Knives Out

Whatever you may think about Rian Johnson's game-changing take on Star Wars with The Last Jedi, there's no doubt that it wasn't just some safe, by-the-numbers entry in a franchise that was mostly going through the motions since the original trilogy. It cemented Johnson as an ambitious voice in the film industry, as did 2012's Looper and its approach to the time-traveling story. And now he brings surprises and turns to a genre that lives or dies by surprises and turns with Knives Out, a whodunit mystery that breathes fresh new life into a well-worn story template.

Harlan Thromby is a bestselling crime author who has appeared to have committed suicide on his 85th birthday. Detective Benoit Blanc, who has been hired to observe police interviews and the scene of the crime to bring his own insight into the case, believes that foul play took place. Tensions rise, secrets are revealed, and more and more pressure is put on the culprit to come forth. Everyone who's remotely close to Thromby, either as a family member or a personal helper, is a suspect who has something to gain from murdering him, be it inheritance or revenge.

I'm honestly scared to go much further into the story and characters. Even describing the main protagonist in this ensemble can potentially take out the fun in viewing this movie and observing the traits of everyone involved, both the suspects and the ones solving the case. All I can say is don't try to expect events and discoveries to happen when they typically do in this type of narrative.

The real thrill from watching Knives Out is seeing how Rian Johnson uses common tropes in the murder-mystery (less likable than others suspects, blackmail, and grudges) template and makes them fit into his narrative. He reminds us that the whodunit sub-genre is fundamentally about characters conflicting with others and trying to gain something, crafting a relevant story about earning your worth and proving others wrong with your own devices.

He also shoots the setting in a refreshingly non-flashy and straightforward kind of way, avoiding what ruined 2017's Murder on The Orient Express, which was shot far too flamboyantly and over-the-top for any real suspense to register.

Every single member of the cast is aces. Christopher Plummer, who plays Thromby in flashbacks, is fantastic as someone who is both a warm caregiver and a controlling patriarch. Daniel Craig as Blanc is a real standout because who knew 007 can do such a good Foghorn Leghorn impression? Ana De Armies is sympathetic as Thromby's nurse who finds herself in the middle of a hostile social climate. The Thromby family comprises of Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Katherine Langford, and Jaeden Martel, who are all deliciously awful in their own ways, even though some could have been a little more rounded than they ended up being in my opinion.

Knives Out is a deliriously fun, sophisticated, and surprising romp, a shimmering bottle of champagne that never stops flowing after the cork pops off. Go out and see it just so we can see more fresh takes on worn-out genres in the future.