User reviews

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.

Only knowing Keaton from Spiderman: Homecoming, I don't he's so talented that he can direct too. He put out an incredible performance in the film. The movie deals well with both the suspense and the emotional aspects of the story, two emotions I rarely see come together, that too successfully. I misunderstood the film to an action from the trailer but I gave it a chance 10 minutes into the film and it didn't let me down.

And the best part of it all, the father role portrayed in the film, stirred so much emotion in me that I've added this to my favorite's list.

Everyone performed to their best including the son, detective, and Keaton.

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."

Just watched "Knox Goes Away" on Max directed and starring Michael Keaton. Keaton plays Knox, a hitman who receives a devasting diagnosis: he has Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and has only weeks to live. So, he has to get his affairs in order before he "goes away". Soon multiple tragedies occur which require him to use the last vestiges of his intellect to ensure that his estranged son, ex-wife and his kept woman get their inheritance. The story is a bit slower than it needs to be but Keaton's descent into the "brain fog" of dementia is convincingly sad. Solid support from Al Pacino as Keaton's friend and James Marsden as Keaton's son combine to create a decent, if not perfect movie. Recommended as a 7/10 - a Roger Ebert reviewer gave this one star - completely unfair in my opinion.

When watching movies across many era's, certain actors stand out more than others. It requires excellence across many projects, and due to the rich history of film, there are a lot of names on this list. Some obvious classic names are Bogart, Grant, Steward and Hepburn, Kelly, Bergman - and I think the further one goes back (within reason), the easier it is to identify these exceptional, stand out performers. But they exist in every era, and to finally come around to my point Michael Keaton is one of these great performers in the modern era.

Worth mentioning that the great performance in Knox Goes Away is also Keaton's direction debut - though I'm sure Keaton understands more about direction at this point than many of the film makers he's worked with, just due to his work within the media.

Knox Goes Away is about a hardened, professional criminal at the end of his prime. He would be able to still do his job if it weren't for a rare condition revealing itself as a rapidly deteriorating mind. Knox (Keaton's character) has enough self awareness to see his fate coming, and takes steps to resolve his life the best he can. But surprise! A desperate family situation arrives at his doorstep - making his plan to resolve things even more complex, and ultimately? His last great challenge to perform.

The greatness of this film is all Keaton's performance and his character's context. There's a tragic nature to the main character and his situation that as a viewer? Made me want him to succeed. I also wanted to know more about the main character, his past, and how he ended up choosing his line of work when he is portrayed as having so much intelligence and merit.

It's a really good movie. The lead is a complicated character, who is put in an impossible situation, and chooses to face the situation head on. Side characters are acceptable with Al Pacino probably being the most colorful and interesting in his few scenes. I'd say my favorite part of Knox Goes Away, besides Keaton, is a strong third act and satisfying ending, which so few films seem to have.

My biggest critique would be film pacing, which isn't bad, but would be a signifier of early directorial effort. I'd say the same about the camera work, which isn't Keaton, obviously the DP - but the director leads the DP, and the shots, while useful and fine, lack artistic finesse of a seasoned film maker. Lastly, most of the story elements and characters are cliche, and have a by the numbers scripting approach. I fully respected the straight continuity, and lack of script 'tricks'. It's not a movie that tries to hide anything, but also doesn't take too many chances.

I would say a must watch for fans of Keaton. Also a strong recommendation for fans of crime drama cinema with noir elements.

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.

Michael Keaton is like on a comeback streak. I think. He is not participating on several movies each year, as Bruce Willis did, at last two decades, but the pattern of coming back and especially into good and large projects, demonstrates that this iconic actor is returning to the main stage, and not once or twice.

This time he is also directing. At the second time of his long career. What a miss that he only did it twice, but maybe after this time he will do it again. For this movie, probably not knowing too much will serve the viewers better. It is a film that the less you know, the bigger surprise will be once you start watching it.

We had our share of movies about dementia. We've got heart breaking drama movies and even the biggest of all, Christopher Nolan's "Memento". Well...Keaton is no Nolan, but they both have a heavy batman connection, so it might help. This time it is Memento style, but with another Twist regarding how and when the dementia starts and when is it taking the part at main character's life.

It is not a brilliant and extraordinary story. But it is captivating. The story drops some details, that could have been relevant and add to the plot's twists, but it has enough going on to justify the runtime and the interest, from the viewers side. You cannot stop, once it has started and this is the true magic of the movie.

Keaton pulls a few wild cards for this feature - James Marsden, Marcia Gay Harden and even the wrinkly Al Pacino. They are all side characters, that are fun to watch, though no one is actually outstands Keaton's characters. He also took the great polish actress - Joanna Kulig for a short ride and she is a great add-on to this film.

It is now an outstanding and brilliant movie, but it is so well written and performed, that you cannot even go to take a leak while watching it. I cannot even say that it felt longer than it should have been and this is one of the surprising movies that I wasn't expecting anything and got almost everything.

The premise is a brilliant take on the unreliable narrator. A hit man battling dementia is so well defined and portrayed that I'm in awe. Keaton holds the viewer captive and makes one feel empathy for a cold blooded murderer. That remarkable feat is only possible by someone who has mastered the craft of film direction.

Al Pacino and Marcia Gay Hardin are scooted in under the radar in what could have been cameos but are essential elements to the tale. The rest of the cast, lead by Keaton, perform flawlessly.

This film deserves attention come awards time. Don't let anyone spoil the ending for you. It's worth your time and the fee MAX charges .

I loved it.

The thing to know is that it's a downer of a movie, lifted by a great performance by Keaton. There are two key plot lines: a noir thriller, and a story about losing yourself to dementia.

The thriller, not necessarily hard to figure out, has non traditional twists that make it interesting. The personal story is more intriguing: Knox (Keaton) knows he's "going away" and is desperately trying to put things in order before his mind completely betrays him. There were times where i was reminded of Memento, but this film delves more deeply into the primary character's past.

Keaton is excellent, Marsden does well enough playing a conflicted son who has his own personal problems to contend with. Marcia Gay Harden is capable in a small role, and Pacino with very little screen time, pulls off his brand of sentimental bad guy.

Recommended.

Such a fantastic movie.

Nicely filmed, wonderfully acted, excellent script, really good story telling and brilliantly edited. I loved every moment.

It is quite a story that has drama and a whole lot of heart. And Michael Keaton directing this gem is, well, what can I say, just amazing.

Yeah, yeah, I am running out of adjectives here. But when you are moved by art one has to show their love !

There are some good laughs, good gore and soul. The last scene in the movie really got to me.

All I can say is you have to give it go. Don't believe the META Score or crap reviews. This one is completely worth the time.

Damn, Mr. Keaton, you are magnificent. I guess I had one more adjective in me !

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.

Unless you were born minimum 40 - 80 years ago this movie was not made for your young and foolish eyes, I believe. Unless you are experienced in dementia, the true meaning of this masterpiece will certainly escape you I guarantee.

The screenplay, pacing, cinematography, mood and the acting is just so damn good - it is a travesty that the current crop of "The Caravan Of Fools" were let loose to spawn their nonsensical small minded and outrageously limited minds - to 'pan' this important work of art. Though of course not surprising in the least given this current moment in time history when so little wisdom and good remain in the "main stream" of life in the West.

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 feel 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.

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.

I highly recommend this movie on a night when you are in the mood for serious. The characters are deep and believable. They are neither perfect nor perfectly evil. The questions addressed are deep - probably not a great date movie.

It is a quest for meaning pursued in harsh circumstances. What is most important? What do we regret? How will we face ultimate questions when the time comes? The clock is ticking and actions speak louder than words.

I recommended this one to my family before standing up from the couch. I hope to see Michael Keaton and the movie itself considered for awards at the end of the year.

..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.

This movie is phenomenal. A true gem. They hardly ever make them like this anymore. The story is unique and interesting. The acting is superb. The directing from Michal Keaton made me want to scream - where have you been??? Sort of reminded me of the directing style of Clint Eastwood. Never a dull moment. To say that Michael Keaton still got it - is to say nothing. I wish this film never ended. Clint Eastwood gave us a number of great ones - Grand Torino, The Mule just to name a couple. Michael Keaton is still somewhat young by comparison in his early 70s. I am really looking forward to see more films like this from him. Go Michael!!!

The movie does a good job depicting dementia. Michael Keaton is still underrated as an actor. He has a ton of charisma and makes everything watchable. Overall the script is a bit on the flow and boring side. Average at best. I didn't really care about the mission Keaton had to achieve. The female detective character is awful just awful. Suffers from the wide spun belief in Hollywood that to depict a woman be in the wrong ever or allow a man to be as good at something as a woman is sexist. Tired tired girl boss cliches. The actress doesn't help. People would hate her and no one would work for her.

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.