All The Old Knives (2022)

The good: All The Old Knives is an emotional mystery that packs a few good punches. It is well acted by the entire cast and the chemistry between Pine and Newton is strong, which the story needs. 

The bad: All The Old Knives is a little on the sloggish side and never quite hooked me into it enough for the weight of it's story to truly hit me. Also the twist felt easy to guess meaning I spent most of the movie looking for confirmation of my theory instead of being taken away by the narrative. 

Without spoiling anything, this is the story of a CIA agent assigned with looking into who may have been a traitor during a terrorist attack about 8 years earlier. Not only does he have to look into his old colleagues and friends, but even an ex lover, complicating his investigation. It's a good idea and the mystery plays out in a way that has a very satisfying ending (more on that later in a spoiler section) but I struggled to get into it enough to care. I do think the ending would have been incredibly powerful if the story had brought me in enough.

Director Pedersen plots out the story well. It is structured effectively managing a series of flashbacks (to the attack, the goings on in the CIA during the attack, subsequent and previous events, and the current investigation) well so that it is a clear and cohesive story. There are a lot of balls in the air here and Pedersen juggles them well. But in all that, there is an emotional quality lacking. Which is remarkable because some of that is the jarring attack itself which is quite upsetting to watch, and the moments between Pine and Newton have a genuine feeling to them. But perhaps despite a strong cast, they were never quite able to get me to the point of being invested enough in them. The exercise feels more academic than gripping. 

However it is a smart plot with a satisfying ending. I would recommend it to those seeking a smart if light film that needs you to pay attention but doesn't punish you too much if you look at your phone now and then. Stop reading here until you have see it.

Spoilers: The ending is one I saw coming but I hoped it was true. I like it when films upend our expectations. Turns out the man at the centre of the story is the guilty party, and the film's twists don't stop with that but include his reasons behind his betrayal. This is an idea I like. The film doesn't provide enough misdirection to throw us off the scent. Once we are presented with the it-could-be-anyone premise, it isn't hard to ask if it's Pine himself. I know we're supposed to worry the whole it's Newton but the film never tricked me into that. As I said, this ending would have been amazing if Pine's character was one I left myself become invested in but the film never quite got me there. Still, Pedersen's approach wraps up the ending in a way that is very satisfying and cleverly done. 

All The Old Knives

Starring: Chris Pine, Thandiwe Newton, Laurence Fishburne, Jonathan Price

Director: Janus Metz Pedersen

Writer: Olen Steinhauer