The Numbers Station

2013

A discredited black-ops agent tasked with protecting a CIA code operator finds his mission in jeopardy when the secluded facility where she works comes under siege in this thriller starring John Cusack and Malin Akerman. Emerson Kent (Cusack) used to be a top operative. But when he bungles his latest mission, his superiors decide to test his mettle. As a result, Emerson is dispatched to the British countryside, where Katherine (Akerman) broadcasts heavily encrypted codes containing assignments for agents in the field. Emerson's task is to protect Katherine, but he could have never foreseen the struggle that lies ahead. When a mysterious gang launches a vicious assault on the station, Emerson calls for backup and receives an unexpected response that shakes him to the very core. Now, in order to secure the location and survive to tell the story, Emerson and Katherine must solve the riddle of a mysterious message left behind by the previous broadcaster's protector. more..

Director: Kasper Barfoed

Starring: John Cusack, Malin Akerman, Liam Cunningham, Lucy Griffiths

Reviews

  • The agent in this interesting little thriller - well played by John Cusack - is up to the Company's usual dirty tricks.

    Lou Lumenick - New York Post

    27 May 2013

  • There are some decent shootouts, but the movie's strongest assets are the soulful performances Danish director Kasper Barfoed, making his American debut, draws from Cusack and Akerman.

    Chuck Wilson - Village Voice

    27 May 2013

  • In The Numbers Station, a joyless sins-of-the-government thriller, Cusack sinks to new depths of meditative glumness to play a black-ops agent nursing a guilty conscience.

    - The A.V. Club

    27 May 2013

  • Director Kasper Barfoed defaults to intense replays of surveillance audio recordings, frantic strokes on computer keyboards, and standard-issue chases.

    Bill Stamets - The Chicago Sun-Times

    27 May 2013

  • Sentencing a sad-looking John Cusack and a hard-working Malin Akerman to roughly 90 minutes of solitary confinement in a poorly lit underground bunker, this glum, juiceless spy thriller is a by-the-numbers affair indeed, unlikely to find an audience on any frequency.

    Justin Chang - Variety

    27 May 2013

Awards

  • Best Motion/Title Graphics

    Golden Trailer Awards (2013)