Rian Johnson crafts an original murder mystery that ranks as one of the most enjoybale films of 2019

Rating: Null/10 (29 December 2019)

We haven't had a great murder mystery whodunnit film in an extremely long time. While a well-known genre and plot, writer/director Rian Johnson has reinvented the genre with his fresh new take "Knives Out."
Taking place primarily in an elaborate and old house in the countryside out east, quirky detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) investigates the death of the matriarch of a dysfunctional, combative family by the name of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), suspecting that one of them likely murdered him.
Caught in the middle of the family conflict along with Benoit is Harlan's housemaid Marta (Ana de Armas), a good-hearted and wide-eyed young lady uncomfortable and uneasy with the whole situation. Each member of the family stands out due to their distinctive unique characteristics. Each actor embodies their characters' strong and combative personalities yet gives their trademark to their performances. Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Chris Evans, and Christopher Plummer are all at the tip of their games and deliver fun and energetic performances, yet its Ana de Armas and Daniel Craig who steals the show.
De Armas captures the stress and anxiety of her fragile persona and is the closest thing there is to a protagonist in this star-studded mystery. The actress is sensational in capturing emotions through her rich facial expressions, yet what she does best is to generate empathy from the audience and make us take her side amongst the array of selfish, rude characters.
Daniel Craig is an actor best known for playing the straight-faced and serious James Bond, yet seeing him speak in a cartoonish southern-bayou accent and have a genuinely fun presence is a true treat. Craig is overdoing it with his accent, yet that's the point. He's able to portray a traditional southern detective like in most murder mysteries but at the same time gives his spin through his charismatic personality.
Rian Johnson does a great job of setting up the mystery and making us think that virtually any of these characters could have committed the murder, making us as an audience consistently think on our feet. We get to go down several twists and turns that consistently keep us engaged and cognizant, making the film a prime form of entertainment.
"Knives Out" could have used a more shocking or climactic ending, yet the film is by far one of 2019s most entertaining films. This film may be classified as a good old fashion whodunnit murder mystery, but thanks to Johnson's witty writing and detail-oriented direction, it becomes something else. The director excels at keeping his audience engaged throughout and trusts his viewers to pay attention to key clues and call-backs, making it impossible to be bored.
"Knives Out" is a film that several different audiences can enjoy and one with so much going for it that should not be missed.