Summary
Game Rant can exclusively reveal a clip fromKnox Goes Away, a new crime thriller with a star-studded cast led by Michael Keaton. The film is currently in the middle of its stateside theatrical run, which kicked off on June 27, 2025.
Knox Goes Away, written by Gregory Poirier, mixes elements of neo-noir and dark comedy into a unique story about a contract killer diagnosed with Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, a rapidly progressing form of dementia. It stars and is directed by theever-quotable Michael Keaton, who is joined by multiple Oscar winners, including Marcia Gay Harden and Ray McKinnon.Knox Goes Awayoriginally premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2023.
Two months later, the rights to the movie were picked up by Saban Films, a Los Angeles-based company that recently distributedJohn Travolta’s directorial debutMob Land. Saban Films has exclusively shared with Game Rant a clip fromKnox Goes Awaythat shows Keaton’s John “Aristotle” Knox breaking into the house of his ex-wife Ruby, played by Marcia Gay Harden.
Knox Goes Away Break-In Scene Establishes the Movie’s Tragicomic Tone
The two-minute excerpt starts in a humorous manner, with Keaton’s character adding beer to Ruby’s shopping list before finding himself staring down the barrel of her revolver. But his little home break-in soon takes a rather emotional turn as the two start reminiscing about their complicated past and discussing their problematic present. This early scene hence helps establish the decisively tragicomic tone of the film, which is one of the things that set it apart from typicalmovies about hit men in distress.
Distress is essentially a permanent state of mind for Keaton’s character throughout the film’s 114-minute runtime, asKnox Goes Awaystarts with him finding out he has mere weeks until he completely forgets who he is. Determined to make amends with his loved ones before his mind completely deteriorates, Knox sets out to save his estranged son, played byWestworldstar James Marsden, all the while trying to outrun the police and complete one final hit.
Knox Goes Awayalso starsHollywood legend Al Pacinoas the titular character’s close friend and oldest criminal associate, Xavier. Another one of its Academy Award-winning cast members is Ray Mckinnon, who plays Knox’s contract-killing partner Muncie, who is with him when the protagonist learns about his doom-and-gloom diagnosis. Polish actress and singer Joanna Kulig portrays Knox’s “escort-turned-girlfriend” Annie, while Morgan Bastin plays his 16-year-old granddaughter Kaylee. The rest of the cast includes Suzy Nakamura and John Hoogenakker, who portray detectives Ikari and Rale, respectively.
