Knox Goes Away (2023)

The story has so much potential.

Scriptwriter Gregory Poirier couldn't even scribble his way out of a wet paper bag.

This is Michael Keaton's second foray into directing. His acting is great. His directing is... fine. The guy simply can't seem to find a decent story to direct.

Warning: This review contains major spoilers!

The basic premise of the plot is that a hitman has run rings around the police for decades. The only time they caught him was for taxes.

And now his son has left DNA all over a crime scene.

What to do? Light a fire and hope all the DNA evidence burns up? Pour bleach over the DNA evidence then light a fire? Get some poor schmuck's DNA and plant it for the cops to find, pour bleach over the son's DNA, then burn the house down to the ground?

Nope, what you do is you create an overly complicated plan that involves letting your son stew in jail thinking his dad set him up, and hope that the son doesn't admit to the murder in the hopes of extracting some sort of revenge on his father.

This plan also relies on the cops being terrible at forcing confessions out of people, and yet amazing at forensics.

Even our hitman's mentor warns the hitman that this plan needs absolutely perfect execution, and our hitman is suffering from some serious dementia.

I know this is a movie, but come on. Cops are so good at extracting confessions out of people, they got a guy to admit that he killed his father, when his father was still alive!

And once prosecutors have a confession, they aren't exactly known for letting minor facts, like a bulletproof alibi or credible forensics, get in the way of a prosecution.

Even if someone walks in and admits they committed the crime alone, and tells prosecutors that they charged the wrong guy, that is no guarantee that the prosecutor will simply drop charges. Just ask Amanda Knox.

We could have had a "Memento" style ending, where Knox's son wasn't really Knox's son but someone who knew Knox had a failing memory. Or a "My Cousin Vinny" ending, where a whip-smart defender saves the day when all else seems lost.

Instead, we have cops who are terrible at extracting confessions, to the point where they can't even extract a confession out of a guilty man. And then they go confuse things by running a bunch of completely unnecessary forensics tests.

In addition to Michael Keaton's excellent rendition of an aging hitman, the other redeeming feature of this movie is the whip-smart cop, Detective Ikari. When Detective Rale explains his shower shootout theory, Ikari insightfully asks, "who turned off the shower?"

Later, someone else proposes a murder-suicide theory, Rale steals Ikari's line and says, "yeah, but who turned off the shower." Everyone is impressed with Rale's insight, except for Ikari. Which is all the more funny, because while no one is going to take the time to turn off the shower during a shootout where everyone shoots each other, you might just turn off the shower before killing yourself in a murder-suicide.



You should not watch Knox Goes Away if...

• You dislike overly complicated police procedures in a plot
• You cannot suspend belief on how forensic science and confessions work
• You expect a Memento style twist in the narrative
• You are put off by unrealistic details in a crime scene investigation
• You are not a fan of Gregory Poirier's scriptwriting or Michael Keaton's directing

People who loved this movie also loved...
Collateral (2004):

Since you enjoyed the clever and intriguing dynamics of a sharp hitman in "Knox Goes Away", you might appreciate "Collateral". This movie, directed by Michael Mann, is a high-stakes thriller about a taxi driver who unknowingly picks up a hitman as his passenger. Just like "Knox Goes Away", this film has a clever cat-and-mouse chase. However, the story is less dependent on heavy forensic details and more on the duo’s relationship and evolving game of wits. Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx deliver stunning performances in this film, with Cruise's character proving just how terrifyingly calculated and cold-blooded a professional hitman can be.

Heat (1995):

Given the appreciation for Michael Keaton's acting, it seems you might enjoy other works by distinguished actors. "Heat" is a brilliant crime drama directed by Michael Mann that captures an intelligent game of cat and mouse between a successful career criminal and an equally relentless cop, played masterfully by Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, respectively. It balances engaging action with deep character development, allowing you to understand the people behind the clever criminal plans. While it doesn't directly parallel "Knox Goes Away", "Heat" focuses less on forensic detail and more on the strategies employed by the two main characters.

Primal Fear (1996):

Although the plot is vastly different, elements like manipulation, courtroom drama, and crime draw a thematic line between "Knox Goes Away" and "Primal Fear". The movie skillfully paves the way to reveal suspenseful layers of personal secrets and grotesque crime, starring Richard Gere and Edward Norton. The film hinges on the exceptional performance from Norton as a character with a troubled past akin to Knox's son. If you're interested in clever character dynamics and intense court situations, "Primal Fear" might be well worth your time.

The Departed (2006):

Since you liked "Knox Goes Away" which toys with the idea of identities and law enforcement, "The Departed" could be a great pick. Directed by Martin Scorsese, and starring a stellar cast including Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, and Jack Nicholson, this film revolves around an undercover cop and a mole within the police trying to outwit each other. This movie is more character-driven and does not rely heavily on crime scene forensics or investigation like "Knox Goes Away", and offers a complex story with satisfying narrative turns.

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