The Knife : Austin Film Festival Review

October 26, 20246 min
Starring
Nnamdi Asomugha, Aja Naomi King, Melissa Leo
Written by
Nnamdi Asomugha and Mark Duplass
Directed by
Nnamdi Asomugha
Run Time
1h 22min
Release Date
Overall Score
Rating Summary

As I was halfway through Nnamdi Asomugha’s film The Knife, I realized that different people will have different reactions to what they’re seeing. I don’t know if that was Asomugha’s intent, but his story reminded me that who you are and where you come from affects both your actions and reactions. That’s what a movie should do—make you think, as it holds a mirror up to you and asks what you would do if you were in this situation.

Chris (Nnamdi Asomugha) and his family have achieved the American dream of home ownership. While his family sleeps, Chris is finishing up some repairs before he heads to bed. Afterward, he checks on his daughters, Ryley (Aiden Gabrielle Price) and Kendra (Amari Alexis Price), and shares some playful conversation with his wife, Alex (Aja Naomi King), before they both call it a night. Not long after falling asleep, Chris is awakened by a noise, and when he goes to investigate, he finds a door ajar and an older lady standing in his kitchen. Chris asks her to leave, and after a few requests, something happens, and we see the lady lying on the floor unconscious, with a knife, which Chris brought for self-defense, lying next to her. The commotion wakes up Alex and the kids, who are confused by what just happened. So is Chris, as he can’t seem to remember the exact order of events. Concerned for the woman, Chris calls the police and an ambulance, but things are never that simple. Being a Black family, and the woman being white, Alex decides, right before the police arrive, to move the knife. That decision sets off a series of events, as Detective Carlsen (Melissa Leo) tries to get to the bottom of what happened that night.

Written by Mark Duplass and Asomugha, with the latter also directing, The Knife is a movie that doesn’t look to give answers but asks a lot of questions, much like Leo’s character. The lack of answers is a deliberate choice, as Asomugha intentionally abstains from showing the pivotal moment in the kitchen, allowing the audience to fill in those brushstrokes and envision different versions of what happened. Adding to the tension is the confined feeling of a single location, as The Knife quickly turns into a claustrophobic thriller with intensity you can feel.

The Knife is one of those movies that strikes at the heart of societal discourse that can be tough to talk about. Asomugha seems to understand that reality is far more complicated and that the choices one might make come from many thoughts racing through one’s head. Some of the strongest moments in The Knife are drawn from its staging, as the action never goes beyond Chris’s front yard, giving power to each room in its utilization. When you add that to a cast that delivers—especially Aiden and Amari Price, who portray kids under duress who nail their poignant scenes—it amplifies the film’s impact. Ultimately, The Knife succeeds in being a riveting and emotional drama, and while it won’t satisfy viewers wanting solid conclusions, it will spark great conversations, which I believe was its intention.

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