Rian Johnson has made a name for himself by putting his own spin on private eyes, con artists, mobsters, and even Jedi. With Knives Out, he’s back to take the murder mystery in a new direction.
Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a well-known mystery writer, is turning 85, and his family has come to celebrate. They include Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), Walt (Michael Shannon), and Joni (Toni Collette), as well as other family members including son-in-law Richard (Don Johnson) and grandson Ransom (Chris Evans).
Lt. Elliott (Lakeith Stanfield) and private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) arrive to investigate Harlan’s apparent suicide the next morning. Though the method of death appears to be obvious, Blanc begins to unravel the threads of everyone’s stories, including Harlan’s timid nurse (Ana de Armas), who has an unsettling way of showing when she’s lying. Johnson, ironically, subverts the tropes of murder mysteries by leaning into them. The grand old mansion with hidden entrances, the detective sniffing
out the truth, the method of death, and other plot elements are given clever twists that few would attempt, let alone pull off.
The film’s pleasure comes not from figuring out whodunit, but from how all of the characters interact with one another. Throughout the film, humour reigns supreme. There are many big laughs to be had, whether it’s pointed allusions to modern politics, a Clue reference, or Craig’s entire Kentucky-fried performance. None of the actors are known for their roles in comedies, so the fact that the film relies so heavily on comedy is notable and welcome.
With such a large cast and such a complex story, each actor relies on the others. In almost every case, removing one actor from the equation causes the story to fall flat. Curtis, Evans, and Craig are the standouts, chewing the scenery to great effect, while de Armas and Plummer are equally impressive with their understated performances. Stanfield, whose laid-back demeanour complements Craig’s over-the-top performance, deserves special mention.
Knives Out is a cleverly crafted and shaped old-fashioned set-up that gradually introduces modern-day issues of immigration, deportation, and white entitlement to give the story an edge. It’s a fantastic, authentic, modern-day Agatha Christie whodunit with an all-star cast. The film comes across especially well in an era when such low-budget, story-driven films have all but disappeared.
