2.6 Knives Out

Knives Out is a seemingly modern take on a good old-fashioned who done it, murder mystery. Released in 2019 and both written and directed by Rian Johnson, it follows a master detective investigating the mysterious death of the patriarch of a wealthy, very eccentric, combative and dysfunctional family. Starring, this film is filled with an ensemble and illustrious list of actors including Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curties, making it easily one of the best casts of the year.

Originally Rian Johnson, was due to start producing and writing the script for Knives Out after he came up with the basic concept back in 2005. As he planned to start making the film after finishing Looper in 2012. However he was subsequently chosen and given an opportunity of a life to be involved in writing and directing Star Wars Episode Eight, The Last Jedi which inevitably meant he was unable to write the screenplay until 2017. Personally I think Rian Johnson is still one of the best filmmakers going, for sure he got a lot of stick and his reputation slightly damaged after Star Wars. However if anything, what Knives Out does is reaffirm not only his status but also his incredible ability as well as his likeability to create and produce a well thought, deeply driven orginal screenplay. This is further shown through the fact that Murder Mysteries are often very successful on television but rather difficult to place onto the big screen. With there being recent remakes of the Murder on the Orient Express as well as the Robert Downey Jr. adaptions of Sherlock Holmes, however these still are all adapted from pre-existing material making it not only rare to have an orginal Murder Mystery screenplay but also one that's been successful. So successful in fact that it's spawned a sequel that is due to release later this year. With it's originality, new cast of characters, themes and overall story bring a fresh take to the genre. For sure there have been some great murder investigation type of films such as Se7en, Zodiac, Gone Girl and Prisoners to name a few but however they all seem to focus and share the same predicament. As they focus predominantly around one character and often one suspect. With the Knives Out feeling a lot like the a situation and murder mystery taken straight from Cluedo, as it does a brilliant job to flesh out and bring to life not only the surrounding characters and cast but also the setting of the families mansion and current affairs.

Set in this gothic, eccentric family home of a well known, renowned crime novelist, suspicions soon arise shortly after his 85th Birthday when Harlan Thrombey, played by Christopher Plummer is soon found dead in his attic office. With what at first is a presumed suicide, not all seems to be as straight forward when private detective Benoit Blanc is anonymously paid to investigate and look deeper into the subsequent death. As each member family, may have something to hide that can finally lead to the truth, with one in particular keen to look behind the vail as to what actually happened the night of Harlan Thrombey's death. Even though it appears to be a suicide, it unfortunately would seem that everyone involved might just have some interior motive and something subsequently to gain. Such as and which can be seen through the Son, who's publishing empire depends upon his good fathers favor and the seemingly mischievous daughter-in-law who may or may not have her hand in the till for some reason. Apart from Ana de Armas' character, Martha Cabrera who we know is just to true and honest to her word and can never be truly guilty due to her regurgitate reaction to 'miss truthin' which inevitably means she can't lie otherwise she subsequently vomits. Her performance is compelling and best portrays those key morals of kindness and care, this eccentric and entitled family lack. With the family as a whole, being as dysfunctional as they are rich and as odious as they are entitled, as they all now look to take advantage of his riches which it seems they've all been leeching off their entire life's. Money which for some has encouraged them to believe and think that there even above the law. With the game afoot from Benoit Blanc's arrival as what follows are more comical interrogations riddled with a sense of suspense and true meanings of heart break for there recent loss. Which eventually paves it's way into an adventurous investigation as Blanc manages to unearth secrets, peoples true identifies and motives as well as the families hidden lies and secrets as a whole. That only leads us to believe that although everyone claims to love the recently departed patriarch, everyone seemingly either isn't exposing or expressing there true beliefs of rather has something to subsequently gain from wanting him dead. With the script during the interrogation scenes having fun at the expense of the rich and powerful with Harlan's Will being the final nail in the families coffin as it's what they inevitably do deserve.

Whilst the brilliant set designer and meticulous pursuit for detail in every frame by production designer David Crank spoke with EW about finding the right house as well as that truly unforgettable knife display and even some of the weirdest props and details you could off easily missed. With them using a really Massachusetts estate, that like the film has belonged to the same family for more than 100 years. With the house drawing itself to both producer Rian Johnson and David Crank himself due to it's feel and 'huge amounts of personality' it possessed. Whilst the 1972, mystery, thriller film Sleuth was used as a subsequent reference and source of inspiration. With Set decorator David Schlesinger also finding new and intriguing props to further flesh out the Manors home such as the giant dollhouse which later can be seen accompanying alongside the bar in the study scene. With the house itself being for sure it's very own character within the film, that only enhances the film's mob sections when they had the whole entire and incredible ensemble cast together during scenes.

With Rian Johnson in general being a real good and well chosen choice for this film, he's the type of director that just suits the film as personally you can't really imagine anyone else producing it either. With his 2005 film Brick being of the same vein also, as Knives Out is not only an incredible film but rather an ingenious and extremely well-written story. Filled to the brim with eccentric, charismatic and elaborate characters, of which you would come to expect of this genre and style of film. In terms of the casting itself, it's probably one of the best subsequent featuring casts of 2019 for sure, as it offers up some so far career highlights for the likes of Daniel Craig who like the plot plays the equally eccentric Detective Benoit Blanc. Who's main task it is to piece together the mystery and murder that has audiences baffled from the very beginning, personally whenever I see Daniel Craig not in a James Bond Movie it feels kinda weird. But subsequently that feeling didn't happen or occur here, as often in this movie, making me more than ever realise how good his portrayal is. Craig's accent is both an intoxicating and insanely additive Southern Drawl as well as his overall super over-the-top charisma, with him subsequently owning and dictating every scenes he's in. For many it's an unexpected yet welcome change of accent for Craig as to begin with I was purely shocked at what was being displayed. However after a matter of minutes you soon can't help but come purely enthralled and intoxicated within his combination of elegant charm, choice of words as well as overall roughness and brittleness. Sometimes some over-the-top performances just don't work out or connect as well with the viewer with often it seemingly like the actor is trying to hard to depict and portray a good performance. Otherwise though Craig's performance feels slightly hammered up and heighten for a reason, as you kinda get a sense it's yet another unique tool that can get him one step closer to solving this mystery. As it seems best the actor, but rather his performance and portrayal are aware of the common tropes and genre trappings of a typical who done it, murder mystery. Whilst Ana de Armas is yet another great addition, her performance is filled with just pure subtlety and charm as well as innocence and guilt. With her seemingly will led heart and guilty mindedness leads audiences to believe she isn't the true culprit to blame. As you subsequent feel sorry for what remains and is left to be dealt with, as she's seemingly the only honest and reasoned character out of the bunch. She's a great actress as her name and opportunities only begin to grow after originally starring in Blade Runner 2049 as well as No Time to Die. With her further due to have yet another action packed year in Adrian Lyne's Psychological thriller Deep Water as well as also starring and portraying the great Marilyn Monroe in Blonde. Whilst Chris Evans himself is great at portraying the snarky, toxic and baneful outed family member Ransom Drysdale with the rarely being an overall weak link in this entire movie. The whole ensembled cast is incredible as each and every one seems to have there expected motives and possible reasons. As your left understanding rather that it's a family full of dishonest, two-faced and deceitful people who can never be truly trusted or reasoned with.

This partly is thanks to the screenplay and dialogue itself, as it's never dull or repetitive but rather witty, clever, intelligent and honest to the characters saying it. With it constantly placing and dropping it's characters into conflicting situations that only raises not only the tension but also the audiences suspicions into who might of done it. As it, on the one part is a comedy with suspense, meaning Johnson I can imagine was confronted with a difficult dilemma when trying to ensure the suspense he was creating best earned and created the subsequent right response from the audience. Due to the fact that you likely don't want audiences to laugh in some of the films most intense moments but rather also make them laugh so much when intended. That there in sorts, released from it's subsequent tension and therefore can't feel the tension and overall suspense of the some of the films biggest moments. However not only the Screenplay but also rather Rian Johnson's calm, composed and subtle directing best creates and achieves such a fine balance between both states of mind, as the films biggest moments and never slightly cheapened or made to feel cliché. With him, if anything best creating and keeping his characters closed off and mysterious even though on the surface it appears to seem that there being entirely honest and open from the beginning.

As it's only fair this modern take on a typical murder mystery follows a slightly different path, to it's seemingly similar and other conventional counterparts. Funnily enough it's very open and honest from the start, the total opposite to it's protagonists, as it fills you in with a whole combination of both obvious but also subtle information that nods to the potential killer. With it opening and exposing a lot more information than you would come to expect in it's initial, earlier stages. Whilst it subsequently makes you start to rethink how such a film and mystery can be devised, as a lot of information is exposed and open to the viewer to see making you unsure what to believe and deem as truly important to it's story. The end result being your constantly not only second guessing the main culprit but rather the information and deemed relevant evidence that got you to that full gone conclusion. Meaning throughout the movie your not only unsure who to trust but rather also if you can entirely trust your own judgement.

There aren't many issues or problems that I personally have with this film, there are some characters that just aren't as fleshed out and subsequently important as the other but it's rather the scenes and action outside and away from the mansion itself that feels slightly deflated. With the other locations never living up to the same tense, claustrophobic or suspenseful feeling when there back home. As it's shot in such a way that each character kinda feels trapped and tense, whilst still in there own, presumed family home. Only adding to this dysfunctional families lure and suspicion. It's certainly not that the scenes in other locations are necessarily bad but rather that there simply not as entertaining or tasteful. With the stakes feeling slightly diluted somehow whenever there away from the scene of the crime itself.

Whilst Knives Out lived up to everything I expected and wanted it to be and more, Rian Johnson truly knocked it out of the park with this uniquely, tasteful and simply stunning orginal yet modern take on a classic Agatha Christie style who done it murder mystery. As he brilliantly manages to not only reinvent but rather fabricate a new style and sharper format for pointing the finger of suspicion towards the true culprit. Whilst the keenly assembled suspense and tension only further outs and dissolves the masks of the brilliant and stellar ensembled cast, writer and director Rian Johnson has devised. In both an exciting and suspenseful way as we're never truly able to trust anyone's alibi and true motives right until the very end. With the film both heightening and striking the truly remarkable balance between both being smart and stylish, as it respects the traditions that have become before, whilst still willing and eager to defy your expectations but rather unwilling to betray your trust or concentration. What further makes it stand apart is that it's surprising very funny, as it manages to contain a lot of very memorable and extremely quotable one liners that only best suit it's exaggerated and eccentric tone. With it's unrewound success subsequently spawning into yet another sequel, with Benoit Blanc investigating further mysterious. With Netflix reportedly securing the rights to two Knives Out sequels for $469 Million back in 2021. As often the jokes never displace the action or subsequent story, whilst they instead surround around the films central rod of plot and overall mystery. With the end result being an exhilarating mix of comedy and thriller as well as deeply satisfying and riveting murder mystery that will keep audiences guessing until the very final few reels. 4.5/5 Stars