Knox Goes Away is a hitman drama that isn’t quite like the countless other hitman dramas you may have seen before. It follows the titular John Knox (Michael Keaton), an aging hitman who is given the terrible news by a doctor that he is suffering from a rare form of dementia that is taking hold of his brain, and faster than they expected. He was mere weeks before he fully succumbs to it, but he will often experience lapses. One of these lapses results in a terribly botched job that forces him to cover his tracks, but even that likely won’t keep the authorities away for too long.
Complicating things further is the sudden appearance of his estranged son, Miles (James Marsden), who is shaken, bloody, and wounded. He killed a man who raped his teenage daughter, and made her pregnant. And he figures, if there’s anyone who could possibly be of any help at this point, it’s his father. Now, not only is he hoping the investigation of both of these cases keeps the authorities off their back just long enough for him to not only cash out all his assets, but also to help make sure his son doesn’t get into trouble for his actions, all while dealing with increasingly worsening mental conditions.
Though this might sound like a very exciting plot, the tone and overall vibe of the film is much more meditative and somber. It’s by no means action-packed, though there are bursts of brutal violence, which is all very well executed – pun absolutely intended. It is for the most part, a character study about a man, who is taking the last bit of mental fortitude he has left to right the wrongs of his past. He may not necessarily expect redemption, but it’s a way to atone for his sins, after a life of crime and losing grasp on the important things and people in his life.
Michael Keaton not only stars, he directs the film, going off a script by Gregory Poirier. And if the film proves anything, it’s that Keaton can still command the screen like no other, even when he is also handling responsibilities behind the camera as well. The film isn’t the most stylized, but it does a fairly decent job at portraying the sudden and jarring moments where he forgets something. Though, these moments aren’t utilized to build tension as much as they are used to showcase the tragedy inherit in the disease. This is a guy who has been in control for his whole life, working very precisely, and now he is more vulnerable than he has ever been. Keaton explores that contrast really well, especially in his performance, which is often played very subtle.
Other players like Marsden, Al Pacino – who plays a friend of Knox’s, Joanna Kulig – who plays a sex worker Knox sees every Thursday, and Suzy Nakamura – who plays the lead detective, all do a solid job adding richness to the tapestry of Knox’s journey. Marcia Gay Harden also shows up for a single scene, but it’s an effective one. Though, these characters don’t really stand too well on their own, their contributions are largely for Knox and his journey.
Some of the procedural scenes are by-the-numbers, and somewhat belabored. Some of the plot beats do seem to stretch suspension of disbelief, and rely a bit too much on coincidence and characters – mainly the members of law enforcement – to not be as bright as they could be. And the whole element of the daughter being groomed by a man, who turns out to be a Neo-Nazi, is handled somewhat insensitively, in the sense that it acknowledges the weight of the situation, but doesn’t really give that character space to explore such an awful trauma, so it can feel like the movie brings up something shocking just to dismiss it when it’s done with it.
Overall, I was quite captivated by Knox Goes Away. It helps that I’m already a huge fan of Michael Keaton, so it doesn’t take a lot to get me invested in the journey his character takes. I don’t think I’d call it a great movie, but it’s a really rock solid crime drama with an interesting premise and a lead actor who is more than capable of keeping you engaged from start to finish. Even when the plot gets into some convoluted territory, I was still very compelled by where it was going, and I was satisfied by how it concludes. It felt like a very appropriate way for the story to wrap up, and it’s very much in line with everything the film was exploring thematically from relative morality to familial bonds. The handful of flaws the film has don’t detract from the overall experience. If you like Michael Keaton, and more mature minded crime dramas, this might be one worth giving a look.
Knox Goes Away is now out in theaters.