Summary

Michael Keaton’s second feature film, “Knox Goes Away,” has several good ideas but suffers from trying to juggle too much at once. The film explores themes of an absentee father reuniting with his son, a hit man’s battle with dementia, and a complex crime plot. Keaton’s performance is strong, and there are some compelling moments, but the film struggles to find a cohesive rhythm and may have been overly ambitious in its execution.

Fifteen years after his directorial debut, Michael Keaton returns to the director’s chair for the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. His latest is Knox Goes Away, which sees him starring as John Knox, a contract killer diagnosed with a fast-paced form of dementia. Right as he’s set to retire, his estranged son Miles (James Marsden) rushes to his doorstep in desperate need of John’s help. For John, this is the chance for him to redeem himself after all these years. But will he be able to save the day with the police closing in on him and his dementia making every decision more challenging? This is the story of one man’s intriguing redemption journey against time.

Michael Keaton’s second feature film is a project that I wanted to love so badly, but it simply wasn’t executed as well as it could have been. There are several good ideas running through this script — the absentee father reuniting with his son, a hit man finishing one final job, and exploring one man’s battle with dementia. But honestly, there’s too much going on for its own good. Of course, life is complicated, and we are allowed to experience several things at once. However, as it is presented onscreen, it plays like several movies in one, struggling to find a rhythm that could keep your attention for two hours.

One of Knox’s first encounters with his dementia starts off small; he forgets he had ordered a cup of coffee during a late dinner with his colleague Thomas Muncie (Ray McKinnon). His next encounter is more obvious and the kickoff to what feels like the film’s first main plot. One hit job with Muncie goes awry, where Knox kills an innocent and his own partner. To make matters worse, a poor clean-up of the crime scene leads to a mistake that Knox simply doesn’t make under normal circumstances. Had the list of plot lines stopped there, Knox Goes Away could have been something special. But it seems something about that didn’t feel good enough for screenwriter Gregory Poirier.

In addition to Knox’s uncharacteristic mistake on the job and his battle with dementia, his Miles appears out of the blue, drenched in blood. Miles is seeking the help of his expert father to dispose of a body (I won’t dare spoil the details for you). After introducing this side plot, the film begins its bumpy ride towards showcasing John’s approach to solving all the problems he’s facing. From this process also comes a lovely story about a father doing whatever it takes to protect his son, even if it means keeping a notebook handy to remember all the details of the plan. And if that weren’t enough, John and Miles face a tough detective Emily Ikari (Suzy Nakamura) at every turning point.

I can understand why Keaton took on both roles as lead and director of Knox Goes Away. He seems really in tune with the character and gives a great performance from beginning to end. But, either the script was overly ambitious, trying to pack in all its themes and subplots, or Keaton’s direction is a complete misfire. The former explanation makes more sense seeing as Keaton actually does some interesting things from a direction standpoint. For example, his framing during some of the more emotional scenes helps to reel you in and make you feel for the characters even though they’ve done terrible things. And thanks to some convincing performances, especially from Marsden and Nakamura, there’s still some good potential here.

Alas, the good doesn’t necessarily outweigh the bad — they’re just about equal. Keaton’s noir style somewhat works for the story, especially with the emotional undertones established later in the film. With great performances all around — even the limited screen time of the wonderful Ray McKinnon and lovely Marcia Gay Harden — and a well-intentioned script that is equal parts creative and overly ambitious, Knox Goes Away is compelling in its own right. It isn’t the best in its genre, of course, but the commitment from Keaton, as actor and director, is more than enough for me to rally behind this film for another watch.

Knox Goes Away premiered at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival. The film is 114 minutes, not yet rated, and currently without a theatrical release date.