Nnamdi Asomugha is making it so that you forget he was ever an All-Pro NFL player. His directorial debut, The Knife, is a taut psychological thriller that Asomugha co-wrote with Mark Duplass, but he also produced and starred in the film about a Black family having the night from Hell when a woman breaks into their home. The rapidly escalating situation leads to an intense police investigation that threatens to tear the family apart.
Asomugha stars in The Knife alongside Oscar winner Melissa Leo, Manny Jacinto, and Aja Naomi King. The rave reviews were heard early on when it debuted at Tribeca last year, winning the Best New Narrative Director and Best Cinematography awards.
I was fortunate to have a few minutes with Asomugha, Leo, and King to talk about The Knife. This was my second time speaking with Asomugha. The first was after his breakout acting role in Crown Heights. We discussed the rapid acceleration of his filmmaking career, and how he wasn’t planning on becoming a director on this movie initially. Leo is someone I’ve admired since her days on Homicide: Life On the Street, so it was a real treat to finally speak with her about playing a detective again. King had the most interesting character in The Knife, and we discussed her thoughts about the choices she was given to protect the family.
The Knife is open now. You can read my review here. Check out the interview below, and please consider subscribing to the YouTube channel for more!
