Bullet Points: Knuckledust (2020)

While it is such a refreshing feeling when a film sneaks up on you and has you in the palm of its hand, it’s also a hugely devastating feeling when something that I expected to be great turns out to be a real stinker. I feel like the latter happens far more than the former but every once in a while I’m caught off guard and based on the synopsis, this just might be that time.

Synopsis: When a special police task force kick open the doors of elite underground fight den – Club Knuckledust, they find seven levels of hell, filled with the dead bodies of countless fighters, assassins and goons. Only one man, beaten to a pulp, barely breathing, is still alive: Hard Eight. With a shady Government official en route to take him away, Chief Inspector Katherine Keaton and her team have ninety minutes to interrogate Hard Eight to find out if is the lone survivor or a multiple murderer. With lies flying from everyone’s mouths and corruption becoming apparent, Keaton starts to wonder “Who is the real criminal? Written by Featuristic Films

• First rule of fight club: Everyone knows that you’re not supposed to talk about fight clubs and Club Knuckledust is no different. It’s a hidden fight club where the richest of the rich can go to watch two men duke it out to the death. The fighters have cool names like “Tombstone”, “Raw Bone”, and our maybe hero “Hard Eight”.
• The first ten minutes: It isn’t always the case but I knew within the first ten minutes of Knuckledust that I was going to like this movie. The tone of it and the characters that are presented early on are just so cool. It really does have the feel of and early Guy Ritchie film where most of the characters are connected in more ways than even they know. There is also a good deal of humor in the film. From the way that the characters talk to one another to just some of the wild shit that happens in the movie.

• Hard Eight: Our man known as Hard Eight is a dude with not much to lose. One big difference between him and the others who show up to fight at Club Knuckledust is that he doesn’t kill anyone. While that rule is an honorable one, it’s also one that is very difficult to keep in a movie like this. Soon, a throng of police officers are kicking down the door of the club and they’re introduced to a whole bunch of dead men most likely served up by Hard Eight.
• Under the heat lamp: A good portion of the film is the interactions between Hard Eight and Police Chief Inspector Keating. So much of the story comes from these scenes and even though we’re being told what happens it is hard to tell if we’re being told the truth. That is the tough thing about having a movie full of liars! Moe Dunford plays Hard Eight and he and Kate Dickie’s Inspector Keating kill it in these scenes as they build a hellishly cool scenario that led us to where we are.

• Let’s go to the footage: Whether it’s a fight scene with fellow gimmick’ed badass Tick Tock or a hallway fight with some S & M freaks with strap on and studded bats, the video footage we get along with the story telling is the most entertaining thing for me. We learn about why Hard Eight goes back into the Club for his revenge and why exactly he’s after the lovely Serena (Camille Rowe) in the first place. Again, we have to learn to take everything we hear with a grain a salt as the detectives are actively investigating the situation as we’re being fed lies.
• Going in for the kill: The final push for Hard Eight is full of hilarious scenes, good fights, and questionable decisions by all of the characters present. We get a fight in an elevator (which are always fun) and finally get to watch as Gethin Anthony’s Jeremiah gets his hands dirty. Hard Eight goes into full on badass mode for the last time as he shoots and fights his way into Serena’s office only to something very unexpected when he meets her.

The Verdict: Twists, action, dildo nunchuks, Knuckledust has everything you have ever asked for in a film. Moe Dunford and the rest of the cast knock it out of the park and director James Kermack does a masterful job weaving the different stories (both truthful and lies) into one cohesive tale. I had one hell of a time watching it and it felt very much like it fits in well with those early Guy Ritchie films with a hint of QT thrown in. Consider me a massive fan of Knuckledust and check it out wherever it is you rent/buy online.