Movie Review: Knives Out

Knives Out **** / *****

Directed by: Rian Johnson.

Written by: Rian Johnson.

Starring: Daniel Craig (Benoit Blanc), Chris Evans (Ransom Drysdale), Ana de Armas (Marta Cabrera), Jamie Lee Curtis (Linda Drysdale), Michael Shannon (Walt Thrombey), Don Johnson (Richard Drysdale), Toni Collette (Joni Thrombey), LaKeith Stanfield (Lt Elliott), Christopher Plummer (Harlan Thrombey), Katherine Langford (Meg Thrombey), Jaeden Martell (Jacob Thrombey), Riki Lindhome (Donna Thrombey), Edi Patterson (Fran), Frank Oz (Alan Stevens), K Callan (Greatnana Wanetta), Noah Segan (Trooper Wagner), M. Emmet Walsh (Mr. Proofroc), Marlene Forte (Marta's Mom).

 

Rian Johnson’s Knives Out is one of the year’s best entertainers – an utterly delightful murder mystery that is a throwback to the days of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot or Murder She Wrote’s Jessica Fletcher, a subversion of that genre and a commentary on the ultra-rich in America. It’s got a great ensemble cast, operating at the top of their game, and even if it’s a little long at 130 minutes, the time flies by. It’s more proof that Johnson can be one of the great mainstream directors, flitting from one genre to another with ease.

 

Spoiler Warning: That first paragraph is really all you need – or should – know about the film going in. There are many surprises in store, including some that are very basic, and baked into the story – so trust me, go see it now – and skip the rest of the review until you’ve seen it.

 

The film is a classic closed house mystery. The best-selling mystery writer, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) has just had his 85^th Birthday party, surrounded by his greedy family. The next day, they wake up to discover that he has apparently killed himself in the middle of the night – a slit throat, the blood splatter telling the tale, etc. It seems open and shut. But on the scene arrives Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) – a P.I. of great renown, who has been hired by a mysterious, anonymous benefactor to look into the case. He arrives, alongside the police, at the massive estate of Harlan, and starts questioning the family members one-by-one – all of whom appear to have a motive. There’s his eldest daughter, Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis) – a “self-made” real estate magnet, her husband Richard (Don Johnson), a loud, brash asshole, their adult son Ransom (Chris Evans) – and even louder, brasher asshole. There is Walt (Michael Shannon) who runs Harlan’s publishing company for him, and his teenage son – the alt-right troll Jacob (Jaeden Martell). There is Harlan’s daughter-in-law Joni (Toni Collette) who runs a “lifestyle company” and her daughter Meg (Katherine Langford) – the opposite of Jacob. There is also housekeeper Fran (Edi Patterson) and Harlan’s beloved nurse Marta (Ana de Armas) – who everyone says is like part of the family, but everyone also thinks her family came from a different South American country. Did someone really kill Harlan – but why? – or did he simply kill himself, as it looks like.

 

So yes, the setup of this film is pure Hercule Poirot – complete with the fact that Benoit Blanc has a funny accent - I believe he’s supposed to be from New Orleans – and Craig is having a field day with it. The film does do some clever things with the structure of the film – Benoit Blanc isn’t even the main character (although I will refrain from saying who it is) – and to be honest, from much of the film he seems to be an idiot – someone who sounds really smart, but misses so much. The movie gives us a lot of clues as to the truth – even goes so far and tells us what the truth is shockingly early – but then keeps on twisting and turning the story and the characters around and around.

 

A film like this rises and falls on its cast – and the smartest thing Johnson has done in the film is perfectly cast it. It’s a delight to see Craig start his post-Bond career (a little early) with such a wonderfully goofy role that he is perfect in. It’s wonderful to see Chris Evans start his post Captain America career playing such a charming asshole. It’s nice to see veterans like Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson and Christopher Plummer given juicy parts – right alongside current stars who are usually the MVP’s of their films like Michael Shannon and Toni Collette. The MVP of the movie though is surprising Ana de Armas as Marta. If the family at the heart of the film reminds people of a more overtly comic version of the one on Succession week after week – that is very much part of the point – the film is as much eat the rich as that show or this summer’s Ready or Not. But in Marta, the film gives you a truly sympathetic character – a nice person who believes she is surrounded by a nice family – until, of course, she finds out the truth.

 

Before Johnson did The Last Jedi, he specialized in mysteries of a sort in films like Brick, The Brothers Bloom and Looper – all very different mysteries to be sure, but mysteries just the same. Here, he has made his most overtly comic film since The Brothers Bloom – and yet there is a steel core to the film as well – one that has something to say, and even if it’s perhaps far too blunt in saying it, it works – right down the devilish, delightful final shot of the film.