Neeson’s gone crazy in Unknown

Imagine having an accident in a foreign country and going into a coma, only to wake up and find no one you thought you knew knows you.

This is the premise of Unknown, and Liam Neeson is the man whose identity seems to be in question. As the doctor warns him upon waking up, head trauma can cause memory loss, among other things—so maybe he’s just insane. But that would be too easy. So would having a wallet or passport or some form of ID.

The film follows Neeson’s character, who believes he’s Dr. Martin Harris, in Berlin for a biotechnology conference. He tracks down his wife (January Jones), who doesn’t recognize him, and he confronts a man who appears to have taken over his identity (Aidan Quinn). When he finds a taxi driver he met before his accident (Diana Kruger), she’s at first reluctant but eventually gives in to being his investigative sidekick.

The circumstances in this thriller, packed with mysteries alongside high-speed car chases through the streets of Berlin, are all very bizarre. Neeson’s character is hard not to side with—clearly somebody’s hiding something, right?

Neeson is ever fun to watch, and Kruger, who plays an Eastern European immigrant here, is perfect as the average Jane being dragged into something much bigger than herself.

While the buildup to the big reveal in the end isn’t quite as strong as one might hope it to be, Unknown—directed by relative-unknown Jaume Collet-Serra of Spain (Orphan)—does a nice job of tying up loose ends and delivering them in a pretty, satisfying package.