. The sole new supplement is kind of in the "meh" department, but that may be fans' sole issue with this release. Recommended.