The Numbers Station (2013)

A disgraced black ops agent is dispatched to a remote CIA broadcast station to protect a code operator. Soon, they find themselves in a life-or-death struggle to stop a deadly plot before it's too late.

Director:

Kasper Barfoed

Writer:

F. Scott Frazier (screenplay by)

Stars:

John Cusack, Malin Akerman, Liam Cunningham

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Cusack	...	Emerson Kent
Malin Akerman	...	Katherine
Liam Cunningham	...	Grey
Richard Brake	...	Max
Bryan Dick	...	David
Finbar Lynch	...	Michaels
Lucy Griffiths	...	Meredith
Joey Ansah	...	Derne
Victor Gardener	...	Fischer
Joe Montana	...	Jeremy Fletcher
Brian Nickels	...	Bouncer (as Brian Sonny Nickels)
Randy Merchant	...	Bouncer
Hannah Murray	...	Rachel Davis
Gary Lawrence	...	Hospital Orderly
Max Bennett	...	Intern at Hospital

Storyline

When the moral values of a longtime wetwork black ops agent is tested during his last operation, he receives an unfavorable psych evaluation. Now he is given a break and a seemingly uncomplicated assignment of simply protecting the security of a young female code announcer, code resources and remote station they are assigned to. After an ambush and one phone call later, it becomes a complicated fight for their survival.

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Plot Keywords:

torture | cryptography | code | black ops | ambush | 

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Taglines:

Start The Count.

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Genres:

Action | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for violence and language

Details

Official Sites:

Official site Official site [Japan]

Country:

UK Belgium USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 April 2013 (USA)

Also Known As:

Códigos de Defesa

Filming Locations:

Bentwaters Parks, Rendlesham, Suffolk, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

ContentFilm International,Echo Lake Entertainment,Piccadilly Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

89 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Ethan Hawke was originally cast but he dropped out and was replaced by John Cusack.

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Goofs

When the "broadcasters" speak their numbers, they talk into the top of a condenser microphone. These mics pick up sound from the side and broadcasters would know this.

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Quotes

Katherine: What would happen if I'm not here Monday?
Emerson Kent: Because there'd been a terrible train accident?
Katherine: No, the train's here, I'm just not on it.
Emerson Kent: I would have to make a phone call.
Katherine: You would have to make a phone call?
Emerson Kent: I would make a phone call.
Katherine: Company man.

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Crazy Credits

Opening credits starts with some numbers spoken and reversed match with the names that are shown.

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Connections

Featured in The Making of the Numbers Station (2013)

User Reviews

Surprisingly good!

I must admit I was pleasantly surprised by The Numbers Station. Going on John Cusack's recent venture into silly, inconsequential direct to video thrillers without depth or heft, I expected a mind numbing cash grab with his moniker shamelessly plastered in pre title billing. I only watched it for a couple of actors I really enjoy, and what I got was thoroughly fun, slow burning spy thriller that took its time, built the characters and focused on mood and story instead of just action filler. During and after the Cold War, Numerous 'Numbers Stations' were planted all over Europe, facilities where operatives would reside, broadcasting codes in the form of random sequences of digits, all over the region to various agents, who would read them, and carry out the orders embedded within. Cusack's plays a disgraced agent who is assigned to accompany a coder (Malin Ackerman) to a remote station, and protect her and the premises. They arrive and are immediately at odds with each other. Ackerman is a rookie spook with idealistic values and a sunshiny demeanour that irks Cusack right off the bat. He has acres of tragedy behind him, curdling his personality into a jaded, hangdog presence, essentially just wearily carrying out the motions with listless resignation. The script wisely gives them time to bicker about their differences, learn a bit about each other and form a shaky bond before the inevitable conflict rears its head, in the form of a rogue special ops unit led by a determined psychopath (Richard Brake). Their aim is to hijack the numbers stations broadcasting capabilities and send out codes of their own containing orders to do God knows what. It's up to Cusack to prevent this, giving him new purpose. The underrated Liam Cunningham briefly shows up as Cusack's morally bankrupt partner who ends up having a crisis of conscience, and portrays it really well as only Cunnningham can do. It's not a movie to rave about, but it's a solid, moody thriller for lovers of the genre, perfect for a lazy rainy night.