Watching a thriller so deeply grounded in reality can be both gripping and frustrating. The Knife effectively tells a story focused on what it can mean for a Black family to be within their rights to defend themselves and still have to contend with a police investigation that is suspicious of them. There can be cries out for some regarding how far a situation like this can go without coming off as far-fetched, but acting as if the task of finding justice never leads to misunderstandings, unnecessary tension, or even sloppiness is not at all outside the bounds of reality. To treat this matter in a cinematic fashion, the key to having it work is not only to provoke the audience and show how key performances, location, and cinematography can be to make a small feature play as effectively as this one does.
The Knife unfolds over the course of one long evening. Chris (Nnamdi Asomugha), a construction worker, has said goodnight to his two daughters, Ryley and Kendra (Aiden and Amari Price), and is ready to sleep in his bed with his wife Alex (Aja Naomi King). Hearing a noise in his kitchen, Chris finds an older woman with seemingly no sense of why she’s in this family’s home. Some sort of struggle ensues, and the rest of Chris’ family find him in shock, with the woman lying on the floor with a knife close to her body. They call the police but make a crucial choice in how everything is arranged to ideally keep things simple. This may, however, exacerbate everything once a detective (Melissa Leo) arrives on the scene to conduct her investigation.
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At just over 80 minutes, The Knife doesn’t waste much time establishing its point. Some early moments focused on this family show they are loving individuals trying to make a good life for themselves in the home they now live in. With that in mind, it’s not just that a mysterious white lady has broken into their house and may die as a result, but the fact that a Black family is going to have to be questioned about it. The daughters are ignorant of the world they live in, but Chris and Alex are very much aware that this sort of ordeal will not just be an open-and-shut case of breaking and entering that led to self-defense.
Asomugha, a former NFL star, has assembled a few acting and producing credits over the past few years, but The Knife serves as his directorial debut. Co-written with producer Mark Duplass, the one location allows for a minimalist presentation of this story. Yet, the arrival of police and the tight coverage of the house makes for an often claustrophobic situation. The film is all the more effective because of this, especially given how the audience is well aware neither Chris nor Alex should be held at fault for doing what’s within their right to protect their family (which also includes a newborn in another room).
Fittingly, some details come out later than others. We don’t see the actual altercation that took place between Chris and the woman, but thanks to how the script layers in certain aspects via the daughters or the detective’s questioning, we not only come to certain realizations but see how differing contexts and assumptions change around what different parties are looking for. To make this play as good as it can, Leo has the tricky job of making her detective character both right in pursuing truth but also menacing in what she’s actually after. Doing all she can to seemingly uncover every stone presented, is her goal actually in finding justice, or is something more nefarious at play?
Behind the scenes of The Knife.
That’s not to suggest some kind of conspiracy at play here, but Asomugha wants to show how the world shouldn’t be blind to the sort of treatment certain individuals receive that would not nearly be as intense were the situation related to others because they look a certain way. Even in the case of Leo, it’s not that I feel she’s inherently racist, but the actions on display (which also include the actions of the other officers present) do present a character that at least seems questionable in their intentions based on the type of crime scene they’ve arrived at.
There’s some ambiguity as far as this long night everyone has had and why they seem to be wired so tight, but it doesn’t excuse the treatment of the family. That said, there are areas we can question when it comes to certain story-related choices. Some of this can be chalked up to a reality that exists, however unimaginable it may be to people who have never experienced it. However, there are certain areas where the film seems to stumble into territory without properly justifying it, considering how smart all of the characters presented are. I suppose it means accepting certain plot contrivances to let the movie play out as it does, knowing we’d arrive at the same conclusion regardless, but tightened pacing can come at a cost sometimes.
Not an issue at all, however, are Asomugha and King, who deliver strong performances as parents terrified of what those entrusted to protect and serve may do if given the chance. Asomugha’s Chris is already in shock after having had to defend his family unexpectedly. Now you add on first responders, police officers, and a very thorough detective, and it requires a layered performance that can feed into so many emotions regarding the situation at hand, how to present oneself best, and never losing track of what’s at stake.
Choice is introduced as a large part of this film. Potential consequences abound, depending on how one responds in a moment, but what would anyone do under heightened circumstances? The Knife works very well in exploring a predicament that at least some audiences will already understand as one that will be unlikely to conclude cleanly. It’s a shame that the story feels so true to life, even if it means making a few movie-type choices to build up the tension in this narrative. As frustrating as it may be to see unfold, there’s no doubt genuine thrills worth experiencing when it also means considering how one is affected by what choices ultimately prevail and what it leads to next.
The Knife is said to be heading for distribution in Fall 2025.
The 40th Santa Barbara International Film Festival will be taking place from February 4 to February 15, 2025.
