Tailor-made for the lovers of whodunnit mysteries! [+77%]

Rating: 8/10 (1 March 2020)

Well, well, well... we have an engaging murder mystery movie featuring a spectacular ensemble (led by Daniel Craig & Christopher Plummer) in our hands. The character played by Ana de Armas (who I remember from Knock! Knock!, War Dogs & BR 2049) is what drives the film forward to captivating twists and turns. A movie like Knives Out is best savoured by not having read the one-line-plot or seen the trailer.
The first act, in my opinion, is what particularly stands out. Private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is investigating the supposed murder of wealthy crime novelist Harlan Thrombey. Writer-director Rian Johnson carefully toys around the audience with a few leads, a few red herrings, and even a few shots that reveal more than what they're supposed to (a second watch will prove this right). Yet, it's Rian's eye for detailing that mostly works in the case of Knives Out. Craig is fantastic (as always) and his appearances out of the blue in certain scenes were a treat to watch.
While Knives Out is a modern whodunnit, it really evokes the feels of reading an Agatha Christie mystery novel. As each page turns, you know you're one step closer to finding out who was behind the ghastly crime (or you don't, until the very last page). The mansion and its surroundings provided the right amount of intrigue for a storyline such as this. The score by Nathan Johnson also added an extra layer of obscurity to the proceedings. Steve Yedlin, a frequent Rian Johnson collaborator, captures the wintry vibes of Massachusetts perfectly.
Knives Out is probably one of my favorite films of 2019 owing to two reasons: a) I totally dig murder mysteries b) Knives Out is astonishingly well-written and made. You may not be completely blown away by the climax twist, but the way the film builds up to it is impressive. Ana de Armas is going to have a lot of good-to-great directors approaching her shortly.