Any expectation that Knox Goes Away is a high-octane, adrenaline-spiking thrill ride about an assassin who steadily loses his faculties should be dropped immediately. For better and for worse, Michael Keaton's second go-around in the director's chair moves at a languid pace without much action to speak of, only bolstered by an intriguing premise.
Keaton pulls double duty and plays the lead character John Knox, a hitman diagnosed with an aggressive form of dementia that will see his mental capacity diminish within weeks. As time winds down, Knox begins closing his accounts — "cashing out," as he calls it — when his estranged son (James Marsden) appears at his doorstep for the first time in years, covered in blood and in need of Knox's help. Wanting make up for his absence and do one last thing for his son, Knox lays out a plan to settle the matter, but is racing against his own body's clock.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out how Knox's plan will play out, and that's fine — this isn't the point of the film. Knox Goes Away attempts to be a cerebral exploration about a man facing his mortality following a career of taking lives in a pointed and technical fashion. Although we aren't given much by way of Knox's background, we know enough to surmise that he's very good at his job as a result of his fastidious attention to detail. Watching anyone deteriorate is difficult, and pairing this particular diagnosis with this particular profession feels like fodder for a good film — and, in theory, it should be.
Both Keaton and Marsden put forth strong performances that feel effortless. Their father-son dynamic presents itself naturally and feels sincere. The entire cast brings together a string of turns that are never excessive or bland, and everyone find their equilibrium with great ease. In fact, the vast majority of this film is nicely balanced: performances, premise, humour, and the depiction of Knox wavering. Even the predictable mystery is fun to play along with.
The Achilles' heel of Knox Goes Away is its pacing. While it may seem insignificant relative to every other positive aspect of this movie, the pacing is so poor it sucks a lot of the enjoyment out of an otherwise entertaining effort. The movie breaks down the timeline into weeks after Knox receives his diagnosis, but instead of intriguing an audience with how quickly this disease is taking hold, it leaves us pondering: we're only on week two!?
The feeling of restlessness was palpable at the movie's premiere. Far too many people got up to get drinks or use the bathroom, checked their phones, or simply began shifting uncomfortably in their seats. Considering the runtime is only 114 minutes, this doesn't bode well for the film's inevitable home on a streaming service.
And therein lies the problem: by every measurement, Knox Goes Away is a perfect streaming movie, but the lethargic route it takes will undoubtedly drive viewers to their phones or back to their home screens.
(Elevation Pictures)Keaton pulls double duty and plays the lead character John Knox, a hitman diagnosed with an aggressive form of dementia that will see his mental capacity diminish within weeks. As time winds down, Knox begins closing his accounts — "cashing out," as he calls it — when his estranged son (James Marsden) appears at his doorstep for the first time in years, covered in blood and in need of Knox's help. Wanting make up for his absence and do one last thing for his son, Knox lays out a plan to settle the matter, but is racing against his own body's clock.
It doesn't take a genius to figure out how Knox's plan will play out, and that's fine — this isn't the point of the film. Knox Goes Away attempts to be a cerebral exploration about a man facing his mortality following a career of taking lives in a pointed and technical fashion. Although we aren't given much by way of Knox's background, we know enough to surmise that he's very good at his job as a result of his fastidious attention to detail. Watching anyone deteriorate is difficult, and pairing this particular diagnosis with this particular profession feels like fodder for a good film — and, in theory, it should be.
Both Keaton and Marsden put forth strong performances that feel effortless. Their father-son dynamic presents itself naturally and feels sincere. The entire cast brings together a string of turns that are never excessive or bland, and everyone find their equilibrium with great ease. In fact, the vast majority of this film is nicely balanced: performances, premise, humour, and the depiction of Knox wavering. Even the predictable mystery is fun to play along with.
The Achilles' heel of Knox Goes Away is its pacing. While it may seem insignificant relative to every other positive aspect of this movie, the pacing is so poor it sucks a lot of the enjoyment out of an otherwise entertaining effort. The movie breaks down the timeline into weeks after Knox receives his diagnosis, but instead of intriguing an audience with how quickly this disease is taking hold, it leaves us pondering: we're only on week two!?
The feeling of restlessness was palpable at the movie's premiere. Far too many people got up to get drinks or use the bathroom, checked their phones, or simply began shifting uncomfortably in their seats. Considering the runtime is only 114 minutes, this doesn't bode well for the film's inevitable home on a streaming service.
And therein lies the problem: by every measurement, Knox Goes Away is a perfect streaming movie, but the lethargic route it takes will undoubtedly drive viewers to their phones or back to their home screens.
