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The Knife is a visceral viewing experience, keeping us on edge with intense suspense and a poignant conclusion. Stellar cast performances bring the story to life, with Asomugha, King, and Leo delivering top-notch acting. The film's staging creates a sense of claustrophobia, emphasizing the tension and consequences of protecting loved ones.

A Black family has recently moved into a new home in a not-so-safe neighborhood, but a routine evening is disrupted by an intruder. Chris goes down to the kitchen to find the source of the noise. In his hand is a knife. Though he confronts the stranger, what exactly transpired between them is not shown onscreen. And so The Knife begins on an anxious, tense note that it delicately continues to escalate until the final moment, leaving us on edge throughout a swift, stress-inducing 82 minutes.

The Knife (2024)

Director Nnamdi AsomughaRelease Date June 13, 2024Writers Mark Duplass, Nnamdi AsomughaCast Justin Dean,...

Quick Links A Black Man Stands His Ground in The Knife Melissa Leo's Spellbinding Performance An Excellent Film with No Easy Answers

Former NFL cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha proves he's also a star off the field with a truly stunning feature directorial debut. The Knife tells a riveting account of how a black family's search for the proverbial American dream turns into a horrific nightmare. The film boldly addresses complex themes of race relations, police accountability, and false perceptions of the truth. A lean, 80-minute runtime packs important details into tense interactions that can easily be overlooked. Your visceral, gut punch reaction to what transpires may be clouded by wrong judgment. There's a lot more than meets the eye in a challenging situation fueled by poor choices.

Chris (Asomugha) gingerly walks around his new house late at night, finishing home repairs. He overhears his daughters giggling when they should be asleep.

A palpable tension permeates Nnamdi Asomugha’s unsettling feature directorial debut The Knife. It’s evident from the opening sequence, in which Chris (Asomugha), a young Black father, returns to his family after a long day of work. As he slinks into his daughters’ bedroom to say goodnight, the tension holds. It’s still there when he snuggles next to his wife, Alex (How to Get Away With Murder and Lessons in Chemistry star Aja Naomi King), in bed.

The first disturbances — a turning knob, the creak of a door — ease some of the strain. Chris, an intermittent insomniac, wakes from his slumber, grabs a pocket knife and heads downstairs to investigate the noise. In the kitchen, he encounters an old white woman rummaging through the drawers. What happens next is a blur. Asomugha, working with editor Dana Congdon, abruptly cuts from that moment to the next: the woman’s body on the floor,...

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret follows a young girl who was raised by a Christian mother and a Jewish father. She starts to ask questions about religion and faith as she starts to go through changes. The film stars Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon, Rachel McAdams as Barbara Simon, and Kathy Bates as Sylvia Simon.

Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret is now in theaters everywhere. The film is based on the Judy Blume book by the same name. While it is being banned in Florida because it discusses menstruation, many of the cast and filmmakers feel it is important for young children to see so that they know what they are going through is normal.

Related: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret Ending Explained

Screen Rant caught up with several of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret's actors, as well...

Plot: A young girl finds herself struggling after her family moves away from the city. Based on the popular novel of the same name, by Judy Blume.

Review: My recollection of Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is very vague. I knew Judy Blume and had perhaps read some of her books, but not this tale of a preteen girl. So even with the talent involved, I wasn’t excited about the movie. And then, I sat down for a screening. Perhaps it was the charms of the lovely and vibrant Rachel McAdams as Margaret’s mom? Sure. How about the excellent work of Kathy Bates as Margaret’s loving grandmother? Yes, yes, yes. And then there is the terrific Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret. Yet, the superstar here is writer/director Kelly Fremon Craig. Let’s dig in and see if Margaret’s prayers get answered.

Margaret...

Rachel McAdams as Barbara Dimon and Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon in ‘Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret’ (Photo Credit: Dana Hawley)

Finally, 50 years since the publication of the well-loved and iconic coming-of-age novel, a movie adaptation of Judy Blume’s popular book Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is set to hit the theaters.

The film, set in 1970, begins with 11-year-old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) returning to her New York home from summer camp only to discover boxes in the living room and her bedroom. Sylvia (Kathy Bates), Margaret’s grandmother, abruptly informs her that they’ll be moving to New Jersey because Margaret’s father received a big promotion. Margaret is taken aback and distressed by the news.

“Please don’t let New Jersey be too horrible,” prays Margaret to God as her parents pack up the car and head out to the suburbs.

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It’s that time of the month: At long last, the film adaptation of Judy Blume’s best-selling novel, Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., hits the big screen on April 28.

Abby Ryder Fortson as Margaret Simon, the 11-year-old protagonist who navigates the trials and tribulations of adolescence — including period underwear, one of her many sources of stress. And ahead of this week’s theatrical debut, the nostalgic movie has teamed with size-inclusive underwear label Cuup on a limited-edition undies collection to keep wearers comfy every day of the week.

The seven-pair Days of the Week underwear pack features the brand’s best-selling modal bikinis with the days embroidered in colorful, retro script on the waistband. The super-soft collab comes in sizes Xs to Xxxl, and the silhouette has “minimal,...

It’s finally that time. Are You There, God? It’s Me, Margaret – Only in Theatres April 28.

For over fifty years, Judy Blume’s classic and groundbreaking novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. has impacted generations with its timeless coming of age story, insightful humor, and candid exploration of life’s biggest questions.

In Lionsgate’s big-screen adaptation, 11-year-old Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) is uprooted from her life in New York City for the suburbs of New Jersey, going through the messy and tumultuous throes of puberty with new friends in a new school. She relies on her mother, Barbara (Rachel McAdams), who is also struggling to adjust to life outside the big city, and her adoring grandmother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates), who isn’t happy they moved away and likes to remind them every chance she gets.

The film also stars Benny Safdie and is written for the screen...

Like Judy Blume’s treasured young adult classic, Kelly Fremon Craig’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret begins in 1970 with 11-year-old Margaret Simon (Abby Ryder Fortson) getting the worst news any New York City-raised child can get: her family is moving to New Jersey. It’s not only that Margaret will have to leave behind her wise-cracking grandmother Sylvia (Kathy Bates) or her friends or school, but that being 11 years old often means everything is the end of the world. The crushing despair that makes adolescence feel like a rueful eternity is Fremon Craig’s specialty.

For Blume devotees, this adaptation of the author’s hit novel is––take a breath––very faithful. Devoid of modern-day winkings, needling jokes, or overlong proselytizing, It’s Me, Margaret (for short) is mercifully for its target audience. That the script, also by Fremon Craig, better services Margaret’s parents Barbara...

In a desert littered with intellectual-property revivals, prequels, sequels, and other failed attempts at blockbuster fare, "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" is an oasis. Though this adaptation of the beloved Judy Blume novel cannot claim to be wholly original, itself a take on one of the most well-known YA novels ever published, it represents a remarkable and welcome balm from the current state of the modern movie. Here is a film that, like its source material, treats its characters with care and tenderness, establishing an instant and unbreakable bond with the audience that hits home in scene after scene. Coming from Kelly Fremon Craig, the writer/director of the smart and spiky teen dramedy "The Edge of Seventeen," it's little surprise that "Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret" is so calmly brilliant, so intelligent, and patient, and knowing. This is the first great film of the new year.

Judy Blume never wanted her classic adolescent novel Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret turned into a film. The beloved author received numerous calls from Hollywood executives over the years asking for her blessing (and the rights). “Not every book has to be a movie,” the author said recently. “I just didn’t think it would ever be done in the way that I would have felt proud of.”

She makes a fair point. Blume’s novel — a modest story of a sixth grader who, on the cusp of puberty, finds herself talking with God — endures because it offers readers solace during a famously uncertain time. Puberty happens to everyone, but amid newly sprouting pimples and peculiar body odors one can suddenly feel desperately alone. An adaptation would be too easy to botch, could too easily shatter the magic Blume so carefully conjured. So, the writer gently turned...

Legendary author Judy Blume has written 29 books and swore the only one she would never consider selling for the screen was 1970’s Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret, her timeless coming-of-age book that became a rite of passage for just about every girl, like Margaret, going from age 11 to 12, and probably their mothers as well. Blume held fast until 2018 when writer-director Kelly Fremon Craig and her mentor, Oscar-winning filmmaker James L. Brooks, came calling with just the right idea for an adaptation. The deal was sealed. The movie is here. Blume says she is probably the only author to say the movie is better than her book.

It may have taken half a century to do it but, there can be no doubt that Craig has gotten it right. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret is as perfect an adaptation of a life-changing book as there will ever be.

Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is the big-screen adaptation of the middle-grade novel by Judy Blume and much has been announced regarding the release date, cast, story, trailer, and more. Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret. is the first time the iconic novel has been adapted for film. Blume is a renowned author of children's, young adult, and adult fiction, and her focus often deals with more mature themes, uncommon in middle-grade fiction. Topics such as puberty, divorce, sexuality, and bullying all feature prominently in her books.

Blume has won over 90 literary awards; her most notable work is arguably Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret., first published in 1970. The plot follows Margaret Simon, a sixth-grade girl confronting her pre-adolescence. The novel has been named to many “best-of” lists including Time's list of top 100 books produced since 1923. It’s been both lauded and vilified for its frank discussion of sexual issues,...

This weekend was all about Margaret! “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret” premiered Saturday, April 15 at the Westwood Village Regency Theater in Los Angeles. Gold Derby’s associate editor Latasha Ford hit the red carpet to get the inside scoop from actors Zackary Brooks, Elle Graham, Amari Price, Isol Young, Aidan Wojtak-Hissong, Landon Baxter and Daniele Lawson, producer Julie Ansell, director and writer Kelly Fremon Craig, and music supervisor Frankie Pine. Check our red carpet coverage above.

See April 2023 movies: 24 most anticipated releases

The 2023 film version of Blume’s novel has quite the starring cast: Oscar winner Kathy Bates, SAG Award winner Rachel McAdams, Independent Spirit Award winner Benny Safdie and Abby Ryder Fortson in the lead role. The adaptation from Lionsgate illustrates the life of an 11-year-old girl named Margaret (Ryder Fortson) whose family abruptly moves from inner-city New York City to the suburban area of New Jersey...