Knives Out
Starring: Ana de Armas, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Christopher Plummer, Toni Collette, Don Johnson
My Rating: ★★★★
Knives Out is a classic “whodunit” film reminiscent of renowned Agatha Christie mystery novels. On the night of Harlan Thrombey’s 85th birthday, he was found dead with his throat slit and blood spilled on the floor. With his entire family gathered, the circumstances of his death are mysterious. When Detective Benoit Blanc arrives, he instantly recognizes that the family is immensely dysfunctional. Amidst his initial questioning, the puzzle pieces do not match up, leaving everyone in the family a suspect. Blanc must sift through a web of lies and red herrings from Harlan’s family to his devoted staff to uncover the truth.
Harlan Thrombey (Christoper Plummer) was a very successful mystery writer until he was found dead. His housekeeper, Fran (Edi Patterson), finds him with a slit throat and a knife still in his hand. It initially looks like suicide, but there are some unresolved questions. A pair of cops come to the Thrombey estate along with Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to conduct an investigation, and the film begins with each of their interviews. Daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis) is a successful businesswoman with a subpar husband, Richard (Don Johnson), and an awful son, Ransom (Chris Evans). Son Walt (Michael Shannon) runs the publishing side but has recently quarreled with his father. Daughter-in-law Joni (Toni Collette) is deep into self-help and social media but has been helping herself by ripping off Harlan. Finally, there is Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), Harlan’s nurse and most trusted confidant. Can she help Detective Benoit Blanc solve this mystery?
Knives Out is captivating and entertaining, keeping you enthralled with the mystery from the beginning. It is a wildly fun plot to unravel, also providing some biting social commentary on 2019 America. The entire cast is passionately charismatic and is perfect for their roles. The director, Ryan Johnson, confidently stays at least a step ahead of his audience, leaving them breathless but satisfied at the end.
On November 23, 2022, Glass Onion, the second installment to the Knives Out saga, premiered in theaters. It features a new star-studded cast, except Daniel Craig, and takes place in Greece. It has similarly received rave reviews, and I hope to see it soon!