Knives Out | Review
At a time when the movie industry is overstuffed with constant reboots, remakes, and comic book characters, it’s refreshing to see a flashy, fun, star-studded flick not based on any preexisting material. Writer-director Rian Johnson, the man behind the divisive, yet transcendent ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’, does what any typical director would do coming off a billion-dollar-grossing blockbuster hit: spend eight weeks shooting a mid-range budget original detective thriller inspired by the classic works of Agatha Christie. The result is one of the best experiences I’ve had at the theater this year.
The film opens with the death of the prominent crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) in an apparent suicide the night after celebrating his 85th birthday with his family. Enter Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), a renowned detective hired to investigate Harlan’s death. We’re quickly introduced to each of Harlan’s dysfunctional family members via an entertaining and hilarious interrogation sequence: Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), Harlan’s eldest daughter and “self-made” real estate mogul, and her husband Richard (Don Johnson); Walt (Michael Shannon), Harlan’s youngest son and head of Harlan’s publishing company, and his wife Donna (Riki Lindhome); Joni (Toni Collette), Harlan’s lifestyle guru daughter-in-law and widow to Harlan’s late son; Ransom (Chris Evans), Linda and Richard’s spoiled-rotten son; Meg (Katherine Langford), Joni’s social justice warrior daughter; and Jacob (Jaeden Martell), Walter and Donna’s alt-right internet troll son. Detective Blanc suspects foul play - each family member has their own unique relationship with Harlan, and each has their own possible motive for wanting the family patriarch gone and inherit his mass fortune.
The premise may sound dark and serious, but don’t be mistaken, this film is a downright hoot! Johnson fills this world with memorable characters you love to hate, all portrayed be actors we love who do a convincing job of playing terrible people. It’s great seeing this A-list cast let loose and interact with one another as their respective zany characters, each inherently selfish and willing to stab another family member in the back to protect themselves. Toni Collette (‘Hereditary’) is irresistible as the superficial founder of the lifestyle company Flam, an obvious play on real-life Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow. Seeing Chris Evans play a spoiled playboy and straight-up asshole after his nearly ten-year run as the boy scout Captain America is simply delightful. The Brit Daniel Craig (‘Skyfall’) is having a blast playing an over-the-top detective with a thick southern accent that reminds you of Colonel Sanders. Everyone here brings their A-game, and there’s not a weak one in the bunch. With a cast as strong as this it can be hard to stand out from the pack, but each gets their moment to shine. The surprise breakout performance here is actually Ana de Armas (‘Blade Runner 2049’), who plays Harlan’s dedicated at-home nurse Marta. Her character acts as the audience surrogate who contrasts with the heightened personalities of the Thrombey family. de Armas gives us an understated, yet effective and memorable performance that ends up being central to the story being told.
‘Knives Out’ work so well because it’s firing on all cylinders, with its strong cast, Johnson’s tight script and clear vision, Bob Ducsay’s well-paced and propulsive editing, David Crank’s rich production design, and Steve Yedlin’s gorgeous cinematography. Like any classic mystery film, there are your expected twists, turns, and red herrings. But the film never actually goes where you think it will. Just when you expect the film to zig, it zags. The film gives us a daring revelation just halfway in, a clear sign that we’re in for an unexpected trip, so we might as well throw all of our theories out the window and enjoy the ride. Johnson even injects commentary on timely issues regarding wealth, power, and privilege in the Trump era, adding a little dose of political commentary to the affair - perfect for the Thanksgiving holiday!
A great mystery film shouldn’t just stay two steps ahead of you, but it should also provide you with enough clues along the way to be able to piece them together and attempt to guess the answer. The worst mystery stories are ones with endings you can’t possibly have guessed because the writers hide all of the important clues from audiences. Johnson doesn’t do that here. He knows the film won’t feel rewarding that way. When the time comes for the big whodunnit reveal, a must-have for a film like this, it feels earned.
It’s not every day we get a Hollywood picture like this that tells an original story done so well. I appreciate Rian Johnson’s dedication to his craft. While tackling specific genres can be creatively limiting, Johnson always seems to escape the trap of relying too much on homages and styles by upending tropes and elevating said genres. This seems to be his M.O. You can see it in his past films, including the time-travel crime feature ‘Looper’ or the aforementioned ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’. I’m seriously so happy he’s given us a film like ‘Knives Out’, one that’s both challenging and wildly entertaining. It’s the type of film meant to be seen with a large crowd, best experienced with shared laughter, shock, and thrills. Trust me, you won’t regret it.
