Despite its title, King of Knives is neither a crime movie nor an action thriller. Named after a Tarot card drawn by one of its troubled characters, the film is an American indie dramedy about a dysfunctional family over a Christmas season weekend as their lives are upended. Producer/co-writer/star Gene Pope plays Frank, a veteran advertising executive who spirals into a midlife crisis on his 28th wedding anniversary. Frank has been an unfaithful husband to his wife Kathy (Mel Harris) and absent father to his now-grown daughters, the rebellious, self-sabotaging Kaitlin (Roxi Pope) and the aggressively conformist Sadie (Emily Bennett). Reeling after his hotshot junior partner goes behind his back to take over his biggest account, Frank turns to drink, drugs, and hard-partying with Kaitlin, and leaves a mess in his wake.
Hanging over his crisis is the memory of his son Danny, who killed himself after Frank failed to accept his homosexuality. While both of the daughters get their moment of truth and self-realization, Frank remains the center of the drama and to the film's credit, it never tries to justify his failings. Pope (who resembles an older, doughy Mark Ruffalo) very effectively creates a likable guy even when he's being a jerk, who dislikes himself so much that he wrecks the lives around him. This is the kind of American indie drama that used to be more common in the 1990s.
The script uses a mix of comedy and drama to take on serious issues and first-time director Jon Delgado draws solid performances from the entire ensemble and keeps the film moving with crisp ensemble scenes and narrative momentum. While it could be sharper and Kathy, the bedrock holding the family together, doesn't have the complexity or demons afforded the rest of the family, it's a solid film with spiky humor and a lived-in quality that grounds the dramatic journey in the real world.
It's a truly independent production made with minimal resources that might have made a name for itself on the film festival circuit or even received a theatrical release in another, non-pandemic year. Instead, it was released directly to VOD. Because of that, it might have trouble finding its audience, but it is worth discovering. Not rated, features foul language, sexual situation, and drug use. A strong option purchase.