Summoned!! Drinks ... appetizers, a charcuterie board, dinner... Knives Out ... Birthday cake anyone? The family is coming!

Rating: 10/10 (8 February 2020)

Knives Out is the preeminent, unsurpassed murder mystery arguably of all time ...consisting of paramount intrigue ... the most intricate in my opinion to date! The sophistication of the plot, the suspense, the drama, the maneuvering, and the vacillating implicit conspiracy theories kept me guessing...I loved it!! Contact the authorities! Daniel Craig as the transcendent principal investigator Benolt Blanc, LaKeith Stanfield as the contemplative, methodical Lieutenant Elliott and Noah Segan as the trustworthy and honorable Trooper Wagner all arrived. They were all exceptional!
This family contains the duplicitous, the over achievers, the wannabees and the spoiled rotten, led by Christopher Plummer as the long-standing trailblazer Harlan Thrombey. Jamie Lee Curtis and Don Johnson as Linda and Richard Drysdale, along with their son Ransom (Chris Evans), all flawlessly depicted the close-knit and favored relatives. Jamie Lee Curtis nailed the representation of the preferential oldest sibling complete with the constant and the arduous seeking of parental approval, staying very close to her father.
Michael Shannon is Walt Thrombey who is the brother who tries so hard, yet perhaps falls short of expectations, along with his two free-spirited offspring Jacob and Donna (Jaeden Martell and Riki Lindhorne). Family widow and sister-in-law Joni Thrombey who is our wonderful Toni Collette and her on-screen daughter, Meg a cousin, a granddaughter and a wise and strategic player played by Katherine Langford. Both who very much remain a part of the family fabric.
Ana de Armas is Marta Cabrera who was outstanding! Marta characterized a meticulous and reliable personal nurse to Harlan holding all of the family secrets. Lastly, K. Callen is the wondrous timeworn matriarchy, Greatnana Wannetta; the wise old owl, who is seen and never heard. In full, this clan is a hand-full!
Rian Johnson the writer and director quintessentially and observantly captures each of the eccentric personalities featuring the all too common familial competitive rivalry, jockeying, over-indulgence and familiar grievances we all unfortunately recognize especially with large, complex families of considerable wealth and influence. Rian Johnson valiantly addresses matters with intellectual superiority, unpredictability yet familiarity, antidotes replete with modern day societal concerns that he heroically drops directly into the main conflict like a bomb, forcing audiences to grapple with its consequences. This movie deserves an Oscar!