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Knives Out Review

Every once in a while, a film making team get to let their hair down and just have some fun. And more than any other current filmmaker, Rian Johnson has earned the right to do just that. With one of the most divisive franchise movies of recent history on his resume, Johnson made an Agatha Christie-adjacent-murder mystery with one of the strongest ensembles of the year his next project.

Knives Out feels like a creative release in many ways. There’s no fanboy expectations to play too, and no box office records to break. It’s just a writer/director playing in his own personal sandbox and having fun. There’s something pure about Knives Out. There’s whimsy and playfulness. It’s a project that Johnson has had in his mind for at least a decade. His passion is on display with this self-aware homage to Christie and her mustachioed protagonist, Hercule Poirot.

The movie is aware of what is going on from the get go. It transposes us from the British surroundings of Christie’s tales to an isolated family estate somewhere along the east coast. All the while it utilizes a house very much like you’d find in one of those classic murder mysteries. In fact, Johnson takes it a step father by making the mystery’s victim one Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a famous mystery author.

Picking up in the wake of Harlan’s death, Knives Out introduces us to a who’s who of eccentric, picked-themselves-up-by-the-bootstraps family members who all loved daddy dearly, or so we’re told.

There’s the youngest son Walt, who manages the Thrombey publishing house and walks with a limp, played superbly by the always welcome Michael Shannon. His older sister Linda is a stoic chip off the old block, portrayed with vigor by Jamie Lee Curtis. Her husband, Richard, of course his name is Richard, helps Linda run her business and features Don Johnson having some scene-stealing fun. There’s another son, but he passed away. However, his online influencer wife, Joni (Toni Collette), stayed close to the family, and their money. There are also a number of grandchildren, namely the eldest, Ransom Drysdale, a turn that sees Chris Evans return to his early acting roots of arrogant handsome jerk (Not Another Teen Movie).

Finally, there’s “she’s just like one of the family (except she’s poor and a minority)” Marta Cabrera. The sweet spirited Marta, portrayed with much heart and quirk by Ana de Armas, is Harlan’s nurse (and close friend and confidant).

And with our suspect list out of the way, we’re introduced to Hercule Poirot’s southern counterpart, the country gentleman Benoit Blanc. Benoit Blanc sees Daniel Craig going for broke with an accent as thick as a mystery novel. It’s the second such character he’s gone to after 2017’s Logan Lucky. He’s also having the time of his life. Blanc is made up of all the quirks you’d expect from a southern genius investigator—he thoughtfully fips a coin, clanks a piano key in a moment of human lie detection, is overly observant while playing dumb, and he’s dressed to the nines. And Craig puts it all together in a memorable package presenting Blanc as a character that feels timeless as all good mystery detectives do.

Post-title card, we’re treated to a montage of at-home police interviews. These serve to introduce us to our chief investigator Detective Elliot (Lakeith Stanfield) and the Thrombey family members, including their quirks and proclivities. It also leads us to the introduction of Blanc—both to the family and to the audience. Craig’s ability to bring any semblance of humanity and earnestness to this zany archetype speaks greatly to his abilities, charisma, charm, and wit. He feels more natural here than he does as 007.

The movie progresses mostly as you’d expect. Blanc begins pursuing multiple lines of investigation at the befuddlement of the police who believe the case to be open and shut. An unknown benefactor hires Blanc, so he’s on the case. While the plot beats are familiar, there’s a major subversion early on that repackages what the mystery really is. Following this beat, Johnson really gets to play with the stuffy mystery tropes that are the backbone of the genre.

Everything about the movie, to its benefit and credit, is just a bit too absurd. The quirky decorations of the Thrombey mansion, the suspects tells, and the overly melodramatic score establish the movies satirical riffs very quickly. There’s also a bit of uncanny valley at play as everything within the home feels very removed from the 21st century, but the characters still have phones and modern cars and TVs which is a bit jarring. Yet, somehow, Johnson is able to pull off the period elements and fit them into a modern world.

Knives Out is very playful. Upon first watch, the mystery works well. But, it is the ensemble work that makes this must see. Everyone is having a blast. Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, Toni Collette, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, Ana de Armas, Lakeith Stanfield—literally everyone gets to have a standout moment. Though, my favorites are Craig, Johnson, and Collette.

If you’re looking to have a cathartic escape this Thanksgiving season and deal with family frustrations through the silver screen, Knives Out is a must-see.

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