Knox Goes Away is a thriller about an ageing contract killer John ‘Aristotle’ Knox (Michael Keaton). The film’s main theme is the hitman Knox’s medical condition of dementia.
John knows that his fading memory is forcing him into an early retirement from his hitman job. Thus, he has to plan for his loved ones, sooner rather than later. Ultimately he goes away, as he is rapidly losing his memories. But, before he signs off and walks into the sunset, he has some unfinished businesses to take care of. So, this film is about – how John takes care of his hitman job and his family members and then retires on his terms.
“Knox Goes Away” But Not Before Making A Big Impact In The Lives Of His Loved Ones
Trailer: Knox Goes Away (2024) Movie
Synopsis: Knox Goes Away (2024) Movie
When a contract killer Knox (Michael Keaton) has a rapidly evolving form of dementia, he is offered an opportunity to redeem himself by saving the life of the adult son with whom he had been estranged. To do this, he must race against the police closing in on him, as well as the ticking clock of his rapidly deteriorating mind.
Spoiler Free Review: Knox Goes Away (2024) Movie
The storyline/plotline
In this thrilling movie, Michael Keaton takes on the twin roles of the director and the lead actor as John Knox (Michael Keaton), a hitman on a mission to seek redemption before his advancing dementia takes control. Teaming up with a loyal companion Xavier Crane (Al Pacino) with a dubious past, John races against time and the authorities to protect his estranged son Miles Knox (James Marsden) from a mistake driven by vengeance and to “cash out” before it’s too late.
This film has a bunch highly respected actors, viz., Academy Award® nominee Michael Keaton, Academy Award® winner Al Pacino, Oscar® winners Ray McKinnon and Oscar® winner Marcia Gay Harden.
Well, as discussed above, the script of this movie completely revolves around the contract killer John Knox (Michael Keaton), who is losing his mind, due to an ailment. At the outset of the movie’s narrative, we (viewers) and John become aware of his affliction with Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD). The CJD is a swiftly advancing neurodegenerative ailment, leaving him with a mere handful of weeks until his mental acuity and recollection fade away almost entirely. Therefore, John is racing against time to plan his retirement.
What did we like in this film?
What Michael Keaton has achieved in this engrossing mysterious film is admirable. Not only has he directed a gripping movie, but his acting as usual is top-class. More so, in the scenes depicting his memory lapses. One could feel his pain and the tragedies that await him. However, when one thinks about his cruel job as a hitman, then his loss of memories is a blessing in disguise.
He will forget all about his contract-killing assignments in a few months. We loved the restrained yet impactful acting by Michael Keaton, who is fighting a losing battle of mind. One could see the pain of his helplessness. Thus, in the end, John goes away mentally, not physically. In one of the key scenes from the film, we liked the following verbal exchange between John and his son.
John Knox: Did you bury this guy?
Miles Knox: No. Why?
John Knox: 'Cause if you hadn't, I'd've dug him up and killed him again.
What did we not like in this film?
On the other hand, the other talented actors in its ensemble cast do not have much to do, because of their limited screen presence. In a way, it is a gross injustice to their acting abilities. We wish that they could have done more. Perhaps, the script was written in such a way, that the other key actors have been grossly underutilized. In addition, this slow-burning film could have been further tightened and speeded up.
The conclusion
Last time, we saw Michael Keaton in the ‘Dopesick (2021) Limited Series‘ and that time too, he was too good. He picked up awards for his acting performances in that show. Once again we have praised his acting in this film. Not surprisingly, this time around, his performance was riveting too. Like us, if you are a fan of Michael Keaton, then go watch him in this fascinating thriller.
Rating:
| FM Rating | 3.60/5 |
Poster:
Key Details:
| Genre | Mystery, Thriller |
| Original language | English (USA) |
| Duration | 1 hour 54 minutes |
| Writer | Gregory Poirier |
| Director | Michael Keaton |
| Cast | Michael Keaton (John ‘Aristotle’ Knox), Al Pacino (Xavier Crane), Suzy Nakamura (Detective Emily Ikari), James Marsden (Miles Knox), Marcia Gay Harden (Ruby Knox), Ray McKinnon (Thomas Muncie), etc. |
| Producers | FilmNation Entertainment, Brookstreet Pictures & Sugar23 |
| Distributors | Saban Films (United States) Film & Nation Entertainment (International) |
Poster and Featured Image of the Knox Goes Away (2024) Movie – courtesy of Film & Nation Entertainment.