★★★★
A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.
Classification: 12A
A delightfully sharply written, edited piece of filmmaking from writer-director Rian Johnson. This Agatha Christie inspired murder mystery astounds with its incredible ensemble led by Daniel Craig and Ana de Armas and the ingenuity in how Johnson executes the complexity of his tension building puzzle. Following the apparent suicide of famed murder mystery writer Harlan Thrombey after his 85th birthday party, the extended Thromby family are put under the microscope by equally famed private investigator Benoit Blanc. Blanc portrayed through Daniel Craig's incredible Kentucky accent suspects foul play to Harlan's demise and the audience is taken on a journey that sees these characters examined through a surprising narrative of great comedic and dramatic flair.
While Craig's Foghorn Leghorn Poirot takes top billing the true star of Knives Out is the awe-inspiring Ana de Armas who in an ensemble of amazing talent almost effortlessly steals the whole show. de Armas plays Marta, Harlan's nurse and close friend who is considered "part of the family" by the rest of the Thrombey's, Marta who vomits upon telling any lie is a remarkable character to follow through a tale of multiple deceptions. Ana de Armas gives the character soulful integrity and is the audiences north star as the mystery unfolds in shocking ways. Blanc takes her under his wing and Johnson uses her to inject the hypocrisy of the wealthy liberal nature of the Thrombley family. Knives Out isn't overtly political, bar one scene where the characters argue over Trump and immigration where Don Johnson as the brash son in law drags Marta into the conversation and asks her about her own status. It isn't an informed debate between the characters just shallow arguments and from there the film begins more subtle explorations into the status quo between Americans and immigrants in modern America. With Blanc's continuing investigation causing the desperation of the Thrombey family to set their vulturous sights towards Marta as a scapegoat.
All pretence of family fades when money is concerned as each motive Blanc uncovers revolves around Harlan's vast fortune and his decisions to begin cutting off the bottom feeders in the family. His son Walt, son-in-law Richard, grandson Ransom and daughter-in-law Joni were all said to have had arguments with Harlan about their financial security the day before his death. The political and social elements of the film are all about wealthy Americans wanting to protect what they believe is "theirs", Harlan a self-made man wishes for his legacy to be something else besides a trough for his underachieving relatives. When the Thrombey's control is put in danger all the friendly "part of the family" talk vanishes and Marta's immigrant status is suddenly the only defining feature to everyone. Accusations, threats and fury reveal the true nature of these people and when they get desperate, the knives come out.
Johnson's mystery, however, isn't a continuous dramatic crescendo of reveals and betrayals, twisting the tension to a breaking point that the audience is salivating for the big reveal but rather goes for a meticulous slow-building puzzle. Blanc would call it a "doughnut hole" an arc that goes in circles with no discernable end but with every new piece, the picture becomes clearer but just when you think you have it all figured out, Johnson flips the table and sends the pieces flying. Revealing that the picture you have been building has merely been the corner of a larger puzzle and editor Bob Ducsay frames it all extremely well. With a dynamite first act editing together all of Blanc's interrogations into humorous and revealing sequences establishing the conflicting timelines and motives most of Knives Out takes its time. The moment Blanc and the audience have their initial pieces the film takes a more linear approach, stripping away the flashbacks and ensemble to focus on the core characters of Craig's Blanc, de Armas's Marta and Thrombey family black sheep Ransom played by Chris Evans.
With classic murder mysteries, the ensemble is key and Johnson assembles one for the ages as each player does their part in imbuing their archetype with their own personal flair. When your cast features the talents of Jaime Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Micheal Shannon and Toni Collette as the parental figures you're going to get some golden moments and Rian Johnson's film shines brightly. While de Armas, Craig and Evans have a larger focus in the narrative, the film's puzzle wouldn't work without all of these performances as Shannon and Katherine Langford's characters give the film tense dramatic developments. It's a well-layered film not only in how the reveals stack up upon one another but in the detail given to the family history, the Thrombey's may seem like a clichéd upper-class east coast elite family but its the modern idiosyncrasies that make Knives Out feel fresh to the genre. de Armas' character obviously a standout but also how Collette's vain lifestyle guru mocks modern influencer culture and Jaeden Martell's character highlighting the online vitriol that teenagers are exposed to. One of Craig's best lines referring to Martell as "the Nazi boy masturbating in the bathroom" and its a great blend of the modern and the classic where Knives Out toys with impressions of Christie and Clue without feeling like a parody.
Knives Out lives up to its name as production designer David Crank delivers an incredible wall of varied ornamental knives within the Thrombey's "ancestral" home. A dazzling location of incredible production design and atmosphere as Rian Johnson's passion for the murder mystery genre can be felt in every cutaway shot of theatrical masks, puppets and props. Lakeith Stanfield's detective makes an obvious remark that the home feels like the Clue board come to life but through the sharp architecture, creaky stairs and striking colour scheme definitely makes it feel like a prison of antiquated beliefs. Much of Johnson's film is infusing modern sensibility to this exclusive environment but also tearing away at the prejudices that infect it by revealing the shallow and selfish natures of those who reside within.
When it's all over, the audience is left with a stunning and captivating story but what Knives Out leads to wouldn't be worth a damn if every player both on and off-screen wasn't bringing their A-game to build the tangled web of lies that Blanc and Marta must traverse through to find the truth. Built from the strong emotional and thematic foundations, Johnson's script and Ducsay's editing is both subversion and celebration of this genre that places character before the spectacle. While still delivering plenty of surprises and thrills there is still a fine edge to its execution, there is plenty to unpack and analyse with the commentary that Johnson forms about class and wealth. It's not just about Benoit Blanc reaching his 'a-ha' moment but an exploration of the darkness of greed and fear.
Director: #RianJohnson
Cast: #DanielCraig, #ChrisEvans, #AnadeArmas, #JamieLeeCurtis, #MichaelShannon, #DonJohnson, #ToniCollette, #LakeithStanfield, #KatherineLangford, #JaedenMartell, #ChristopherPlummer
Release Date: November 27th 2019
Trailer:
Written review copyright ©CoreyBullochReviews
Images and Synopsis from the Internet Movie Database
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