the story.
The Benetto family is scattered to the winds in Brooklyn, NY, and there's no predicting where they will end up.
Relationships keep shifting.
Generations keep trying to adapt to a new world.
But wait... who exactly are the adults here?
A mix of sharp award-winning dialogue, comedy, and drama that many of us can relate to. A story that sucks you in, and you're glad for it.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW.
The concept behind “Queen of Knives” (and its prequel, “King of Knives” (2019)) is based on my own mid-life crisis, along with many of my friends and other family situations over the years.
Frank Bennetto (Gene Pope) is a former “Ad Man.” He was the king of marketing toilet paper. He created the mascot “Sammy the Squirrel” at a time when an agency's Creative Director was King of the Roost. He drove a flashy red Maserati. But those times are gone. Frank quit his job in a pique of mid-life crises. He’s now awash in booze, pot, boredom, and Tinder. His marriage to his forever wife (Mel Harris) is dissolving over a previous tragedy. His other children, Kaitlin (Roxi Pope) and Sadie (Emily Bennett), are seeking out their own purpose in a world moving way too fast.
Although Frank’s experiences do not match mine, they most definitely reflect the Baby Boomer angst and the wry humor that comes from staring down the rear end of one’s life.
Screenwriter Lindsay Joy and I spent nearly two years on what was first entitled “The Rot” (as in the psychological gunk that accumulates in our psyches as we age). But we really needed a more engaging title.
One day, Lindsay’s newest draft had a new title, “King of Knives”. I was puzzled, but then it became perfectly clear, and I smiled. It was based on a Tarot Card called “King of Swords,” but “Knives” had a more modern ring to it. And here’s the point: Sometimes, a mid-life crisis (divorce) or quarter-life crisis (Covid et al) brings on seemingly risky behavior. It’s like, “My life is going faster and faster. Where the hell am I going?” or “I haven’t tried this yet. Maybe I should?” The problem is: You play with knives too much, you might get hurt. "Queen of Knives” (it is the females of the family that are now experimenting) is very much a look in the mirror that is both dramatic and funny… with the entire Benetto family now flailing around Brooklyn in a “crises sandbox,” not realizing the full consequences of their actions.
Pictured: Gene Pope - Story / Lead Actor