Next (2007)
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A magician with the ability to see two minutes into the future becomes a target for both terrorists and the FBI.
The story
Cris Johnson is a small-time magician in Las Vegas who possesses the limited precognitive ability to see two minutes into the immediate future. While he uses this gift to win modest amounts at gambling, his powers make him a target for a heavily armed group of terrorists. Simultaneously, FBI Agent Callie Ferris discovers his ability and seeks to recruit him to help prevent a terrorist plot involving a nuclear weapon. As Cris navigates the dangers of his gift, he finds himself caught between the pursuit of the federal agents and the lethal intentions of the terrorists.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Cris Johnson, a Las Vegas magician, can see two minutes into the future. He spends his time gambling and waiting for a woman from a vision, Liz Cooper. FBI Agent Callie Ferris tracks him down to stop French terrorists from detonating a nuclear weapon. After a series of encounters where Cris uses his powers to evade police and security, he eventually meets Liz. He tricks her into giving him a ride to Arizona, while Ferris follows. The terrorists, tracking the weapon to Los Angeles, also pursue them. After a night in a motel, Ferris tries to convince Liz to help capture Cris, but Cris reveals his secret. He is eventually captured by the FBI and forced to watch television to trigger a vision. He instead sees a future where Liz is killed as bait. Cris escapes and reunites with Liz, forming an uneasy alliance with Ferris to stop the bomb. They track the terrorists to a port. Cris uses his powers to navigate the terrorists, but after the confrontation, they realize the bomb has already been moved. The bomb detonates at sea, destroying the port and the city. The timeline then reverts to the night before in Arizona. Because of Liz's involvement, Cris can now see the entire timeline of the nuclear explosion. He calls Ferris to offer help preventing the disaster.
- First release year
- 2007
- Runtime (minutes)
- 96
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Lee Tamahori
- Writers
- Gary Goldman · screenplay; Jonathan Hensleigh · screenplay; Paul Bernbaum · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Nicolas Cage · Cris Johnson; Julianne Moore · Callie Ferris; Jessica Biel · Liz Cooper; Thomas Kretschmann · terrorist; Tory Kittles; Peter Falk
- Genres
- science fiction; action; thriller
- Themes
- precognition; freedom vs. security; determinism
- Tone and mood
- thriller; absurd; tense
- Premise and plot tags
- time travel; superpowers; terrorism; FBI
- Source material / true-story basis
- The Golden Man by Philip K. Dick
- Reception
- The film was a box office flop and received mixed to negative reviews from critics, who often cited a confusing plot and a disappointing ending.
- Reported review scores
- Metacritic · score: 42 · scale: 100 · review count: 23
- Production trivia
- It was the first Revolution Studios film to be distributed by Paramount Pictures.; Nicolas Cage suggested the protagonist be a magician.; The hotel in the film was actually a restaurant with a facade attached.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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