If you’re looking for a tense and stylish spy thriller, thenAll the Old Knivesmight be the perfect film for you. It’s based on a book by the author ofThe Touristand is sure to be a treat for fans of the thriller genre. Its fantastic cast and stylish cinematography should keep audiences glued to their screens to find out what happens next.
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What is All the Old Knives About?
All The Old Knivesfocuses on Henry and Celia, two people with a complicated personal and professional history, meeting again for the first time in years. Six years prior to the start of the movie they had been dating and both working asCIA agents. After a hijacking crisis that ended in tragedy, Celia left Henry and quit the CIA, settling in California. When the CIA receives information that the hijackers had a mole inside the agency, Henry is sent to interview everyone on their old team and root out the traitor. He and Celia meet for dinner, both with their own suspicions and secrets about what exactly happened six years ago.
Who are the Cast and Crew Behind All the Old Knives?
All the Old KnivesstarsChris Pineas Henry alongsideThandiwe Newtonas Celia. Chris Pine is known for roles including James T. Kirk in the recentStar Trekfilms, and Steve Trevor inWonder Womanand its sequel. Thandiwe Newton (who was often credited as Thandie Newton in earlier films) is known for her roles in shows includingWestworldand movies such asSolo: A Star Wars StoryandCrash.
The role of Henry and Celia’s boss at the CIA is played byLaurence Fishburne. Best known for playing Morpheus inThe Matrix, Fishburne’s impressive resume goes back to the 70s and includes roles in films includingApocalypse Now,School Daze, andContagion.
Jonathan Prycewho is best known for playing The High Sparrow inGame of Thronesand Prince Philip in later seasons ofThe Crown, is also on the call sheet. He was nominated for an Oscar for Best Actor for his role as Pope Francis inThe Two Popes.
Character actorCorey Johnsonwill also be making an appearance in the film. Johnson is no stranger to spy thrillers, having been inTheBourne UltimatumandKingsman: The Secret Service. HisBourne Ultimatumco-star Colin Stinton is also featured. Stinton was also inJanus Metz’sBorg vs MacEnroe.David Bedella, another spy thriller veteran and addition to the ensemble, was recently seen playing the President inTom Clancy’s Jack Ryan. Rounding out the cast is BAFTA nominated actressAhd Kamel, who will be playing a character named Laila Maroof.
All the Old Knivesis directed by Janus Metz. Metz’s other directing credits include an episode ofTrue DetectiveSeason 2 andBorg vs MacEnroe.
All the Old Knivesis based on the book of the same name byOlen Steinhauer, who also wrote the screenplay.All the Old Knivesis far from Steinhauer’s first spy thriller: he is also the writer ofThe Touristand several other spy novels. Steinhauer has been widely praised for his tense spy thrillers, withStephen Kingcomparing him toJohn Le Carre, writer of such classics asTinker Tailor Soldier SpyandThe Spy Who Came in From The Cold.
Unlike some popular authors who write about spies and espionage, Steinhauer has never worked as a spy, instead relying on research, imagination, and an understanding of human nature to craft his novels. In an interview henotedthat “A good spy novel is good for the same reasons any work of fiction is good: It tells bigger truths through engaging characters working their way through an engaging story, and it tells that story well. Realism isn’t absolutely necessary, but in the case of espionage fiction it’s a huge bonus, and I think most serious spy novelists try hard for it, whether they’ve experienced it personally or not.”
Is There a Trailer for All the Old Knives?
Amazon released the official trailer for All the Old Kniveson March 3rd. Scored to tense string music, the trailer shows Henry and Celia reuniting after years apart, both carrying with them their own baggage and suspicions about the tragic hijacking they couldn’t stop and the deaths they couldn’t prevent. The trailer also shows Henry’s boss and coworkers and makes it clear that Henry is supposed to “deal” with Celia if his investigation shows she was the mole. Of course Celia is not the only suspect and her skepticism on learning that Henry had been investigated and cleared, shows that she has her own suspicions on what may have happened six years earlier and who may have played a part.
While large sections of the story will be about Henry and Celia’s tense dinner together, audiences are unlikely to confuseAll the Old Knivesfor some sortMy Dinner with Andrewannabe with Spys. Every interaction, no matter how minute, is filled with tension and fraught with meaning. In a review of the book, theNew York Timesnoted that “Steinhauer has created elaborate puzzles [which] remain coiled and alive until the very last page.” The trailer shows how these tightly coiled mysteries are translated to the screen. The tight pacing belies the unconventional strategy Steinhauer often uses when writing his books. He hasadmittedthat “A number of times I’ve written, say, two-thirds of a book without actually knowing what the “conspiracy” is at the end… So I’ll try tofindclues within the text, and see what they could possibly be pointing at. It’s an odd method, but it’s largely worked for me."
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How To Watch All The Old Knives
All The Old Knivesis an Amazon Original and will be streaming onAmazon Prime Videobeginning April 8th alongside a limited run in select theaters. While the CIA agents in the movie may be wearing the best suits and ties, audiences can comfortably watch this one in their pajamas. It has an R rating, which isn’t surprising given the intense subject matter.
If a stylish espionage thriller with a gripping mystery and appealing cast is what you’ve been looking for, then be sure to check outAll the Old Knivesand discover the truth about Henry and Celia’s secretive and shocking pasts.
