All the Old Knives

Name: All the Old Knives
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Released: April 8, 2022
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 62
Cast: Abdul Alshareef, Ahd, Chris Pine, Corey Johnson, David Bedella

2022

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Generally favorable reviews based on 32 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 43 Ratings

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5.5	User Score Mixed or average reviews based on 43 Ratings

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All The Old Knives

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Movie Details & Credits

Amazon | Release Date: April 8, 2022 | R

Starring: Abdul Alshareef, Ahd, Chris Pine, Corey Johnson, David Bedella, David Dawson, Goksin Erdemli, Jonathan Pryce, Jonjo O'Neill, Kasia Madera, Laurence Fishburne, Nasser Memarzia, Orli Shuka, Oscar Coleman, Thandiwe Newton

Summary: When the CIA discovers one of its agents leaked information that cost more than 100 people their lives, veteran operative Henry Pelham (Chris Pine) is assigned to root out the mole from among his former officemates at the agency’s Vienna station. His investigation takes him from Austria to England to California, where he is reunited withWhen the CIA discovers one of its agents leaked information that cost more than 100 people their lives, veteran operative Henry Pelham (Chris Pine) is assigned to root out the mole from among his former officemates at the agency’s Vienna station. His investigation takes him from Austria to England to California, where he is reunited with his one-time colleague and ex-lover Celia Harrison (Thandiwe Newton). The pair are forced to blur the lines between profession and passion in this riveting tale of global espionage, moral ambiguity, and deadly betrayal. [Amazon]… Expand

Director: Janus Metz Pedersen

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 101 min

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Critic Reviews

Empire John Nugent

Apr 8, 2022

A smart, compelling, pared-down thriller for grown-ups, anchored by a pair of stunningly charming performances from Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton. Read full review

IndieWire Kate Erbland

Apr 6, 2022

Come for the espionage thrills, stay for the wrenching dissection of what it means to really love someone. That’s what really cuts deep. Read full review

Leah Greenblatt

Apr 6, 2022

Pine and Newton work valiantly to fill in the blanks, though the gray-flannel template of the dialogue often pushes back. When they do manage to transcend it, the movie becomes something still rare enough to appreciate: an urbane thriller calibrated for slow burns and analog attention spans. Read full review

Luke Y. Thompson

Apr 7, 2022

All The Old Knives is compelling moment by moment, but afterward viewers may have some lingering questions about what characters hoped to accomplish, or why they were involved at all. Read full review

Michael O'Sullivan

Apr 6, 2022

The framing device of the conversation between Henry and Celia, which includes a bit of flirtation, necessitates a certain ennui, though director Janus Metz (“Borg vs. McEnroe”) does his level best to open up the claustrophobic setting with frequent jaunts to other times and locales. Come to think of it, there’s an air of a tennis match to the proceedings of All the Old Knives, with its two protagonists playing a mental game of volley and return, as it were. Read full review

Ben Kenigsberg

Apr 7, 2022

While All the Old Knives keeps cleverly resetting the table it’s laid out, it can’t fundamentally alter the meal. Read full review

Nina Metz

Apr 8, 2022

All the Old Knives settles for all the old tropes. Read full review

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User Reviews

DawdlingPoet

Aug 14, 2022

This is a decent enough mystery thriller film with a good cast. It has a bit of a James Bond feel to it, although maybe not quite so many good effects as those films have. Its interesting to see what we learn about the characters. Its not entirely memorable but its certainly a decent enough film.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

PurpleCrayon4U

Apr 11, 2022

You Know What's Coming, But You Hang Around Anyway .. .. All the Old Knives is a film you watch when you're scrolling through the channels and nothing is on. The R-rating is strictly for the sex scenes, which were unnecessary, because this film calls upon the viewer's imagination with manyYou Know What's Coming, But You Hang Around Anyway .. .. All the Old Knives is a film you watch when you're scrolling through the channels and nothing is on. The R-rating is strictly for the sex scenes, which were unnecessary, because this film calls upon the viewer's imagination with many plot elements implied so spelling out those scenes in detail is contradictory to the approach of telling the story. The screenplay and novel author Olen Steinhauer is also responsible for the fantastic series Berlin Station and if the author had more time and money to produce a longer film(maybe 3 more hours) All the Old Knives might have been a better production. All the Old Knives is average, middle of the road, meh, but.....if you truly want a better experience, pay strict close attention to all the characters and the small elements that are introduced throughout the film - which are many.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Voodoo123

Sep 4, 2022

Slow paced spy erotic/drama/thriller centred around an interview between former lovers and government agency employees. Their conversation is an interesting cat and mouse back and forth with the story told primarily through flashbacks. The cast is great and it's a solid production. It has aSlow paced spy erotic/drama/thriller centred around an interview between former lovers and government agency employees. Their conversation is an interesting cat and mouse back and forth with the story told primarily through flashbacks. The cast is great and it's a solid production. It has a slower pace the most films but in such an over saturated genre it failed to push the needle above average. On paper this has everything I look for in a good movie and yet it is just missing that special x factor to really add flesh to the otherwise very attractive bones.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

Apr 8, 2022

Within the praise I can give this film, which Amazon Prime Video has given no publicity at all, is that its approach to spy movies is elegant and absorbing. Fully driven by dialogue and tension.

All the Old Knives uses some old tricks, but its crafted in a style that might be thought toWithin the praise I can give this film, which Amazon Prime Video has given no publicity at all, is that its approach to spy movies is elegant and absorbing. Fully driven by dialogue and tension.

All the Old Knives uses some old tricks, but its crafted in a style that might be thought to have more to do with real-world espionage than super spies and their relentless action sequences.

Although I should point out that the film's background is centered on a romantic story.
The narrative of betrayal and espionage is not a subplot, but all revolves around the relationship of the two lead characters played by Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton.

It may not compare to the style of John le Carré's writing, but we're also a long way from Bond, and it's nice to see thrillers like this from time to time.… Expand

2 of 3 users found this helpful21

bertobellamy

Apr 13, 2022

'All the Old Knives' is a generic spy film that trusts all the weight of the narrative on the romance between two former associates that worked for the CIA during a hostage crisis gone wrong. Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton chemistry is the best part of it, but a convoluted plot that tries so'All the Old Knives' is a generic spy film that trusts all the weight of the narrative on the romance between two former associates that worked for the CIA during a hostage crisis gone wrong. Chris Pine and Thandiwe Newton chemistry is the best part of it, but a convoluted plot that tries so hard to be like a Le Carré one, some romantic clichés, and an evident lack of subtext make this movie feel like a very uninspired one. Oh, and sex scenes are totally unnecessary; very awkward, and 90's-esque.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

royalguy07

Jun 29, 2022

A cast that deserved much better plotting and intrigue, dreadfully dull and lifeless.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

EludiumQ36

May 5, 2022

"All the Old Knives" (90-mins, Amazon) definitely lulls you in with A-list stars but its low budget and newbie director betray its potential. Instead, you get one of the most boring terrorist hijacking films ever, but executive producer/star Chris Pine gets to love on Ms Newton quite a bit"All the Old Knives" (90-mins, Amazon) definitely lulls you in with A-list stars but its low budget and newbie director betray its potential. Instead, you get one of the most boring terrorist hijacking films ever, but executive producer/star Chris Pine gets to love on Ms Newton quite a bit so this seems to be more a treat for him than entertainment for us.… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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