Cast: Nnamdi Asomugha, Melissa leo, Aja Naomi king, Manny Jacinto, Amari Alexis Price, Aiden Gabrielle Price

Written by Mark Duplass and Nnandi Asomugha

Directed By: Nnandi Asomugha

release Year: 2025

82 minutes

*There Is No Known Audio description For This Title*

What Is it? The life of a black family is turned upside down after the father handles an intruder, but makes the mistake of dialing 911, triggering an overly exhaustive examination from a detective (Academy award Winner Melissa Leo), who isn’t sure who the victim really is.

What Works: Frustrating at times, the investigative part of the film is deeply interesting. Melissa leo blasts into this film with this fake smile, and odd calm that reminds everyone around her she’s just there to help, but her relentless need to pull at the thread and uncover the truth at all costs will open a conversation into her motives. Other detectives would have seen an obvious intruder, and not assumed the family did something to deserve a breaking and entering, but Leo’s detective takes nothing for granted.

At the front of the film, we do build some small pieces of the puzzle. the father is not entirely in the clear, but considering what actually transpired, and how often white families are afforded stand your ground laws, you would think that most officers would have just taken the initial statements and been on their way. it begs the question why leo pushes so hard, and why this family never calls a lawyer. I certainly felt this when leo claimed absolute right to question the underage members of the household, which to me made it seem like this probably isn’t procedure in real life. Then again, the parents never stop the questioning by requesting a lawyer.

At times, I was caught up in these tense exchanges between Melissa leo and one of the members of the family, I forgot I didn’t have audio description. it would make the film better, especially for the first chunk of the movie where the crime happens, and dad defends himself. the whole family is fine, and for our writer/director/star, I loved this a lot more than his last effort. Leo is just so good without ever going over the top. It is a very level performance, yet oddly chilling. Her can’t stop, won’t stop attitude is what powers the last 2/3rds of the film, leading to a surprising and frustrating ending.

While race is never explicitly mentioned in ways that would lead you to connect the dots of extreme prejudice, it is hard to believe Leo’s character would have been this persistent with a white upper class country club family with the same intruder, and same circumstances. it’s subtext, but it is done so well.

Why You Might Like it: Law and Order fans, or people who like watching detectives get to the bottom of things, will enjoy watching Leo’s process. She could spin her character off into her own show, where she never explicitly admits to bias, but lets the audience decide if prejudice affects her line of questioning. I know it is probably less the takeaway that I’m most drawn to the white character, but she’s so oddly compelling, in both good and bad ways. the actors playing the family, both adults and kids, feel comfortable as a unit, making her prying feel all the more intrusive.

why you Might Not Like it: Look. OK. If you’re blind or low vision, I agree that expecting you to pay for a film without audio description is pointless. however, if this comes on a streaming service of yours, I’m not going to use that as an excuse. The most interesting part of the film is the dialogue. It is the back and forth between leo and someone else, and you need to feel that same level of discomfort. So, I’m not going to completely acknowledge lack of audio description being the ultimate killer here.

Final thoughts: A domineering performance from Melissa leo as a detective pursuing the truth beyond acceptable reasoning makes the Knife feel like one of the fresher and more intriguing mysteries this year.

fresh: final grade: 7.7/10