a whodunit for our times

Rating: 10/10 (6 December 2019)

Stellar performances from an ensemble cast with insane on-screen chemistry, great direction, and a whodunit for our times, Rian Johnson's Knives Out is one of 2019's best with some wholly relevant story about family and politics.
Boasting a talented cast, it goes without saying Knives Out wouldn't be a spectacular triumph if not for the three leads of Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas. Evans, playing Hugh "Ransom" Drysdale, is a ridiculous mixture of unlikable and smoothness. Craig, playing Benoit Blanc, is hilarious as a detective with a thick southern accent. Armas, playing Marta Cabrera, grounds the film through her warmhearted portrayal of Marta's honest, firm, and ultimately good character. The rest of the cast do not disappoint and give dynamite performances of the fewer screen time they receive which includes Christopher Plummer, and Jamie Lee Curtis, to name a few.
Central to Knives Out is the death of the family's patriarch, Harlan Thrombey, but the film is truly about a dysfunctional family and a satire about wealth and inheritance. Though Knives Out seemingly reveals Harlan's killer even before the finale, the writing uses the early reveal as a springboard for exploring the family dynamics between the Thrombeys and Marta, showing how each of the Thrombeys are inherently selfish despite their good front. When the will reading shockingly reveals that Harlan left his entire possessions to Marta, the Thrombeys immediately turn on her, except Ransom, and their true attitude is revealed by calling her names and making unfounded accusations of unduly influencing Harlan's will. This is exemplified by previous dialogues hinting that Marta is a mere afterthought to the family such as when individual Thrombeys claim they wanted her to be present at the funeral but were outvoted and not knowing her true country of origin. Through the whirlwind of losing not only an employer but a close friend and family by choice, Marta grows from a demure and devoted nurse to the strong and caring heir of Harlan's possessions.
Knives Out isn't the traditional whodunit were the identity of the murderer is clear only in the end. Multiple faints, clues, and surprises makes Knives Out unique in the genre by seemingly throwing out the central mystery, when in actuality each scene is made for characters to grow. The journey, and the not the end, is basically the film's overarching thought. The complexity of the script requires repeat viewings because the hefty themes and minute character is buried underneath the murder mystery. When the ending reveals that Harlan caused his own death, though instigated by Ransom, that moment gives better clarity to the family dynamics explored by the film. People feel entitled to inheritance and will do anything to claim them.
Rian Johnson is at home in Knives Out. Everything about the direction is firing on all cylinders. The film shifts from recollection to plot progression seamlessly. Not a second is wasted or feel dragging. Setting the film in a mansion evoking old money adds visual representation to the themes. The cinematography and music are also topnotch.
Not only is Ana de Armas insanely beautiful, but talented as well. Hoping to see her in bigger and better roles. Lastly, give us more of Daniel Craig southern accent roles!
10/10