Directed by: Rian Johnson
Release date: November 27th, 2019
Rating: 10/10
Knives Out is director Rian Johnson’s first film since Star Wars: The Last Jedi. This film, unlike The Last Jedi, is a murder mystery. Harlan Thrombley, a murder novelist is found dead from an apparent suicide the morning after his 85th birthday party. Private investigator, Benoit Blanc is mysteriously hired to investigate Harlan’s untimely death. Everyone is a suspect.
I really like this movie, no, in fact I love this movie. From the wonderful costume design to the intricate plot this film is fantastic. Each character has a unique personality, a motive, and secrets that are interesting to learn as the course of the movie progresses. Not only is this a great murder mystery, it also brings some things new and unexpected to the genre. Daniel Craig, who plays Mr. Benoit Blanc, and Chris Evans, portraying Hugh “Ransom” Drysdale, are the standouts to me. Everyone in the cast is fantastic no matter how much screen time they received, but Craig and Evans deliver performances that are both outside of their usual range as well as convincing and believable. Any time an actor shows range in playing a character outside their usual casting impresses me.
Rian Johnson does a fantastic job with this film. As well as directing the movie he also wrote it and it further cements him, in my mind, as one of the best up-and-coming directors of the last decade. Love or hate what he’s done with Star Wars, he is a creative force that can make exceptional cinema.
One issue I have with the film is that there are certain elements and things that lead to the conclusion of the movie and without them, the movie wouldn’t exist. I don’t want to spoil anything but if you’ve seen the movie you know what I mean. This isn’t a huge issue for me, but it does need to be overlooked for the movie to make sense. Personally, I didn’t have a problem overlooking those things at all, some of them I even enjoyed, but it can be an issue for some and I can see why it might make certain people dislike that part of the movie.
Everything about Knives Out is expertly done. The star-studded cast does a fantastic job playing the Thrombley/Drysdale family, the script creates an entertaining film that is by no means predictable (even when it seems like it is), and the set/costume design creates a believable, almost hyper realistic world that these characters inhabit.
Knives Out is a breath of fresh air in this time of remakes, reboots, and sequels. Rian Johnson manages to deliver something new as well as entertaining to audiences. This expertly crafted murder mystery is one of the best times I’ve had in theaters this year.