KNIVES OUT
Murder most fun…
Rian Johnson’s classy contemporary whodunit, with a mega-watt cast.
It’d be tempting to call Knives Out a palate-cleanser film for writer/director Rian Johnson, given that it’s a scaled-down passion project arriving between Star Wars juggernauts: after The Last Jedi and before Johnson oversees an entirely new trilogy in the galaxy far, far away. But to call it a palate-cleanser would be doing it a disservice, as it’s much more than just a blockbuster antidote, and there’s nothing throwaway about this meticulously crafted murder mystery.
An old-fashioned whodunit given some contemporary frills (it’s set in the present day), Knives Out is inspired by the Agatha Christie template and understands what makes that formula tick. It’s very funny – but while the characters are broadly drawn and played, it’s not a parody. It’s an extremely satisfying confection, hitting the spot far more effectively than Kenneth Branagh’s somewhat stodgy 2017 Murder On The Orient Express remake. That film made the genre feel tired, wearing its history heavily; Knives Out, however, revisits the classic template with alacrity and wit.
CRAIG’S LIST
Another thing it has in common with the golden era of whodunits is the stellar ensemble. Daniel Craig heads up the investigation as Benoit Blanc, “the last of the gentleman sleuths”. Frequently chomping on cigars that are as much of a mouthful as his Kentucky-fried accent, Craig throws himself into proceedings with gusto, and he’s a delight. It’s a pleasure to see him having so much fun. From that pitch-perfect name to his theatrical methods and love of a drawing-room gathering, Blanc could have been lifted from the pages of a literary classic. Johnson has hinted that he’d like to put the character on more cases in future, and that could be a perfect franchise for Craig after he hands in his 007 licence.
The supporting cast features the likes of Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson and Toni Collette, all enjoying themselves enormously. As always with a mystery like this – the type where layers are gradually peeled back and scenes are frequently revisited to shed new light on the case – it’s best to go in cold on plot details (put away your magnifying glass, you won’t find any here).
In traditional style, the mystery is contained in a single location: in this case, the country pile of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). The imposing mansion is stuffed with ornaments, artefacts and posters for Harlan’s bestselling mystery novels. When Harlan dies in mysterious circumstances after his 85th birthday party, Benoit Blanc is called in to investigate alongside police detective Elliott (LaKeith Stanfield) and state trooper Wagner (Noah Segan).
CLUED IN
The branches of the investigation extend out across the family tree, and include Marta (Ana de Armas), a nurse who acts as Harlan’s carer. Needless to say that from the outset, fingers are
‘THE AMOUNT OF FUN EVERYONE’S HAVING RADIATES OFF THE SCREEN’
being pointed in multiple directions – Harlan’s publishing career amassed a fortune, so there are many motives at play. From Evans’ bratty, entitled grandson, to Collette’s wellness-guru daughter-in-law, there are a lot of Harlan’s strained relations to unpick.
It’s also ludicrously entertaining. The amount of fun everyone’s having radiates off the screen. There’s a steady stream of laugh-out-loud dialogue, with Craig getting the chewiest lines. A sense of selfawareness is also omnipresent - “The guy practically lives in a Clue board,” mutters Elliott at one point – but it never undercuts the game that’s afoot.
Despite Nathan Johnson’s arch, spiky-stringed score and David Crank’s mahogany-panelled production design, we get references to social media, Netflix and “children in cages”. Trenchant commentary on the treatment of immigrants also emerges in due course. For all of its throwback qualities, Knives Out is rooted in the now. Social satire is another element that’s very much in keeping with Christie’s work.
All the fun of the set-up and the indulgence in the environment would come to naught if the mystery itself didn’t hang together. But stick with Knives Out and it delivers once all the puzzle pieces have been slotted into place. Ultimately it feels like a game – where the pieces land and how the clues unfold is the key thing here, trumping any big emotional truths – but it’s a game the audience is in on, and it’s a blast of viewing pleasure. When the board is laid out with such style and panache, it’s irresistible. Matt Maytum