After the absolute war that surrounded Rian Johnson’s name after The Last Jedi, it seemed destined that whatever the director touched next would be annoyingly decisive and debated. Yet, as the attention for Knives Out grew bigger and bigger, universally the movie became one of the most anticipated of the year. From an A-list cast to a fun and engaging set up of a plot, this movie gained a passionate following and luckily chances are it won’t disappoint.
Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is a world-famous mystery author who has an abundance of wealth and fame. Despite having a large family, his only real regular connection in his life is with his nurse named Marta (Ana de Armas). After a family gathering, Harlan mysteriously passes away seemingly from suicide, which is assumed to be from his loneliness.
While the family is quick to accept this and await his will reading to see who gets control of Harlan’s properties, detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) gets anonymously hired to find out what truly happened to Harlan. As Blanc investigates, not only does he find that there are clear elements of foul play, but nearly everyone in the family had some motive as to why they would want to kill Harlan. Clues appear and secrets get revealed as Blanc starts the hunt.
The main thing that is drawing so much excitement for Knives Out is the cast, which really is stacked. Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Jaeden Martell, and Katherine Langford make up Harlan’s family – and all are just wonderful. They clearly are having so much fun getting into these over the top and charismatic characters, giving some of the best comedic performances and line deliveries of the year.
The dynamics between the family members is also very entertaining. They all to a point can’t stand each other and are always bickering among themselves. With hilarious little jabs, that created the loudest laughs I have heard in any movie this year. Which is impressive considering some of the solid comedies to come out in 2019.
Knives Out also breathes new life into Daniel Craig. He is clearly having the time of his life playing this overly serious and intense detective. All these characters – despite being built by cliches – feel so original and fresh. The film is perfectly crafted to where the cliches are used to enhance the comedy without ever affecting the plot, or turning it stale or uninteresting.
It also helps that the plot is very different than what you expect going into the film. Without getting too deep into spoilers, the movie is not really the murder mystery it claims to be. The actual murder gets solved shockingly early. And the bulk of Knives Out is more about the characters’ response to it, while something deeper builds and starts to reveal itself. Though some may be disappointed and caught off guard by this, the film still remains a ton of fun and perfectly enjoyable.
There also are plot details and elements that come together into a sort of big reveal that does surprise you. Despite making sense and will add new meaning to certain scenes on a rewatch. The emotional impact that comes from some of these plot points really stood out. We don’t normally really see characters dealing with the consequences of the mystery in films like this. You can tell that these people really do suffer from this ordeal. This isn’t just some man who died, this was their father, friend, and mentor. And losing him is not an easy thing, especially with how he went.
The filmmaking of Knives Out is really accomplished. The directing and screenplay from Rian Johnson is so well crafted and handled. The production design by David Crank and set decoration from David Schlesinger are absolute standouts. Not only is there just so much filling this house from a quantity standpoint, but there are just some gorgeous setpieces. Like the throne surrounded by knives, or the secret study that Harlan works in which is visibly intriguing and gorgeous. Knives Out even beat Parasite for the title of my favorite movie house of this year. And one can only pray it might receive awards attention in this area.
The cinematography from Steve Yedlin is also quite solid, especially combined with the editing from Bob Ducsay. The film has to balance being over the top, trying to really draw things out, while also being interesting and serious enough to allow you to engage with it. The editing does so much to tie these two sides of the film, and nearly perfectly blend them together.
Overall, the film visually is just as stunning as the comedy and emotion that comes from the page. Knives Out might not be the classic whodunit that the marketing suggests, but it remains one of the most entertaining and engaging films of the year. Wonderful twists and turns, an incredible cast putting in memorable performances – they’ll have the majority of the audience rolling in laughter. As well as the comedy, it also has deep, hard-hitting emotions that make the movie layered and well-rounded. Believe the hype that is forming around Knives Out. You won’t regret finding room for this in the busy holiday film season.
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