Knives Out (2019)

Director: Rian Johnson

Story: Rian Johnson

Cast: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Christopher Plummer

Music: Nathan Johnson

Time: 130 minutes

Bottom-line: An intriguing whodunit powered by Craig and de Armas

Daniel Craig plays a (sort of) detective, Christopher Plummer plays an old man who’s the head of a huge mansion, his family is a bunch of eccentric people, and one girl makes all the difference… no it’s not The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, but it’s Rian Johnson’s whodunit drama, Knives Out. Featuring an ensemble cast led by Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas and Plummer, this film is an entertaining murder mystery right up there with the likes of Christie.

 

Stanfield as Elliot (left), Segan as Wagner (middle) and
Craig as Blanc

I suspect foul play, and I have eliminated no suspects.

Harlan Thrombey (Plummer) invites his family for his 85^th birthday party in his mansion. He is found dead the next morning with his throat slit – apparently a case of suicide. Detective Lt. Elliot (Lakeith Stanfield) and Trooper Wagner (Noah Segan) are hired to investigate, along with renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Craig). The viewers get to know that a lot of Harlan’s relatives had a grudge against him for varying reasons, including his grandson, Hugh “Ransom” Drysdale (Evans), whom Harlan had recently cut off from his will. Through Harlan’s nurse, Marta (de Armas), we get to know what truly happened on that fateful night. Harlan’s unusual will makes things all the more complicated. But is there more to the seemingly “solved” murder/suicide?

 

de Armas as Marta

Look around. The guy basically lives in a “Clue” board.

Indeed, the first thing that strikes you about Knives Out is the elaborate setting: from the fancy house to the quirky and colourful characters. Johnson does well to save needless action stunts (barring one “dumbest car chase of all time”) and fight sequences and focuses more on making the story like an actual Poirot mystery – filled with clues, hints and flashbacks leading us to the criminal – in a contemporary setting. Of course, it might not be as “neat” as a Christie novel – I’m sure if you ponder over the solution for an hour, you’ll find a couple of loopholes – but by then you’re entertained and satisfied enough with a tight enough script. I think that as a viewer, you should pause the movie (if possible) at the time when Blanc calls Hugh and Marta together, and guess the solution to the mystery.

 

Evans as Ransom

In for a penny, in for a pound.

I like how the characters are created – it makes it possible to add a lot of dry humour and sarcasm into a murder mystery. Craig’s annoying – and needless – accent apart, his role as the stylish detective is a welcome change from seeing him as 007. De Armas and Chris Evans have given sublime performances – especially the former with her naïveté and the hilarious (or pitiable) trait of vomiting every time she lies. The supporting cast includes Toni Colette, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Katherine Langford and Don Johnson, all of whom have played their bit well. Their expressions during the last scene of the film summarise the entire tale brilliantly.

  

Plummer as Harlan (middle), Jamie Lee Curtis (left) and
Don Johnson (right) play his daughter, Linda,
 and son-in-law, Richard, respectively 

My house. My rules. My coffee.

Thoroughly engaging from start to finish, Knives Out blends mystery, humour and suspense in the right amounts. It’s a must-watch for any fan of detective tales.

My Rating: 4/5

Rotten Tomatoes rating: 97%