Knives Out

Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Christopher Plummer, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Riki Lindhome, Edi Patterson, Frank Oz, K Callan, Noah Segan, M. Emmet Walsh
Directed by: Rian Johnson
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Mystery, Comedy, Drama
2019

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A detective (Daniel Craig) investigates an eccentric family after the patriarch (Christopher Plummer) dies under mysterious circumstances.

Review:

Tim: When I first watched Rian Johnson's Knives Out in theaters, I enjoyed the movie from the beginning. However, it wasn't until the end of the movie when he pulled everything together and revealed the genius of the script that I finally loved it. Johnson crafts a modern murder mystery with so many twists and turns, it's a film that is quite intelligent and well crafted. This is a great movie and it was one of my favorites from 2019.

We don't get nearly enough murder mysteries from Hollywood. Not "whodunnit" ones like this. Mostly, they are period pieces- I loved that this one was a modern day one, complete with its own brilliant detective. Johnson writes a script that turns some of the genre conventions on their heads while playing with the audience's expectations. For most of the movie, it seems good- but it's when you can see the full picture at the end when you realize what an achievement this movie was.

The humor was essential to this film. Johnson delivers the perfect tone for this kind of movie. It never devolves into farce, but it has fun with the story and the characters. That translates to the audience- the movie is just great fun to watch. The movie is populated with unique characters and there's a central mystery that is quite intriguing. Johnson did well in dispensing information so that the audience doesn't feel like they are completely in the dark, but some mysteries remain until the very end. I laughed a good deal in this movie. The funniest scene has to be Chris Evans' "Eat sh*t" scene, which is an instant classic.

The movie is greatly helped by an incredible cast. Daniel Craig's performance as Benoit Blanc was fascinating. For most of the movie, it felt weird. It's not like the expected "brilliant detective" movies we've come to know. His character felt odd, a bit bumbling. Like the movie itself, it isn't until the end that you can fully appreciate Blanc's tactics. Johnson has talked about doing a sequel with Blanc and I'm immediately there. Even while watching the movie the first time, I didn't expect to like Craig's character as much as I eventually did. He does a great job (accent included) in bringing this character to life.

The best performance of the film, though, belongs to Ana de Armas. I've seen her in movies before, but this was a star-making performance. She is excellent as the film's protagonist. Her performance is so authentic, it feels effortless. You immediately connect with her and grow to really care about her over the course of the film. She was wonderful in this movie and is a huge reason why so it's great. I also loved Chris Evans' performance. This role felt so diametrically opposed to his Captain America role of recent years, it was a wonderful change of pace. Evans seems to revel in how different this character is. As mentioned before, he delivers the film's best line in its funniest scene.

The rest of the supporting cast is mostly given unlikable characters. I often complain about movies when you can't like any of the characters. That isn't the case here- Craig, de Armas, and Evans' characters are likeable for much of the movie. That allows everyone else to play these larger-than-life, somewhat despicable characters. Jamie Lee Curtis gets a few bitingly funny lines, of which she delivers perfectly. She's great in her small role. Michael Shannon does solid work, although his character wasn't as interesting as some others. Don Johnson had several great moments as well. I've never really liked Toni Collette, so she was perfect for this grating character. She obviously had fun playing her. There are a few other actors who are playing sympathetic characters who gave great performances. Christoper Plummer sets the tone for the entire movie with his small role. He's absolutely essential to this film. LaKeith Stanfield quietly gives a terrific performance. It's easy to miss how excellent he is because he's quiet and reserved amidst so many over-the-top characters. He's great, though. I also loved seeing Frank Oz and M. Emmet Walsh in small roles, too. One of the biggest strengths of this film is the remarkable cast.

I have to say, I'm so impressed with Rian Johnson. I loved his first three movies- Brick, The Brothers Bloom, and Looper. I was ecstatic when he was brought into Star Wars, but heartbroken when he totally screwed up Star Wars: The Last Jedi. However, he bounced back with his 4th great movie out of 5. This movie is so clever, entertaining, and funny. It was an absolute blast and I had such a great time with it. It held up on its 2nd viewing. I sincerely hope Johnson makes more of these movies.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 8



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: The Brothers Bloom, Clue