Almost two years later, Amazon Prime Video shared Knox Goes Away, which only became a highlight for me in 2025. The film, starring and directed by Michael Keaton, is a good drama about a man racing against time and losing control over his mind.

The hitman named John Knox (Keaton) is tense and has some forgetfulness, and soon receives the worst possible news from his doctor: he suffers not only from dementia but from a rare form that is rapid. In just a few weeks, he will no longer remember who he is. Obviously, in any situation, the information is devastating. For Knox, who no longer has contact with his son or ex-wife, it is dangerous because his activity leaves no room for error.

Knox’s plan is kind of “spoiled” by the translation, the original only says that he will leave the scene, but in the middle of everything, the past catches up with him and he has a single chance to solve all his problems, the worst of which is the lack of time. This is because not only does he make a mistake at work, but his son (Marsden) shows up asking for help with something extremely complex to solve.

I am deliberately keeping spoilers to myself because there are few twists and turns and you would miss a lot if you knew them beforehand. The appearances by Al Pacino and Marcia Gay Harden are short but essential. Obviously, the one who really stands out is Keaton, who is great in long silences and leads us on this distressing journey of a man who will remain alive, but dead to who he is and what he could still be.

Knox is a mystery and we only know a few things: intelligent and cultured, the army veteran at some point started killing people for money. And a lot, in fact. He doesn’t even care to confirm whether they are people who “deserve” to be killed. Still, he is not your usual sociopath. After all, he is extremely cold and rational, but he has feelings for his son and his ex-wife.

Practicality prevails and this is the advantage of both the film and the plot: he leaves us in suspense about his final plan, we have to follow him to understand his redemption. Knox’s final plan to “leave the scene” and have, repeat, “redemption” is, as Pacino’s character says: brilliant, but bordering on impossible for someone who barely has a few days to keep control of his own mind.

At his back is the welcome comic relief, which is the astute detective (Suzy Nakamura) who is on his tail. Having said all that, there are more gaps in the script than we might expect. The few explanations we receive are a reflection of Knox’s way of dealing only with what is necessary, even if we want to know more. But it is worth checking out.

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