While it is disappointing that writer/director Rian Johnson is not directing the finale of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, Rian Johnson has his hands full with another amazing film for the year with a original screenplay that is uncommon in today’s cinema. Most of Hollywood is still busy filming remakes, reboots, adaptations, and sequels that are safe investments for any studio or company to bet on. Untested original films do not guarantee anything at the box office so Knives Out is one of the bigger surprises from Hollywood in 2019. It is a modern murder mystery that does not hold back with all the intrigue, the drama, the comedy, and the adrenaline that is awww given from its genre. Knives Out is a modern classic in the making that is not also afraid to not take itself too seriously.
When the patriarch of a family, the acclaimed novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), is found dead after his 85th birthday, a pair of cops question Harlan’s family and closest friends. With what seems to just be a another case of suicide is turned on its head as Private Investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) also being anonymously hired to investigate and suspects something more is a foot. It does not get easier as the family is dysfunctional as they are rich. A bunch of self-titled pricks who have been leeching of Harlan’s amassed fortune as a successful writer from his best-selling crime novels. A fortune that could be inherited and could easily have motivated any of his offspring and in-laws to take matters into their own hands.
The story then follows as each one of them has their own story to tell that do not always add up. Every single one of them seemingly have their own self-indulging lies to tell and their very clear motive to end things with the patriarch of the family even when each one of them claims to have been in good terms with Harlan. Blanc having to weave through each and every one of hilarious stories and unravel what really happened the night of Harlan’s 85th birthday. And thanks to the amazing ensemble, the plot only thickens with each ensuing scene. Chris Evans being particularly exciting as the grandson of Harlan, Ransom Drysdale, giving up his good boy Captain America persona to become a spoiled rich boy that is wholly his own. Michael Shannon being the youngest child of Harlan, Walt Thrombey, giving another terrifyingly amazing performance and hilarious. Ana de Armas, as the caretaker Marta Cabrera and one of Harlan’s closest friends, providing the most fascinating performance in the film as someone outside of Harlan’s family. She has been welcomed and taken in by the family for caring for Harlan but now in his absence, things might begin to turn sour between them.
It seems impossible then to craft a plot that pulls no stops where its audience attempts to be a few steps ahead of it. What twists and turns could other murder mysteries still have not possibly explored yet? For Knives Out, its central conflict still is able to keep up with its audience. It only becomes clearer and clearer while still building to a conclusion that leaves you both satisfied at its conclusion and unsatisfied at how you could not have see it coming sooner.
Through and through, Knives Out is, at its core, a modern take on the murder mystery genre for a modern audience as it perfectly fits in the genre’s hallmarks. It does not create any new and revolutionary towards its genre of film; however, the film does set itself apart by giving a self-aware and somewhat satirical sense of humor and comedy into it—something most films today actually attempt to do. At times, it does make the film stand out by accepting the absurd nature of the rich and their greed. Other times, it pokes a little fun at the genre where people always come to expect the unexpected.
In the end, even with its sense of comedy, Knives Out ultimately crafts an amazing murder mystery that the genre is known for. From all the red herring galore to all the clues slowly piecing the puzzle together, Writer/Director Rian Johnson creates a murder mystery true and true: never holding back and making sure that you are always on your toes. With an incredible ensemble and everyone given their time in the spotlight, the film is nothing short of being amazing.
Nas Velasco 