To say that racism and cops railroading the helpless citizens they are trying to protect are hot button topics right now would be a massive understatement. There is still ferocious anger lingering in the air, with so many turning on those meant to keep us safe. People who pervert their power want to twist whatever narrative best fits their needs, and should be punished accordingly. The truth, it seems, doesn’t always set you free. Co-writer/director/lead actor Nnamdi Asomugha collaborates with writer/producer Mark Duplass on a disturbing thriller that may be difficult to stomach for those who already live in fear. The Knife cuts deep into one family’s horrific brush against one of the nastiest cinematic detectives in recent memory.
Their night starts out relatively simple. Chris (Asomugha, Sylvie’s Love, The Good Nurse) has a little to drink as he finishes up the backsplash in his daughter’s in-progress bedroom. He puts Kendra (Amari Alexis Price, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.) and Ryley (Aiden Gabrielle Price, 2023’s Angel) to bed properly. His wife, Alex (Aja Naomi King, How to Get Away with Murder, The Upside), makes a move on him in bed before they both surrender to exhaustion. Around 1:30 in the morning, Chris awakens to the sounds of clatter in the kitchen. As he goes to investigate, Chris finds the back door slightly ajar, then realizes there is a disheveled woman facing the counter.
Chris attempts to approach the woman, wielding a sizable retractable knife to defend himself with should she attack. Everything happens so fast. One minute, this woman seems to be a threat, and the next, a scream and commotion can be heard. Alex, Kendra, and Ryley rush downstairs. Chris claims to have lost control and blacked out, unable to articulate exactly what happened. Assessing the damage, the woman looks to be still breathing, but is laying in a pool of her own blood. Now, the family must corroborate their own story of events before the cops arrive to launch an investigation of their own. Their only hope is to be a united front against any lines of questioning brought their way. Just as sirens can be heard, Alex makes a choice that changes everything. She takes Chris’ knife, and places it on the floor in the woman’s hand.
When the cops arrive, they are immediately suspicious of the situation. Officer Padilla (Manny Jacinto, The Good Place, Nine Perfect Strangers) wears his skepticism quite blanky. The woman’s body is rushed off for medical attention, and one by one, the team starts bagging up their evidence. A crime scene has been declared. Detective Francis Carlsen (Melissa Leo, The Fighter, Prisoners) comes onto the scene, and her transparent bias creeps in. Before she even approaches the family, Carlsen comments that they “look like a bunch of bank robbers.” Leo delivers every line with a condescending, manipulative demeanor that would put anyone on edge, let alone someone who just went through a traumatic experience. She offers to resolve this quickly for them, mentioning she will be recording their conversations so there is no need to make a production of going to the station, or seeking lawyers. Carlsen offensively keeps referring to the intruder as a “victim,” and makes numerous inferences about the family dynamics that are frankly disgusting. Her character is a textbook example of abuse of power. In her words and actions, Carlsen manipulates and relentlessly prods at the answers she receives, requesting to speak to the family one by one. Casting real-life sisters as Kendra and Ryley gives the family unit a cohesiveness and genuine quality—every step of the way, we buy their tightly knit relationship thanks to their tangible bond both onscreen and off.
The fact that The Knife is so self-contained will be a major plus for some and a detriment to others. A structure that would benefit from further texture and depth could flesh out the scenario, and crank up the dramatic element exponentially. A lack of concrete answers could be rather frustrating. The nature of the film being so open-ended makes for a great conversation starter, but does not necessarily provide the catharsis or hopefulness one may be expecting. Asomugha and Duplass have scripted a tight drama more akin to a play format than a movie.
Nevertheless, the very nature of its complex topic should provoke talking points, erupting anger at the repulsive treatment of each and every family member. The tense, suspenseful build to the disturbing end credits sequence only works so well thanks to an ensemble of terrific performances, and Nnamdi Asomugha’s revolutionary direction. Each seemingly inconsequential piece of the puzzle becomes vital for Carlsen to piece together a case against them. Bursting with subtext and upsetting on many levels, The Knife tells a contained story of an innocent family entrapped by the worst kinds of people.
The Knife premiered at 2024’s Tribeca Film Festival.
Clearly you didn’t listen to the radio in the final scene in the cop car…. Because all your answers are black and white and if you heard that part of the film you would know the movie is anything but that. That scene also makes you rethink the entire movie and all your judgements.
I did indeed hear everything said in the cop car, which are conclusions made by the cops on the case, and not facts. The director spoke about this a bit in his Q&A afterward, and did insist that whether it was true or not, that doesn’t change the improper treatment of the characters.
Much of the film is completely left up to interpretation.