Inspired by films like “Murder on the Orient Express,” “The Private Eyes,” and “Clue,” writer/director Rian Johnson has been wanting to bring a murder mystery to the big scene since 2012. With the success of the remake of the first film named, it was time to take another bite at the proverbial apple, and this was his opportunity to do so with “Knives Out”.
With the death of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) discovered the day after his 85th birthday party by his caretaker Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas) ruled a suicide, it is odd that Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) has been hired to join the police and sheriff’s Departments to investigate the incident. Thrombey, a very successful mystery novelist, has three surviving children (Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Toni Colette) as well as extended family, and all of them could benefit from his demise. As the investigation deepens, everything comes into question, and everyone is a suspect as Blanc races time to get to the bottom of the entire affair.
Also starring Chris Evans, Don Johnson, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, and Jaeden Martell, this film has a strong cast and a script with lots of clues and hints to watch for delivered seamlessly. To say this cast really appears to have enjoyed making this film is evident without even seeing any interviews of press junkets with them, also seen by the audience I screened “Knives Out” with. They were engaged the entire time and really enjoyed the hidden gems that are not just in the dialogue (for example, a scene where Marta is at home with her mother watching “Murder She Wrote” or Chris Evans’ Ransom asking “What is this? CSI:KFC?” aimed at Blanc’s Kentucky accent).
This is a whodunit that will appeal to both fans of the genre and those who are casual moviegoers alike and is absolutely worth taking a couple of hours at the theater for.