Director/actor Nnamdi Asomugha’s THE KNIFE is a breathtaking thriller that takes place over one night at a black family’s home after an intruder is stabbed, presumably by the patriarch played by Asomugha.
Melissa Leo is so good as the unlikable detective interrogating the family, she would be contending for an Academy Award nomination if this was a higher profile studio film.
Asomugha never lets the audience know for sure exactly what happened and we just feel the fear and uncertainty that the family members are going through. While this fuels the level of tension throughout the film, it also prevents it from having a satisfactory conclusion. Still, it is an impressive debut that is harrowing and thought-provoking.
Photos are from the Q&A with Asomugha, Leo, director of photography Alejandro Mejia, and production designer Ryan Brett Puckett.
