More than a decade has passed since its initial 2009 release, yet Knowing remains a film with an ending that continues to confound audiences. The story follows Nicolas Cage’s character as he deciphers a sequence of mysterious numbers foretelling major global disasters.
As the film builds toward its climax, it presents two separate conclusions, allowing viewers to determine their own interpretation.
This dual-ending approach is one of the reasons Knowing has maintained its sense of mystery. Let’s explore the film’s major developments and examine the two different ways its conclusion can be understood.
The eerie whispers of a child shape a prophecy of impending doom (Photo: Knowing/Summit Entertainment)What Does the Code in Knowing Mean?
The film’s story begins in 1959 with young Lucinda (Lara Robinson), who begins hearing eerie whispers. Her class is assigned to illustrate their vision of the future, with their drawings set to be sealed inside a time capsule for half a century.
Rather than creating a picture, Lucinda fills her page with an extensive string of numbers, transcribing the sequence she hears.
Before she can complete the message, her teacher intervenes, preventing her from writing any further. Later, Lucinda retreats to a closet, where she carves the final digits into a wooden door using her fingernails.
Fifty years later, the time capsule is unearthed, and young Caleb (Chandler Canterbury) happens to receive Lucinda’s coded message. His curiosity leads him to take the paper home, where his father, astrophysicist John (Cage), begins analyzing the sequence.
John soon recognizes that many of the numbers correspond to dates and casualty figures of numerous catastrophic events over the past five decades, such as the 9/11 attacks, earthquakes, and train accidents.
Some of the figures remain unclear, but John is stunned by the realization that Lucinda had seemingly foreseen these tragedies. The mystery deepens when he uncovers three dates that have yet to come to pass.
John’s investigation takes a chilling turn when he directly witnesses a plane crash on the exact day specified in Lucinda’s message. Using his car’s GPS, he finally deciphers the remaining numbers, discovering they represent the coordinates of each disaster.
Armed with this knowledge, he attempts to prevent the next event from happening but fails, realizing that the course of future tragedies cannot be altered.
An even more unsettling truth soon emerges: what John initially read as “33” in Lucinda’s last prediction is actually “EE” written in reverse, signifying “Everyone Else.” The final catastrophe on the list will result in the extinction of humanity.
Who Are the Whisper People Following Caleb and Abby?
Shortly after Caleb obtains Lucinda’s note, he begins to experience disturbing visions of a burning world. These images are implanted into his mind by silent figures who follow him at every turn.
Caleb refers to these individuals as the “Whisper People,” as they communicate telepathically, delivering warnings about the future. His experiences are not unique, as Abby (also played by Robinson), Lucinda’s granddaughter, is also shadowed by these enigmatic figures.
As the story reaches its climax, it becomes evident that the Whisper People have been selecting individuals to rescue from the impending catastrophe. The destruction is caused by colossal solar flares that will soon engulf the planet.
Only those deemed worthy can perceive their messages. These mysterious beings were responsible for Lucinda’s original code, guiding her to specific locations where salvation would be possible.
Determined to save his son, John follows clues that lead him to the closet where Lucinda once carved her message. There, he uncovers coordinates that indicate the designated meeting point set by the Whisper People.
However, upon arrival, John learns that he has not been chosen. Left with no choice, he says goodbye to Caleb, who departs alongside Abby on a journey to an unknown destination.
What Is the Identity of the Whisper People?
The true nature of the Whisper People remains open to interpretation, depending on whether their role is viewed through a scientific or religious lens.
One possibility is that they are extraterrestrial beings using their advanced technology to rescue select individuals before Earth’s destruction. Alternatively, their actions can be interpreted as divine intervention, with the beings serving as angels guiding the pure of heart to safety.
Where Do Caleb and Abby Go in Knowing’s Ending?
From a science fiction perspective, Caleb and Abby are transported to a habitable planet where they can begin anew. As John observes multiple spacecraft leaving Earth, it becomes clear that other children have also been chosen to escape.
The final moments depict Caleb and Abby running through a field on their new world, with additional ships visible in the distance.
This suggests that a benevolent alien species has intervened to preserve humanity by relocating a group of children who will establish a fresh civilization. Lucinda’s message, in this view, was merely a cautionary alert about the planet’s inevitable fate.
What happens when knowledge of the future threatens to consume you (Photo: Knowing/Summit Entertainment)However, the film’s themes also align with religious symbolism, leading some to interpret the conclusion through a theological perspective. When John first encounters one of the Whisper People, the figure emits an intense light from within, temporarily blinding him.
Later, as the beings shed their human disguises and ascend with the children, shimmering blue energy radiates from them, resembling angelic wings. This imagery, combined with the concept of prophetic messages, aligns with Christian teachings, particularly those found in the Book of Revelation.
The characters’ names also reinforce biblical parallels. John, the protagonist, shares his name with John the Revelator, who documented the biblical end times. Caleb’s name is another reference, as it belongs to a biblical figure who reached the Promised Land.
The final sequence, where Caleb and Abby explore their new home, further connects to Christian themes, as they approach a colossal tree reminiscent of the Tree of Knowledge from the Garden of Eden. Given that they have been chosen to repopulate their new world, they can be likened to a modern version of Adam and Eve.
Additionally, the Whisper People provide them with rabbits, which are commonly associated with fertility and resurrection in Christian symbolism. From this viewpoint, the film’s ending suggests a divine selection process, with angels rescuing innocent children and placing them in a new Eden where humanity can start over.
How Knowing’s Ending Ties into the Film’s Themes
The religious perspective fits well within the film’s overarching themes. John, a man devoted to science, has long been estranged from his father, a reverend (Alan Hopgood).
It is only in the face of Earth’s destruction that John reclaims his faith, believing that he will be reunited with his son and deceased wife in the afterlife. Just as John embraces spirituality when logic fails to provide answers, the movie itself allows room for a religious interpretation for those who find the alien explanation insufficient.
Knowing is currently available for streaming on Max.
