User Reviews

Michael Keaton has demonstrated remarkable visualization in his debut as actor-director. While most actor-directors show competence, Michael Keaton created genuine visual artistry. Although one success does not establish excellence of talent, Keaton appears to have a promising future as a director. Knox Goes Away is on par with actor-director works by Clint Eastwood, Ben Affleck, Kenneth Branagh, Richard Attenborough, Greta Gerwig, etc....

The trend toward actor-producers has been quite beneficial to the quality of product in the industry -- to maintain artistic integrity rather than completely pandering to business profit. It also invites appearances by upper echelon performers, who otherwise would decline working on a particular project. Here, the example is Al Pachino. And the result is analogous to "form follows function."

When a contract killer has a rapidly evolving form of dementia, he is offered an opportunity to redeem himself by saving the life of his estranged adult son.

His character (John Knox) has to learn to accept that his life is going to be shortened by a disease, but as his estranged son comes to him out of the blue he sees an opportunity to see right by his ex wife and son and redeem himself for the life he has led. It must be said that Keaton grabs attention in his first scenes. His acting is purely on point and he clearly has seasoned over many years.

It's quite slow paced but not to the extent that you get impatient. It's more like being given time to savour what's going on. There's no massively intrusive score to ruin the scenes either which is very welcome.

The plot has a great twist but not one that seems contrived or just there to shock. It's part of a long drawn out plan of Knox's and although it's not hard to work it out early on, it still impresses with it's simplistic but effective machinations.

There is genuine tension at times and yet you can't help think that Knox is playing this all with a dark sense of humour. It's still very poignant though that in order to redeem his past, he has to accept that he has no future. He does this gracefully and willingly and I forgave him his every sin.

A solid 7 from me for a great thriller/murder/mystery.

Movie got me frozen. I lost father 3 months ago for basicaly same reasons (including brain tumor) and suddenly Knox came to as I'd have watched father's agony. Loosing, basic cognitive functions, straight thinking. Memory.

Amazing story with amazing characters. And then I was shocked when Keaton (Knox) came with key asking for locker. Family found about my father's state with such small details - one day he came and showed with hands, that he needs "the thing" that unlocks doors. He was lost in backyard, just like Knox at the end. Dementia is a very tragical way to go - hard disc bad sectors, memory damage. Hope they find cure some day.

Your profession could be considered mercenary, it's not the kind of job to make you very merry, but as the years have added up, running over is not your cup, the effect is that there's gaps, in your memory. It's not the time to fight a crisis but your son, estranged and needing help for what he's done, turns to you in hour of need, after a rather hasty deed, although your senses are impaired, you must go on. So you enlist help and support from a close fiend, but you're not sure if things are real or if they're dreamed, then with some instinct and some guile, you accept your senile trial, it takes a while for those close by, to comprehend.

A hitman who has a spotless record faces a challenge when he is suddenly diagnosed with an aggressive form of dementia. With his last job going sideways, he makes plans to retire. While putting all the pieces in place, his estranged son shows up at his doorstep, covered in blood. Now John Knox is racing against the clock to do one last job, save his son.

This is not a typical hitman movie with a high body count. It is more about setting the stage and creating a mystery. Unfortunately, the mystery is predictable but still entertaining. The portrayal of the progression of dementia adds a unique layer to the story. This is an easy-to-watch hitman mystery that can be streamed.

Knox Goes Away

Dementia. A curse on a person where their physical self can be in perfect condition, but their brain has gone away. In Knox Goes Away, the twist is that John Knox is a contracted hitman for an unknown person named Jericho. He is not a young man, but the dementia that is setting in is acting fast. So, he begins to settle his affairs so that a mysterious three recipients will receive the money that he had amassed over the years.

But then his estranged son shows up on his doorstep covered in blood, begging for help. They hadn't seen each other in years, and Knox doesn't even recognize him due to his deteriorating capacity, even for just a split second. The audience knows what's going on, but nobody else does.

My grandfather had dementia, and he lived for six years after it progressed enough that he wouldn't be able to drive his car any longer. Some days were better than others, and Michael Keaton's Knox plays this to absolute perfection. When critics say that he gave a performance of a lifetime, they weren't kidding.

Losing my mind is one of my greatest fears, if not the number one. When you have dementia, you don't know you have dementia. The movie describes it in such a way where the person will forget a word, or a situation, immediately after it happens, but the emotion that is evoked does not disappear. Can you imagine feeling sad, or happy, or anxious, and you don't know why? That scares me. And it scares Knox. Watch his face, read his confusion, and I bet you'll feel as anxious as I did when you can't tell if he's there or not.

While the shadow of looming dementia is dark and powerful, the true genius is the last job Knox has to complete before it's too late. You'll be blown away as you wonder how much is real or not. I did not expect to cry throughout the film, but I couldn't help it. It's so painful to empathize with Knox, and then be reminded that he is a hitman and has killed lots of people over the course of his life.

I write about mental illness frequently, but this is a topic I have not explored. My condition can be treated with medication and I am living a full life, memories intact, and emotional responses under control. The level of dementia Knox feels is untreatable. Think about that when you notice your friends and family changing before your eyes.

Not nearly as strong as 'Memento', nor as dark as 'The Killer', but entertaining and engaging. Keaton does a superb job holding the lead. He certainly earns extra points for directing, considering he took up 85% of the screen time. And that's not a slight; it must take a discerning eye to direct both oneself and the rest of the cast.

James Marsden also holds his own as Keaton's son and gives an absorbing performance as a short-tempered nervous wreck. The movie does a good job of illustrating Keaton's mind slowly slipping without being too over-the-top, while keeping the focus on the cat-and-mouse, cop vs. Criminal pursuit.

Michael Keaton produced, directed, and stars in this *superb* thriller

Why has this film been completely overlooked? We didn't hear of it, saw no advertising, and no entertainment outlets seemed to have promoted it. The plot is unlike any other film, which is a true rarity these days, and Keaton produced, directed, and stars in a powerful, clever, twist on a murder. It is almost Greek in its tragedy and pathos, and Keaton draws you in with his powerful, calm, highly realistic portrayal of a professional contract killer who faces a rapid decline due to a devastating neurological diagnoses.

Michael Keaton is such an underestimated actor, and this film - Knox Goes Away - is a phenomenal platform for his skill portraying John Knox. Because it went under the radar, we don't even realise Al Pacino has an important supporting role as a sympathetic and kind father figure who happens to be a murder-for-hire ringleader of sort, Marcia Gay Harden has a supporting role as Keaton's ex-wife, and James Marsden does a great job playing the estranged and suddenly reunited-by-fate adult son Miles Knox. The perfectly scored jazz music throughout makes it all the more bittersweet.

This is such a terrific film which will leave you wondering where it will go at every step. Keaton's knocked it out of the park, he needs to do more directing, and for crying out loud the Academy should have recognised his acting and directing skills.

It's absolutely worth watching, and it's badly in need of intelligent audiences spreading the word.

Bravo Michael; excellent.

Knox Goes Away (2024) : Movie Review -

Michael Keaton has achieved everything that he could have dreamt of. Now, at this phase of his career, he becomes director and lead actor for a crime thriller with the conflict of dementia, titled "Knox Goes Away." To start on a positive note, he goes away with a solid performance to his credit. However, the film is a little slow to carry you along for 2 hours. That's needed, though, but somewhere it hurts the viewing experience because the theme is very serious. It becomes a little depressing and boring during the process of overcoming its odds. A topic like dementia is a task in itself, and then aligning it with a genre like a crime thriller makes the task even tougher. Yet, Keaton's performance and a couple of twists in the last quarter make it a decent-to-good, watchable flick.

The film is about John Knox (Michael Keaton), a contract killer diagnosed with a serious type of dementia called Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Knowing that it can't be cured, he vows to spend his final days attempting to redeem himself by saving the life of his son, Miles Knox (played by James Marsden). Miles has killed a guy in anger and is now in desperate need of help. Nobody can help him but his father, whom he has never cared much for. During this save-your-neck contract, in the confusion, he accidentally kills his partner, Thomas Muncie (Ray McKinnon), and leaves many corpses. Despite having a policy of goodwill for killing, Knox finds himself in a race against the authorities as well as the ticking clock of his own rapidly deteriorating mind, which can break him down anytime now. Meanwhile, a smart detective, Emily (Suzy Nakamura), is after the killer with her on-point theories.

The film explores those seven weeks of his in one linear equation to avoid confusion. The screenplay tries to be safe here but is countered by the placid behaviour from the first scene to the last. The first half doesn't hold you to its pace, but the second half shows much better hold. Al Pacino's character leaves you a little confused on which side he was and how that anonymous call can go unnoticed so easily. Keaton's actual redemption is well worth it in the end. Knox Goes Away has some highs that are too good, and they are enough to recommend this crime thriller to genre lovers and Keaton and Pacino lovers. But remember, *conditions apply*.

Michael Keaton has been very consistent throughout his career, so there is nothing to point out about him. He plays the role of a killer with dementia, which is a weird but interesting combination to be seen on celluloid. But it's his own work and his own conviction that make you believe in his character. Of course, he is not deadly or a cruel anti-hero. That Robinhood touch makes it different from that particular 'bad image'. Al Pacino does well, but the screen time isn't fulfilling. There should have been more scenes, or at least more dialogues, to make his presence noticeable. Suzy Nakamura grips you from the very first scene and keeps things that way till the end. That "white man" joke couldn't have suited anybody else but her. James Marsden has also done a good job here, with a lot of variations helping the character build up for him. Joanna Kulig, John Hoogenakker, Lela Loren, and Ray McKinnon's support was decent.

Knox Goes Away is a well-made film on technical fronts. The cinematography, score, and editing are pretty impressive. But the editor should have paid attention to its pace and the line-up of events. The film lacks some powerful dialogue from both sides: the killer and the cops. The face-off could have been a little informal to add dramatic appeal to the film. As you know, a thriller can't be that slow, and one or two twists can't save it. This movie suffers from these two issues mainly, if not anything else. However, Keaton, an actor, comes to its rescue and drops it in the safe corner. The director Keaton was pretty underwhelming, and that can't be argued. As a whole, Knox Goes Away is more of Keaton's acting show than the cinematic crime-thriller show. That's still enough to give it a go!

RATING - 6/10*

What a sharp movie! I really enjoyed this film! Michael Keaton really does great directing this film as well as acting in this film. Al Pacino really was fun as well. Very interesting character. The movie takes place around a contract killer that is diagnosed with a very fast movie type of dementia. Very fast moving. But he is given the opportunity to redeem himself. Which is a very crazy situation within its self. The opportunity that he is given is after his son shows up at his front door covered in blood because he kills the man who impregnate his teenage daughter he can make things right by helping is son get out of this mess he has put himself in. The film is great. It is very dark, gritty, and just overall great!

..will be put on my B-movie-Marathon List, and it is a shoe-in for top-25 of the year. That's saying something because Keaton's direction is meh, and the film lacks a little style. It's a gem though, and tbh, it could have been a diamond.

Where the film excels, is in it's storyline and subject matter. What first appears as your run of the mill crime mystery, is consistently providing nuggets that take it to the next level. Michael Keaton and James Marsden are rock-solid, The last half hour of storyline is more tightly woven than a bulletproof vest. The film offers some moments of laughter and heartbreak. There are many well-thought-out and unexpected turns.

Knox Goes Away is undeniably clever, and despite its' deliberate pacing, it's steady and never stops getting better. Keaton's camera is nothing to harp about, but the screenplay and performances more than offset its' average aesthetics. .

I teetered on 8/10 here and may go back to it, because the film just does such an excellent job of covering its' bases. 2/3rds of the way through I had hoped it would do a good job wrapping up the mystery/storyline, and in that regard it far exceeded my expectations.

Keaton's film will be pure joy for unsuspecting fans of the genre, and above-average for most anyone that doesn't need nonstop action to enjoy a movie. A little more style would have gone a long way, but its hard to complain when the acting and storyline are as good as they are here.

Kudo's Mr. Keaton. 75/100.

There is a powerful story of redemption in this film. I found the main plot beats clever with some story reveals surprising. The premise hooked me and Michael Keaton is a cool guy so why not I thought.

At around the 50 min mark, I realised the slow pace wasn't going away. There is a lot of fat that could have been cut to shorten the runtime if this pace was chosen. The story doesn't provide enough meat to warrant the 2 hours. I thought the dementia element would have been utilised in a more creative ways from the premise. Some extremely heavy handed dialog especially in the first act got me wondering did I make a mistake watching this.

The story wasn't executed and structured well enough to have a much larger cathartic impact so the audience could relate to the characters on a deeper level. Fight scenes felt clunky in the edit but I suppose this isn't an action film. The 2nd act suffers the most from all the negatives and I did get bored when the anticipation and thrill should have been rising.

If this was going to be an action film, it would have been cool to see the protagonist forget he's in a fight, forgot who's the right person to hit, forgot key details at key moments. Since they didn't go this route, the film needed more tension in another way. It felt like events were just unfolding with no real suspense.

It was cool seeing Al Pacino for the few minutes he's in this. James Marsden does a decent job.

It's a hard task to direct a memory based film when the bar is set at Memento.

John Knox (Michael Keaton) is an aging contract killer who is diagnosed with an extremely rapid form of dementia that will see him loose lucidity in a matter of weeks. As Knox prepares to get his affairs in order before losing cognitive function, he must also keep his estranged son, Miles (James Marsden), out of prison after he killed a man who seduced Miles' underage daughter.

Knox Goes Away is the sophomore directorial effort of Michael Keaton (who also stars) having previously helmed The Merry Gentleman over 15 years ago. Working from a relatively low budget and quick shooting schedule, you can tell that Keaton is throwing his all into the film as it's well acted with some strong characters and tension even if I fee, some elements of the script don't fully work.

While Knox Goes Away is a very familiar premise in the hitman/contract killer subgenre of thrillers unlike many genre exercises we've had of late much of the details of that aspect are left in the background while the primary focus is on the characters and how they face the grim reality before them. Keaton gives a wonderful performance as John Knox whose portrayal of a man with sharp intelligence and humor underscores the tragedy as the weeks tick by leaving him with less of himself as he runs short on time to rectify his affairs. Having recently undergone my own experience with this situation I'll freely admit there's a high likelihood that my perception has elevated certain scenes especially between Keaton and James Marsden as his son that gave a sense of raw emotional power. The movie also features a collection of good actors in the ensemble such as Marcia Gay Harden, Suzy Nakamura, and Al Pacino and Keaton does a good job directing himself against the other actors and creating some strong emotional scenes.

The one major misstep I had was in Gregory Poirier's script where it touches on underage sexual assault in a very detatched manner as the focus is more on Miles' reaction to the situation than his daughter's who isn't really a fully formed character and instead comes off as more of an archetype because the plot needed an inciting incident. There's nothing wrong with looking at how the family of sexual assault victims cope with the tragedy, after all the 2010 film Trust did it, but like Trust you also need to make sure if you include this element in the story you need to serve it properly and by holding the audience at a distance from the character who experiences this it only serves to detract from the main focus and feel cheap and exploitative in the process.

As a performance piece and directorial exercise, Keaton shows himself to be deftly capable of wearing many hats and balancing the elements needed to make something both tense as well as emotionally raw. The script does have some underlying issues that are hard to ignore, but the strength of everything around it helps in its favor.

Knox Goes Away is an exceptionally clever and surprisingly funny film that invites us to reflect on the fragility of memory and those we have personally lost, before their time, to dementia and similar conditions.

As Knox's journey unfolds, the interplay between characters is tense, suspenseful, hilarious at times and extremely well-acted across the board. 'Nearing the end of life' moments and conversations are portrayed with an honesty and accuracy that make this film a true human drama. The aging hitman storyline and A+ cast only add a fun dimension to this otherwise poignant narrative on the human experience.

An easy recommend and a likely second-watch (the twist certainly calls for this). Nice work; 👍👍

It's absolutely difficult to believe Michael Keaton has not received an Academy Award till date. Of course, what can be expected from a rigged award ceremony anyway. But if you leave that absurdity aside, Keaton has acted and directed a movie that's very much extertaining to watch - as one can expect from him.

Although the movie is gripping and there is no dull moment, the side plots are poor and don't necessarily match Keaton's characters execution. Something even more complex could've been developed with the theme.

This is no Memento that people will remember this movie for years, but this movie surely proves it's entertainment worth and solidifies Michael Keaton is a very capable director as well.

Worth a watch... On Sunday afternoon...

KNOX GOES AWAY (2024) ***1/2 Michael Keaton, James Marsden, Al Pacino, Marcia Gay Harden, Ray McKinnon, Joanna Kulig, Dennis Dugan, Suzy Nakamura. Keaton, who also skillfully directed, stars as an aging contract killer whose diagnosis of a rapidly degenerative form of dementia sets a time clock involving a botched hit, a dogged police detective, and his adult estranged son, while attempting to keep his wits about him as his downward spiral drastically takes affect. Well written with a scalpel's precision by Gregory Poirier and the use of its sound design and blurring cinematography documents its protagonist's dilemma with alacrity. Keaton gives one of his best, low-key turns in ages.

Knox Goes Away is a riveting addition to the hitman genre, offering a fresh perspective with its intriguing storyline and stellar performances. The acting is top-notch, with each character bringing depth and authenticity to their roles. The direction is impressive from Keaton, who seamlessly weaves together action-packed sequences with moments of suspense and introspection. What sets this film apart is its unique take on the hitman archetype, offering viewers a thought-provoking exploration of morality and redemption. From start to finish, "Knox Goes Away" delivers a thrilling cinematic experience that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Highly recommended for fans of gripping thrillers and innovative storytelling. Solid 8 stars from me.

I really wanted to like this film as I've I enjoyed Keaton playing both "good guys" and bad guys. (as bad guys, he was great in Pacific Heights and Desperate Measures) He always manages to deliver a distinctive nuance to his characters which adds to any movie he's in.

This is a real Michael Keaton production! He stars, produces and directs!

Here, however, I blame the script in failing to deliver.

I will deal strictly with the plot as it is offered on the masthead of the IMDB page and not spoil anything beyond that.

The story as it is told in the trailer, is that he's losing his mind to dementia from a rare disease which has also been called, "mad cow disease" which is then spread to humans. (I knew someone who was diagnosed with it - 1 of THREE in the entire state of Pennsylvania in one year)

The portrayal of how this illness attacks someone's mental functions was off the medical mark, but this is a movie, not a medical journal, so I had no problem with them playing around with the facts - IF IT WAS CONVINCING.

That was one of three problems which I can cite. I was not moved by his decline into dementia. The very first shot of the movie is an attempt to represent the early symptoms, however, I thought the story should have dwelled longer on the many small mental gaps that people can otherwise relate to. Simply, in real life, it's other people who first notice the changes and we don't see that.

The second problem was the lack of action. I would have liked at least one more scene, early on, which would have shown him in action and then show him making little mistakes during the "job" and more action in the middle, expanding the one scene with James Marsden.

The last nit I'd like to pick was the ending, where two things happen. I would have liked to have seen them shown in reverse order to be a little more uplifting.

There were many missed opportunities such the complex story of a young woman reaching maturity and her family. I was disappointed by the dialogue. I expected more from a Michael Keaton movie! And while I like James Marsden, I felt he was a bit out of his depth. Perhaps stick to lighter movies which he does very well in.

I didn't feel my intelligence was insulted as so many movies do today. It wasn't a BAD movie but I can't truly recommend it.

I am big fan of Michael Keaton and he was THE reason I wanted to check this movie out. His performance was rock solid! In an understated, subtle way Michael Keaton made his character (suffering from fast deteriorating dementia) come across as sympathetic and true to life, BUT...

The bad: this story simply would not catch fire. It would not become thrilling or suspenseful or really mesmirising. The opposite was kinda true actually, because at moments this was quite a tedious watch.

More bad: the supporting actors arent terrible, but they surely arent great either. And that matters, because there is no real chemistry between Michael Keaton and the other actors.

Beware: this is NOT a thrilling crime / gangster drama. It is a well made portrait though of a hired gun with dementia that never really catches fire though. There I said it for a third time!

As the blurb points out, the lead character, John Knox, played by Michael Keaton, has dementia. Throughout the film, it becomes more and more of a theme. At the same time, there is a story line where Knox is, or rather was, a skilled contract killer.

The depiction of dementia is reasonable. But the film does not bring to life dementia's effect on close family and friends. In some ways, the portrayal, while accurate, feels a little sterile. Although Suzy Nakamura's character does bring some of the angst associated with dementia to life.

The contract killer aspect does not bring in-your-face gruesome content, or at least not much. A contract killer with dementia sounds like two potlines that could not work together at all. Where this film succeeds is in bringing together some quite disparate ideas and creating a sensible narrative. This really demonstrates Keaton's skill as a director.

Many of those with dementia will experience frustration and aggression. A frustrated and aggressive assassin with dementia could have made a heady mix, that was not explored. However, this is a solid film that is worth watching, and hopefully a harbinger of Keaton's future as a director, where I hope he takes a few more risks.