Knives Out is the latest ensemble mystery movie; it is directed by Rian Johnson (Looper, Star Wars: The Last Jedi) and is absolutely star-studded: Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Toni Collete, Christopher Plummer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Daniel Craig, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Katherine Langford and Lakeith Stanfield all star in this immaculately crafted, entertaining mystery.
When a beloved crime novelist, Harlan Thrombey, is found dead at his mansion the morning after his 85th birthday celebration, Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously summoned to investigate the cause of his death, starting by interviewing every member of the dysfunctional Thrombey family as well as Harlan's nurse, Marta Cabrera.
Original movies are hard to come by, and giant ensemble mysteries are even rarer. Director and writer Rian Johnson's story is a loving homage and deconstruction of movies like Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile and many Hitchcock mysteries. From the first minute of the movie, it is clear that Johnson understands the genre and its tropes, and it's his confident vision for the style of the movie that makes Knives Out such a delight- and one of the most genuinely entertaining cinema experiences this year.
Detective centered mysteries have always been a facination of mine- as a child, it was Enid Blyton and now it is everything Agatha Christie. So the fact that Knives Out is essentially a 1940's era Christie story with 2019 political undertones means that it is automatically one of my favourite movies of the year. How much you love the film will rely on the extent to which you are on board with the tongue in cheek genre tropes at play. The same can be applied to the performances, particularly Daniel Craig's which I have heard described as a 'love it or hate it' performance. Do you see his southern accent as distractingly, comedically bad? Or perhaps as a homage to another famously eccentric detective with a distinctive accent and quirky analogies?
Despite the clear inspiration from classic murder mysteries, Johnson's script also subverts the genre in little ways. Though the film does not end up doing much more than you expected it to, the way the central mystery is constructed does not follow the traditional story structure of other films in the genre. I won't say much more than that for fear of spoiling some of the revelations in the plot. Speaking of which, the script for Knives Out is wonderfully smart. As an example- the concept of 'Chekhov's Gun' is central to any mystery story, but Johnson's script takes it to another level. For those who are unfamilar, 'Chekhov's Gun' is a dramatic principle, one that states that every element of a narrative should have a purpose within the story as a whole. The phrase comes from Anton Chekhov's famous advice- 'If in the first act you have hung a pistol on the wall, then in the following one it should be fired. Otherwise don't put it there'. Think the nail in A Quiet Place, the 'Wushi Fingerhold' in Kung Fu Panda, lifting Thor's Hammer in Age of Ultron or the baseball bat in Signs.
In Knives Out, there is quite an overt example of this rule in addition to the many other smaller details that contribute to the full unravelled mystery at the end of the movie (all explained in traditional Poirot-style right at the end). It means that you, as the audience member, can piece together revelations before they come (and perhaps the whole mystery if you are paying enough attention). Though many could blame the mysteryfor being 'obvious', I don't take this view at all. The joy of reading/watching mysteries is to have just enough information to be able to piece together parts of the mystery. It means that the twists make sense rather than just existing to shock.
That's not to say that the plot points are completely watertight. I would have to watch it again but I am sure parts of the story could be picked apart in a 'Cinemasins' like fashion. There are definitely moments of 'movie logic' and characters often act in such a way that stretches credulity. Again, view this as you will- a facet of the genre or annoying logical errors.
In addition to the script, there are so many filmmaking elements of Knives Out that deserve praise; all of it adds up to make an experience that really justifies the use of that Guillermo del Toro meme ("and I believe in cinema").
The production design and wardrobe (so many sweaters!) is gorgeous, especially given the fact that this is not a period piece which can often be the easy way to give an environment texture and ambience. In addition, the camera work is noticeably deliberate- interrogations start off as wides and then become tighter and tighter as we get closer to the truth, for example. In one scene, after a personal shock for Ana de Armas' character, we switch to hand-held camera work to enhance the chaos and turmoil of the scene. And that's not all. The music by Nathan Johnson creates a fantastic atmosphere. The cast is star studded and watching them interact is a joy. The use of flashbacks, which differ based on the narrator and expertly transition between present and past, gives the first half of the movie a distinctive flow and pace. All in all, everything on the technical side is brilliant.
Beyond the filmmaking and plot points, there's a real heart to the film that I was not expecting. And it comes in the form of Marta Cabrera, played by de Armas. As our main character, she has an effortless screen presence, charm and likability that allows the audience an 'in' to this bizarre group of characters. Our empathy with her as the protagonist leads to some genuinely heart-felt moments.
Before I watched the film, I had heard of people's suggestions of films that would make for the best double features with Knives Out. (My suggestion would be 2018's Bad Times At the El Royale for a couple of reason, one of which I cannot spoil, but mainly for its enigmatic style with a deeper underlying message ). Curiously, Parasite popped up a couple of times as a possible pairing. For those that are unfamilar, Parasite is a Korean thriller movie that released earlier this year, though I have not had the chance to watch it yet (the UK rather devastatingly has to wait until Feb 2020 for its theatrical release) so the extent of my knowledge is that Parasite's main theme is about social class. Having watched Knives Out, I can exactly why it might be a good match. Knives Out is not subtle in its political sentiments- which will undoubtedly anger a few groups. It is a movie that explores birthright, prejudice, immigration and the American dream. The very last shot of the movie speaks volumes and will no doubt be remembered for years to come.
Though the politics of the film are ever present, I don't think that's the main take away from the film. In essence, it is a story that values kindness over anything else and, for a movie about murder, that is the most surprising and beautiful subversion of the genre that Rian Johnson could have written.
Grade: A
Thank you for reading this article, I would definitely recommend checking out Knives Out. Click here for my review of Ford Vs Ferrari, which is also in theatres now.
I do not own any of the images used in this post.