Knox Goes Away
review by Bobby Blakey
Michael Keaton has been entertaining us for years with some truly great films like Beetlejuice, Mr. Mom, Batman, Birdman and so many more. In 2008 he stepped behind the camera to direct the film Merry Gentleman but seemed to be the last time until now. His latest film, Knox Goes Away has him not only directing again, but also writing and starring alongside Al Pacino, James Marsden and Marcia Gay Harden. Could this film bring the engaging story it promises, or should it have been forgotten?
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Knox Goes Away follows John Knox, a hit man attempting to make amends before his recently discovered dementia takes over. Aided by a trusted friend with his own shady past, Knox races against the police — and his own rapidly deteriorating mind — to save his estranged son from a vengeance-fueled mistake and "cash out" before it's too late.
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I have been looking forward to seeing this for some time and must admit out of the gate it is interesting, but then felt to drag again as it was setting things up. I was concerned that it was sticking too close to a formulaic generic direction, but I was thankfully wrong and ended up with some great twists and turns as we navigate multilayers of these characters.
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Keaton has crafted a great flick and engaging character that takes the action thriller in an all-new direction. The focus on memory loss made me think of the fantastic flick Memento, but in reverse with him slowly losing it while trying to complete a task before it was too late. This is where the meat of it all really delivers as it seems straight forward, but you know there must be more, but how will it play out? That is where it steps things up right up until the satisfying yet sad ending.
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While we are enthralled in the mix and world of the assassin it is also a sad flick watching his mind degrade throughout the film. Keaton plays it to perfection showcasing strength and fragility all at once as he navigates through the story in hopes of helping his son and possibly redeem himself. It’s not overly hard to figure out how or why he does what he does, but it deflects just enough to make you question everything you are seeing until it is all in focus.
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In the end, I really enjoyed this film and praise Keaton for both a great performance, but strong skills behind the film once again. In addition to the film this release offers up bonus content including commentary and a featurette taking audiences behind bringing this story to life.
Grab your copy of Knox Goes Away available now streaming on Peacock as well as on Blu-ray, DVD and digital from Lionsgate.
