One of the most ridiculously entertaining murder mysteries to grace cinema screens in a long time

Rating: 9/10 (28 November 2019)

Knives Out is a whodunit mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson (Looper, The Brothers Bloom). Starring Christopher Plummer, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Ana de Armas, it is one of the most ridiculously entertaining murder mysteries to grace cinema screens in a long time.
One day after celebrating his 85th birthday with his dysfunctional family at his large mansion, renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead in his study room. The police are soon called to the scene to investigate the causes of Harlan's death and to determine if foul play was a factor in all of this. Joining them is the famous private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), who has his own unconventional methods of figuring out the situation, much to the chagrin of the other Thrombey family members.
With its slick production values and witty dialogue, Knives Out injects so much quirky energy into what is widely considered to be an archaic genre and successfully modernises it as a result. Writer/Director Rian Johnson, who clearly has an affinity for this type of movie, takes a great amount of influence from the work of Agatha Christie, with the singular setting and oddball characters rounding off what would normally considered a surface level murder mystery. In addition to this, Johnson detracts from the usual European vibe of the genre to give the film a considerably more American feel, reminding his audience that the genre is universal and not necessarily restricted to a particular continent or culture.
There is so much beautiful visual flair in this film. Each scene felt articulately laid out with such clever use of colour and symmetry. One part of the film's set involves an expensive looking seat with a plethora of knives surrounding it in a circular pattern, which can catch the viewer off guard during some important scenes. This again feels like a callback to the whodunits of decades ago, which implemented the surroundings into the story, making the audience question whether or not certain things played a role in the murder itself.
Every character was used brilliantly throughout the story, with each one serving a purpose no matter how minor it seemed. All of the family members have a reason to be involved in Harlan's death and deducing who has the strongest involvement kept the film moving along at a brisk pace. However, to single out too many characters would give away the ending so I will only single out one: Daniel Craig. Craig is clearly having a wonderful time playing Benoit Blanc, who can only be described as a southern US Hercule Poirot. At first, Blanc seems like a total goofball with a funny accent but the further the story advanced, the more it felt like he was a figure the audience could trust at solving this mystery.
In conclusion, while whodunits may seem dead to some, thanks to the efforts of Rian Johnson, there is proof that there is still so much enjoyment to be had. Even veteran viewers of the genre may be surprised at some of the twists the film throws at them. I urge modern audiences to give it a chance, whether you care for these types of films at all. You never know how much you may end up liking it in the end.
I rate it a solid 9/10