Review of Knox Goes Away - Michael Keaton Returns as Director

Michael Keaton steps back into the director's chair with Knox Goes Away, accompanied by Al Pacino in this crime thriller about a hitman experiencing mental decline, who weaves together one final plan.

A great trailer is one that showcases the film without giving too much away. Even better is one that reveals images while concealing the true plot—not by deceiving the viewer, but by preserving the element of surprise in films where it feels like everything has already been told. Knox Goes Away is one such production.

Keaton hasn't directed a feature since 2008’s The Merry Gentleman, and Knox Goes Away shares several elements with it. Both belong to the same genre, and in both, Michael takes on the lead role. In The Merry Gentleman, he portrayed Frank Logan, a lonely and depressed hitman who forms a friendship with a young woman escaping an abusive marriage.

In Knox Goes Away, Keaton revisits themes of solitude, reconnection, facing past mistakes, mental illness, forgiveness, and redemption. The story centers on John Knox, a hitman whose profession drove his wife away and left him with a fractured relationship with his son. He has a teenage granddaughter he's watched grow up from a distance. One final job goes wrong when he accidentally kills his partner. This mishap is due to his diagnosis of a rapidly progressing form of dementia, which will leave him with complete memory loss in just a few weeks.

As his retirement looms, Knox’s estranged son reappears, asking him for a favor: to cover up a murder he committed to protect his daughter. With nothing left to lose, Knox sees this as an opportunity to redeem himself and settle old scores, all while the police close in. Given his deteriorating health, he entrusts everything to his old friend Xavier Crane (Al Pacino), who will help guide him and execute his final wishes once he’s gone.

Keaton directs a mature storyline, structured over several weeks, that delves into betrayals, crimes, and family drama without overindulging in tragedy. The characters are self-aware, acknowledging who they are and what they’ve done, while coping with everyday life. The tone and pacing of Knox Goes Away also recall his first film, with Keaton opting for minimalism, restraint, and a deliberate pace to gradually unravel the story, which avoids unnecessary complications while waiting for a meaningful twist.

Much of what makes this thriller work lies in the strength of its protagonist, with Keaton’s own performance maintaining the intrigue around a cold, methodical character who still reveals glimpses of humanity. He immerses us in Knox’s motivations, dilemmas, and inner struggles. Keaton convincingly portrays his character’s deteriorating health, adding an extra layer of tension. Although Al Pacino’s role is shorter and more focused than one might expect, his interactions with Keaton are a pleasure to watch, and his character, though understated, proves crucial to the story.

It's clear that Keaton, as both actor and director, has a fondness for exploring morally ambiguous characters at crossroads, forcing them to confront both their darkest sides and their more vulnerable, humane aspects. Perhaps the film softens the edges of its anti-hero a bit too much, but let’s not forget that above all, this story is designed to entertain—and it succeeds.

Keaton embraces the elegant thriller format, where there's no excess of bloodshed or action, but rather a slowly unfolding story supported by solid performances (with the exception, perhaps, of James Marsden). It’s a race against time on its own terms—not frenetic or intense, yet effective.

Now in theaters after its premiere at the 2023 Toronto International Film Festival.

Technical Details:

Director: Michael Keaton
Screenwriter: Trevor Matthews
Running Time: 114 minutes
Producers: Trevor Matthews, Nic Gordon, Michael Sugar, Ashley Zalta, Michael Keaton
Genre: Thriller
Cast: Michael Keaton, James Marsden, Suzy Nakamura, Joanna Kulig, Ray McKinnon, Al Pacino, John Hoogenakker, Lela Loren, Maria Gay Harden
Cinematography: Marshall Adams
Editing: Jessica Hernández
Music: Alex Heffes
Country: United States
Year: 2023

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