Nnamdi Asomugha makes his unsettling yet compelling directorial debut with 'The Knife'. The opening scene portrays Chris (Asomugha), a Black father, returning home after a hard day's work, setting the tone of a looming tension that saturates the narrative. Asomugha, in addition to his starring role, co-wrote the screenplay with Mark Duplass. The Knife premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and delves deep into the reality of choice and safety for Black people in America.
The nerve-wracking tension intensifies when Chris, plagued by insomnia, investigates strange noises in their home only to discover an old white woman rifling through their kitchen drawers. What follows is conveyed in scattered, sharp cuts – the woman's body lying on the floor, the perplexed expressions of Chris’s wife Alex (Aja Naomi King) and their daughters, their fear palpable.
When they call for medical aid, they are met with an overwhelming police presence charging their home. Amid this intrusion, commonplace items turn into condemning proof and the familiar setting turns into a stark backdrop for a shaken reality.
During the investigation, the film shines with powerful dialogue, particularly around the family’s struggle against an unfair, prejudiced system. Chris, Alex and their two children Ryley (Aiden Price) and Kendra (Amari Price) endure the astringent mistrust of Detective Carlsen (Melissa Leo). This comment on America’s carceral state and its prejudiced bias against Black citizens is potently captured through probing close-up shots.
While 'The Knife' skillfully explores questions of choice and consequence in a prejudiced system, it falters slightly through unsubtle visual cues and loose narrative threads. Yet, the under-explored subplots and the frustrating lack of resolution actually amplify the complexity and harsh truth of the narrative.
Despite minor stumbles, the cast manages to deliver a poignant performance. Particularly notable are the child actors Aiden Price and Amari Price, who realistically depict the burdened life of Black children under this prejudiced system. Asomugha and King’s portrayal of a couple striving towards their American dream only to possibly lose it, effectively turns 'The Knife' into a terrifying, yet heartbreakingly real narrative.
