‘The Knife’ First Look: Mark Duplass and Nnamdi Asomugha Co-Write Home Invasion Thriller

Former NFL star Nnamdi Asomugha is making his big screen directorial debut in a big way.

Multi-hyphenate talent Asomugha has teamed up with indie film mega-producer Mark Duplass and his production company the Duplass Brothers for directorial debut “The Knife.” Asomugha co-wrote the script and produces with Duplass; Asomugha also leads the thriller that centers on a mysterious home invasion.

Unfolding over the course of one tense evening, “The Knife” follows construction worker and family man Chris (Asomugha) whose life is thrown into disarray woman appears at his house. By the time police arrive, the intruder is lying on the kitchen floor unconscious with a knife in her hand. But what really happened?

Melissa Leo plays the cop assigned to the case, who questions Chris, his wife Alex (Aja Naomi King), and their two young daughters Ryley (Aiden Price) and Kendra (Amari Price) as secrets begin to unravel.

Manny Jacinto also stars. “The Knife” premiered at the 2024 Tribeca Festival. The film is still looking for distribution.

“I wanted to tell a story that sparked conversation on the way out and didn’t tie up neatly in a bow,” Asomugha exclusively told IndieWire. “One of my favorites films last year was ‘Anatomy of a Fall’ and I loved how it left you with interesting questions at the end, questions that each viewer had to explore within themselves. How would you have reacted in this situation? How does the information that you receive throughout the film affect how you feel about the circumstances? Can you find empathy for people that are going through situations that you might not be able to relate to?”

Asomugha continued, “The overarching theme of the film is choices and consequences. Each character makes a choice that night that has a potentially disastrous consequence, but my reasoning was to show the lengths in which this family would go to protect one another. The other theme of the film is the concept of truth, and whether truth is subjective. There is a narrative around what happened that night with the intruder, but is that the truth? I think the life experiences of each audience member will directly affect how they interpret the situation, and that’s one of the things I love the most about storytelling. This is an edge of your seat film that will have you wondering what will happen up until the last minute.”

Asomugha previously starred in series “Friday Night Lights,” “The Game,” “Kroll Show,” and “Leverage,” as well as films “Hello, My Name Is Doris” and Sundance Audience Award-winning breakout “Crown Heights,” which he also produced. Before taking over directing duties for “The Knife,” he co-wrote, produced, and starred in short film “Double Negative” in 2012, and was an executive producer on Netflix’s “Beasts of No Nation.”

For “The Knife,” Asomugha produces with Jonathan T. Baker and Ami Werges. Duplass executive produces with Jay Duplass, Mel Eslyn, Shuli Harel, Rao Meka, Chijioke Asomugha, and Akbar Gbajabiamila.

Check out the teaser clip below.