Knives Out was everything you want out of a murder-mystery, a killer cast, wit, a twist and of course….Daniel Craig.
“Knives Out” is the latest release from Writer/Director Rian Johnson also known for the latest Star Wars Movie: “The Last Jedi” and “Looper” and it follows his same thread of originality and humor in all the best ways.
“Knives Out” is centered around world renowned mystery writer, Harlan Thrombey, at his 85th Birthday Celebration involving the whole family until Harlan shows up dead the next morning…DUN DUN DUN. At first the death is ruled a suicide, until the legendary detective, Benoit Blanc (Craig), shows up after a mysterious request and rules it a murder. With a packed cast consisting of Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Lakeith Stanfield, Toni Collette and Daniel Craig...just to name a few, it seems everyone is a suspect. Starring a breakout performance from Ana de Armas who is at the center of the movie’s plot, “Knives Out” adds more layers than a traditional murder-mystery without being over complicated and over complex. Think Live Action Clue - but better dressed and less annoying titles.
With a satirical twist, portraying the ridiculous antics and plights of the upper-class, “Knives Out” can be seen as reflective of our current culture’s political arguments and obsession with monetary value. If you think your Thanksgiving Table was loaded with politics that made you want to cover your ears, Knives Out takes these political tones to a new level that makes you take a step back and realize how ridiculous we all sound to each other – its hilarious and great.
The key to what make “Knives Out” engaging is that the movie tells you about the murder and how it was committed half-way through, then you spend the last half of the movie considering each of the characters motives and actions that led them to murder. "Knives Out" doesn't follow the traditional cookie-cutter Murder Mystery Format. It starts the story the day after the murder, and spends its time jumping back and forth from present day to historical flashbacks to help you piece the story together. It’s thrilling.
It’s not easy to pull off a classic who-dunn-it and we know what it looks like when they fail (looking at you Murder on the Orient Express), but “Knives Out” pulls it off, giving you just enough puzzle pieces to keep you engaged without coming straight out and identifying the culprit.
New take, best lines in the movie?
1. Jamie Lee Curtis as Linda, Harlan Thrombey's eldest daughter and Lakeith Stanfield as Lieutenant Elliot
Lieutenant: We understand the night of his demise, the family gathered to celebrate your father's 85th birthday....how was it, by the way?
Linda: "The party? Pre-my dad's death? Oh it was great..."
2. Chris Evans as Ransom, Harlan Thrombey's Grandson.
Ransom: "Eat shit. Eat shit. Eat shit. Definitely eat shit"
So What Worked and What Didn't?
What Worked?
Jamie Lee Curtis…in anything. Jamie Lee Curtis needs to be in more movies/tv shows/anything – her sharp wit and dry sarcasm is hard to match. Think of Dean Munch in Scream Queens – and you’ve got it.
Ava De Armas: In a breakout role as the center of the mystery and owns the most screen time out of the entire ensemble. Look out for Armas starring in the next James Bond: No Time to Die in 2020.
What Didn’t Work?
Ok it kills me to write this, because I love Daniel Craig and I will support anything that he stars in, but what didn't work was his accent. Craig tries to pull off a Kentucky Hill-Billy Deep Southern Accent that I still cannot get out of my head. If you are trying to imagine what he sounds like, imagine Michael Scott in The Office portraying “Caleb Crawdad, I do declare.”
But still….a beautiful man.
The Race
No news yet on how “Knives Out” fits in the upcoming Oscar Race, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see a few nominations in SAG Awards and Golden Globes Ensemble Categories. More to come here!
All in all, opening to over $40M domestically, in a culture of reboots, remakes and IP, “Knives Out” holds as a huge win for original content, specifically in the murder mystery genre.
EL DE Rating: 7.5/10
And that's the sitch.
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