The Knife Review | Superb Home Invasion Thriller

Former NFL cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha proves he’s also a star off the field with a truly stunning feature directorial debut. The Knife tells a riveting account of how a black family’s search for the proverbial American dream turns into a horrific nightmare. The film boldly addresses complex themes of race relations, police accountability, and false perceptions of the truth. A lean, 80-minute runtime packs important details into tense interactions that can easily be overlooked. Your visceral, gut punch reaction to what transpires may be clouded by wrong judgment. There’s a lot more than meets the eye in a challenging situation fueled by poor choices.

Chris (Asomugha) gingerly walks around his new house late at night, finishing home repairs. He overhears his daughters giggling when they should be asleep. Chris tucks in his elementary school-aged children (Amari Price, Aiden Price) before checking on the baby. Chris gently slides into bed beside his sleeping wife, Alex (Aja Naomi King), but is startled awake by a loud noise. Alex sleeps soundly undisturbed. He cautiously exits the bedroom and looks down the hall. There’s a shadow moving in the kitchen. He’s terrified to see someone standing near the cupboards. Chris asks the intruder to leave immediately. He’s going to call the police.

A Black Man Stands His Ground in The Knife

Asomugha, who also wrote The Knife, brilliantly captures the confusion and terror of the worst-case scenario. A father’s first duty is to protect his family. A stranger has broken in after midnight with possibly nefarious motives. But will law enforcement see the situation and its aftermath that clearly? Alex doesn’t believe he’ll be viewed as innocent. Chris is a Black man in America. He’s guilty just by the color of his skin. The police won’t be sympathetic to them. There can be no doubt as to what happened in the kitchen.

The first responders treat Chris with suspicion, as Alex expects. The lead policeman (Manny Jacinto) doesn’t empathize with the shaken family. His decision to radio for a senior officer alarmingly raises the stakes. Chris, Alex, and their children become uneasy. They are suspects in their own home. The arrival of Detective Carlsen (Melissa Leo) puts the family on edge. Her initially sweet demeanor and sympathic voice aren’t comforting. She’s there to find the truth. This means interviewing everyone separately. Carlsen tells the frightened girls not to be afraid. Surely there’s nothing to hide.

Melissa Leo’s Spellbinding Performance

The Knife’s second act is absolutely spellbinding. Leo may have to clear the shelf for another Best Supporting Actress Oscar (The Fighter). Carlsen stalks the house like a vampire looking for drops of blood. Decades of experience has taught her to trust her instincts. She’s a meticulous investigator who’s not afraid to bend the rules. These scenes are sure to infuriate those with a negative opinion of police tactics. Would Carlsen treat Chris differently if he were a white man? Her questioning of Alex and the girls is breathtaking to witness. Again, would a white wife and kids get a softer response?

The reasons behind Carlsen’s ruthless methodology aren’t cut and dry. This is the daring genius of Asomugha’s script and the crux of his overall message. It’s easy to brand Carlsen as a racist cop targeting Chris. That fits the narrative of police as enforcers of systemic racism who unfairly subjugate Black people in every instance.

But is the first blush of Carlsen’s actions the correct one? She agrees with the cop that called her in. The crime scene doesn’t fit the family’s story. They’re obviously decent, working-class people trying to build a better life for treasured children. That doesn’t allow them a pass if they’re hiding something serious. Choices have consequences. Could it be that Carlsen is a good cop just doing her job?

An Excellent Film with No Easy Answers

The Knife strikes at the heart of a tough societal discourse. Every Black parent has had “the talk” with their children about what to do when confronted by law enforcement. Tamir Rice, Elijah McClain, George Floyd, and literally last month with the killing of Roger Fortson in his own apartment. These incidents paint an ugly picture of police racial bias that’s widely held by many Black Americans. But is this belief self-defeating, practically untenable, and false by tarring all police? Does it lead to dangerous actions when doing nothing and remaining passive is automatically discounted?

A logical criticism is why don’t Chris and Alex lawyer up at the first sign of trouble? But can they afford a lawyer? Alex declares her family are the real victims, not the other way around. Would an adversarial response make them look guilty and things worse for the children? Key moments are left unseen for the audience to infer what actually occurred. It’s important to watch every second of this film, including the credits. Asomugha purposely shades The Knife in gray. He doesn’t tread lightly through a minefield.

The Knife is a production of Iam21 Entertainment. It premiered at New York City’s Village East by Angelika theater as part of the 2024 Tribeca Film Festival’s US Narrative Competition.