Unknown is one of the Liam Neeson Thriller that display the same base character facing a different story and a new beginning equilibrium. Other examples of this includes the 'Taken' franchise and 'Non-Stop'.
The films premise is based around a man and a woman going to a foreign country, and during their stay the man loses his memory, and as he only remembers a few key aspects, he learns that his 'wife' is in fact married to another man, and his reality seems to collapse around him. While this is a relatively obvious and easy to see through plot, the way that it is used and manipulated for the plot is effective.
One Media Theory that links to the film is Todorov's theory, that explains the five part 'Narrative Structure'. This theory explains the structure that is constantly used within the cinema, which is also found popular within the Thriller genre. This theory explains that there are five main sections within every film: Equilibrium, Disruption, Recognition, Resolution and New Equilibrium. This particular structure does apply to Unknown, with each section of the theory being relevant to different key plot points in the film. Equilibrium applies to the beginning of the film, whereby we are introduced to the main characters in a seemingly normal yet promising scenario; a couple are visiting France on their honeymoon. This is followed by the Disruption, that is shown in the film by a car crash that makes our protagonist lose all of his memory, leaving the audience to discover the mans story along with himself, adding to immersion. The third section is the recognition with the disruption, which is displayed in the film by learning the main characters intensions for travelling to France, and how the audience and the main character have been led through one story, then suddenly thrown into another that explains most unanswered questions. Resolution within the film is shown by Liam Neeson's character taking a new moral stance in his amnesia-caused state of mind, and decides to undo the evil that he had caused before his moment of revelation.
