Knox Goes Away Ending Explained

Spoilers are ahead for Knox Goes Away's ending.

Summary Knox Goes Away ends with John Knox in prison and succumbing to dementia.

Plotting with his friend and colleague Xavier, Knox arranges his own arrest to clear his son's name, all while leaving his fortune to his family.

The film tackles themes of redemption as Knox races against time to save his son after a lifetime of being absent.

Knox Goes Away's ending is fitting for a crime thriller that boasts a genuinely unique — though sometimes flawed — premise. Directed by Michael Keaton (Birdman), Knox Goes Away centers on John "Aristotle" Knox (also Keaton), a contract killer with a love of literature. Estranged from his wife, Ruby (Marcia Gay Harden), and his adult son, Miles (James Marsden), Knox's partner-in-crime, Thomas "Tommy" Muncie (Ray McKinnon), is also his closest friend. Things take a truly novel turn when Knox is diagnosed with a fast-moving form of dementia called Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease, leaving him with weeks to live.

Deciding he would rather cash out and retire from the business, Knox begins to make arrangements, but accepts one last mission. After Knox accidentally kills Tommy during the hit, the contract killer finds his world turned even further upside down when Miles shows up on his doorstep, tearfully explaining that he killed a man who assaulted his teenage daughter. Knox Goes Away's cast of characters is rounded out by Detective Emily Ikari (Suzy Nakamura), who investigates the two murders. Meanwhile, a troubled Knox tries to meticulously cover up the accidental crimes before his fast-moving disease takes hold.

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John Knox Winds Up In Prison & Loses His Mental Faculties

Knox Takes The Fall For His Son Because He Only Has Weeks To Live

At the end of Knox Goes Away, John does just that. Instead of taking a trip out of town, however, he's arrested for both murders by Detective Ikari. Michael Keaton's underrated thriller ends with Miles visiting his father in prison. The moment takes place several weeks after Knox's arrest, which means his aggressive form of dementia has really taken hold. Unable to recognize Miles, Knox is later transferred to a medical facility, which is where he'll spend whatever short amount of time he has left. In Knox Goes Away's final shot, a catatonic Knox stares out the window, completely gone.

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Xavier Crane Helps Plot An Elaborate Scheme To Pin The Murders On John

Knox Retrieves The Fortune He Leaves To Miles & Ruby

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John Knox's friend and colleague, former thief Xavier Crane (Al Pacino), helps the contract killer invent a flawless plan that will clear Miles' name and secure Knox's retirement money for his estranged family. Initially, Knox meticulously cleans the crime scene, taking care to remove any evidence that will incriminate his son. Although Knox saves evidence for later, his true intentions aren't revealed for a while. Although Miles ends up in prison for a short time, it's clearly all part of Knox and Xavier's multistep scheme. Knox even visits Miles in prison, planting a motive that will be useful later on.

Well aware of Knox's progressing dementia, Annie chooses to rat him out...

When Knox goes to retrieve a stash of diamonds from a family cabin, he gets lost in the woods, forcing him to reach out to Xavier for help. At home, Knox is ambushed by Annie (Joanna Kulig), the woman he's been seeing, and a crew of burglars. Well aware of Knox's progressing dementia, Annie chooses to rat him out to the unseen crime boss, Jericho. Making quick work of the henchmen, Knox tells Annie that he was always going to leave her something. Ultimately, Knox's cashed-out "retirement" money goes to Miles and Ruby, but Annie gets his book collection.

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Knox Meticulously Plants & Tampers With Evidence

The Contract Killer Arranges His Own Arrest & Miles' "Betrayal"

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After his run-in with Annie, an increasingly addled Knox calls Xavier again. Although Al Pacino's character wishes Knox well, he calls the police, which is the next step in their carefully plotted plan. Upon arresting Knox, Detective Ikari and her team discover that the evidence found at Miles' house, which landed him in prison, was tampered with. To make matters more interesting, it seems like John Knox planted the evidence — and, of course, that's exactly what happened. With the police convinced that John framed Miles for the murders, Miles is released from prison and John takes his place.

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Knox Goes Away's Ending Tackles Themes Of Redemption

Michael Keaton's Knox Leaves Everything Behind

If anything, Michael Keaton's Knox Goes Away is overly ambitious. It tries to juggle a ton of plot threads and themes, but fails to properly execute any of them in a meaningful way. The subplot with Annie is a perfect example of the bloat issue. While the film's hook — a contract killer racing against the clock to save his son from being sent to prison for murder — is compelling, Knox Goes Away also attempts to be a movie about an absentee father finally doing what's best for his child, which is, partly, why Knox takes the blame.

Keaton's film definitely tries its best to frame John Knox as noble...

John Knox knows that he doesn't have much time left thanks to his rapidly progressing form of dementia. Saddled with a lifetime of regrets, Knox is finally presented with the opportunity to truly help his son. Of course, Miles' predicament — an accidental murder — allows John Knox to use his particular set of skills to earn that redemption. Keaton's film definitely tries its best to frame John Knox as noble in the end. Although he's made plenty of mistakes, Knox uses his last days of lucidity for his family's benefit, ending Knox Goes Away on an interesting note.

As of July 2024, Knox Goes Away is streaming on Max.