Fast readers: Daniel Craig with a southern accent trying to solve an M. Night Shyamalan fever dream. 10/10
In-depth Review
let’s start by pointing out that, “Knives Out” on paper should not have been such a remarkable success. This murder mystery feels familiar with tributes to Agatha Christie, Hercule Poirot and Sherlock Holmes building the foundation for the springboard this film jumps off into originality, it’s just so bloody brilliantly put together through and through. “Knives Out” starts as a traditionalist murder mystery ensemble piece but one that also excites modern awareness without lowering its standing to pandering to a younger audience. This is great in my opinion it makes the audience either strap in for the ride of the mystery or focus on the plethora of well-known actors old and new that are jammed into this film. But for me, I was jumping between the two as this film takes its time revealing a fantastical, slick and over sly crime thriller that had me giddy with anticipation from start to finish
the story is pretty straightforward, to begin that is with renowned crime novelist “Wink Wink” Harlan Thrombey played like a true thespian by Christopher Plummer is found murdered (cue lightning and the ominous dun dun dun) at his lavish estate on the morning after his 85th birthday, in comes the enigmatic Detective Benoit Blanc which has to be one of Daniel Craigs’ greatest roles is conveniently contacted to investigate from an anonymous employer only hours after the murder was committed. From Harlan’s super dysfunctional family to his loving staff, Blanc probes through an ocean of red herrings and deceits to uncover the true culprit behind Harlan’s unfortunate demise. With a youthful nurse, Marta dumped in the middle as the prime suspect of the apparent murder especially after she is given Harlans full estate when he passed, Benoit discovers that there’s so much more to uncover within this mystery as the motives for the murder grow with every interview as everyone has a reason to kill Harlan and had the means to pull it off.
“Knives Out” is Rian Johnson’s tribute to “Murder on the Orient Express” where he builds a cast of an all-star ensemble of distinguished actors to depict some of the sneakiest characters and rogues ever depicted in the film. Daniel Craig shockingly breathes life into a character with the limitless possibility to grow the next exceptional cinematic detective as Benoit Blanc, an unconventional albeit gifted man who always seems to be juggling all the facts in real-time yet can put all the pieces to a jigsaw together with his toes. Blanc is a thorn in the side of the Thromby house, and Johnson also writing the film brings us steadily through this overly elaborate murder mystery which involves an extremely affluent white family chewing at the bit for the inheritance of their now-dead elderly father and how far they will go to prevent the meek immigrant maid that might just take it all.
Every single cast member is placed perfectly, starting with Plummer at the centre of the mystery we also have Chris Evans who steals every scene he is in, Jamie Lee Curtis playing the mega Karen and the de facto head of house with her father out of the way married to Don Johnson, Toni Collette the married in influencer that is hungry for cash and Michael Shannon whos been stuck in daddy’s shadow his whole life and now will rule over the publishing company of the books, these are just a small fraction of the cast that manages to effortlessly bring life to these vile money-grubbing hyenas. All competing to collect a lifetime of wealth from their sickly father and Blanc alongside Lieutenant Elliot underplayed by Lakeith Stanfield’s is convinced there are so many more dimensions present. Johnson takes a very subtle jab at the social dynamics between wealthy white heirs and their indentured servants, centring on Marta played by Ana De Armas’ is the Latinx nurse who is pulled pushed into every corner by each member of the family and when Blanc takes great interest in her role in Thromby’s death she is revealed to have a superpower that could solve the case which is a running GAG throughout the film.
Ana De Armas is one of the great protagonists I have seen in recent films and she plays it impeccably, watching her struggle with whom she can trust and what are the motivations for the trust, as she is constantly in flux as Marta is pulled underwings and stabbed in the back with one breath, you have your fingers crossed for her that she makes it out alive who cares about the fortune.
In an age of adaptations, remakes, reboots, sequels, retellings and re-reboots, “Knives Out” is a welcome breath of fresh air fastened tightly with satire, whimsy, wit, a dark sense of humour that knows when to make you smirk and when to make you roll on the floor laughing, and above all else a plot so filled with surprises and twist that it seems like an M. Night Shyamalanian wet dream. this film is a must-watch and for those that think they can predict what’s gonna happen, you won’t and if you do well congrats you’re a liar.
10/10
Kicking The Can 