Standard update of Agatha Christie-like murder mystery featuring solid performances by an all-star cast

Rating: 6/10 (8 December 2019)

Writer/Director Rian Johnson is best known for his last 2017 effort, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," which did very well on both Metacritic (85%) and Rotten Tomatoes (91%). Less successful in my opinion was Johnson's 2012 Looper, which was quite successful at the box office but featured a rather convoluted sci-fi narrative that didn't work very well. Here with Knives Out, he's decided to channel Agatha Christie, in a contemporary murder mystery with an all-star cast.

Knives Out is virtually "all plot" with stock character types typical of the genre. Case in point is the main character, private detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig who sports a notable southern accent. Craig does well in the part but just about any other marquee star could have taken on the role and done an equally decent job as Craig.

As the story unfolds, Blanc is called into investigate the murder of famed mystery writer, Harlan Thrombey (winningly played by Christopher Plummer), following his 85th birthday party celebration at the Thrombey mansion.

The quirky family members all soon learn they've been cut out of Harlan's will. They include Harlan's daughter: Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis), a real estate mogul initially bankrolled by her father; her husband Richard (Don Johnson), Harlan's son-in-law, who's having an affair which Harlan was about to expose, and Hugh Ransom Drysdale (Chris Evans), an arrogant, spoiled playboy who proves to be the principal antagonist.

Also in mix are: Walt Thrombey (Michael Shannon), Harlan's youngest son who runs his publishing empire; Joni Thrombey (Toni Collette), Harlan's daughter-in-law, who was married to Harlan's deceased son Neil; and Meg Thrombey, Joni's daughter (Katherine Langford). There are other characters here, mostly too numerous to list.

The other principal character is Harlan's nurse and caretaker, Marta Cabrera (a very solid Ana de Armas) who is implicated in Harlan's murder after she accidentally gives him a fatal dose of morphine. Instead of rehashing the plot, suffice it to say Johnson wisely keeps us guessing for a while as to who is responsible for Harlan's death.

The actual circumstances of the murder are well thought out, as Marta actually gives him the correct dose of medication through instinct but then comes to believe otherwise after the murderer switches labels on the bottle. Later it's revealed through a toxicology report that Harlan did not receive a fatal overdose, but following Marta's unintentional but false confession to him that she mistakenly gave him the wrong dose, he promptly commits suicide by slashing his throat.

The rest of Knives Out involves only a modicum of suspense with Blanc following Marta around the mansion (upon his orders), as she continues to dispose of any clues that might implicate her.

The basic problem with the narrative once we break into the Second Act (SPOILERS AHEAD) is that the most unsavory character here turns out to be the prime suspect and ultimately the guilty party. Without revealing who that character is, I can only say that I was expecting a little bit more of a twist ending, given the already evident presence of such an unsavory antagonist.

The question remains, do we need another one of these updated Agatha Christie-like murder mysteries? I say, why not? This one, however, is rather standard but it does contain a few moments of suspense coupled with solid performances all-around, from an all-star cast.