Knox Goes Away Movie Review (2023)

An intriguing film about a hitman with dementia, Knox Goes Away has a great cast and ends terrifically, even if some of the middle narrative gets blurry.

I remember hearing about this movie when Michael Keaton did his tour of late night shows. It was the second film that he directed and he was specifically interested in it because of the script. I went down a bit of a rabbit hole at that time and also found out that his birth name is Michael Douglas. Since there was already a Michael Douglas, though, he chose Keaton as his stage name. An interesting tidbit.

Knox Goes Away is about John Knox, a contract killer who finds out that he has a rapid form of dementia. He has weeks, not months, to get his affairs in order. When his estranged son contacts him about some trouble he is in and one of Knox’s hit jobs goes wrong, Knox has a very limited time to try to sort everything out.

There are some incredibly interesting and unusual choices in this script. The juxtaposition of a hitman (who takes life away) having fast moving dementia (taking his own life away) is a fascinating element.

Michael Keaton is great as John Knox and he plays well with James Marsden as Miles, his son. When Miles is introduced, there is almost a highlight around him. A dimly lit sun feeling, so that you notice his pain, but you also feel as if he could be the center of the world. Al Pacino also plays a 90 year-old thief who is a mentor to Knox, and although it’s a small part, you can never not be engaged with Pacino.

There is a feeling of detachment during the first two acts of this drama. It is meticulous and curious, but you don’t quite understand what is happening. I’m not sure if this is intentional (because Knox isn’t fully cognizant) or not, but there are a few lulls and you begin to wonder where the story is going. I was never bored, but I was hoping that it would ultimately come together.

The third act was where it was at for me. Everything began to flesh out and it had much more color and texture than the previous two acts. I would argue that it is worth watching the entire film to get to this point.

This is a seemingly small budget film with a few big actors and an attractive premise. I have heard mixed reviews about Knox Goes Away around town, but I would encourage you to give it a chance. It is unique in several ways and people don’t always love that. But I think that sometimes, that’s what makes a film special.

Runtime: 114 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: R

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? Nope

My Rating: 3.25/5 Stars

Available: Free on Max, to rent on Prime Video, or may be available for free on other streaming platforms