LindsayReview! Knives Out (2019) Directed by Rian Johnson. Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas. IMDB says ” A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family. “
It’s probably safe for me to say that Mystery is my favorite genre of film. But give me a murder mystery set in an old mansion with a bunch of cool doors and fun characters and killer outfits? THAT’S MY JAM, MY BREAD AND BUTTER, MY CUP OF TEA. Thankfully, Rian Johnson’s latest film Knives Out has all of the best murder mystery tropes to keep me bouncing in my seat while also satisfying diverse audiences across the board.
The movie’s premise is one you don’t have to be an Agatha Christie fanatic to be familiar with. After the Thrombey family Patriarchy (Christopher Plummer) dies in a suspicious manner, two police officers (LaKeith Stanfield & Noah Segan) & a Private Investigator named Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) work to unravel the events leading to Mr. Thrombey’s demise. During the investigation, we meet a long list of relatives and close companions of the deceased that are equal parts eccentric and suspicious. Interviews begin, gears start turning and we begin to form theories on motives and what took place the night of the potential crime. This setup isn’t novel, but Johnson tweaks the formula a bit and takes the story on a slight detour that was really fun as a viewer. Obviously, I don’t want to give away any detail but trust that there are still plenty of central mysteries present to keep everything very interesting.
The movie is fun and surprising but also full of genuine laughs conceived within the script. The tone balance strikes just right as there is enough emotional weight to make you care for characters and also laugh at the absurdity of the events that transpire. The movie feels grounded in a world we’ve seen before in many of Rian Johnson’s previous films – close enough to reality that we feel like we’re a part of it but fanciful enough that it feels like true escapism. That mood and tone is what always excites me about Johnson’s work and it’s nice to see that he hasn’t lost his touch after his brief departure into the massive budget franchise world that is Star Wars.
Praise for Johnson aside, this review wouldn’t be worth a damn if I didn’t mention the stellar ensemble cast. The group of actors play off each other with seemingly effortless glee and it’s so delightful to watch. Ever since his turn in Logan Lucky, I’m all about seeing Daniel Craig try on an accent. LaKeith Stanfield & Noah Segan are even funny as the essential straight-men of the cast. Ana de Armas does a great job holding her own in a sea of familiar faces. Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, & Christopher Plummer could play their characters for an entire TV series worth of material and you wouldn’t see me complaining. I mean, if no one mentioned here is appealing to you, you might just need to get out and see more movies.
Overall, it’s hard to find many bad things to say about Knives Out. From start to finish it’s engaging and hilarious and will keep you guessing until the end.