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No matter how close a family may appear, you’ll often find secrets and frustrations and even resentment hidden beneath the surface. In Rian Johnson’s crime comedy Knives Out, when a man is found dead and murder isn’t out of the question, a family’s tight bonds quickly unravel.
Knives Out begins after the death of best-selling mystery writer Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) on the night of his 85th birthday party. As the family members gather to say their final farewells, the police—and a mysterious investigator—speak to each of them, one by one, to explore the cause of death. It doesn’t take long for them to start pointing fingers at their family members, revealing disagreements that the others had with the deceased. But it seems as though the only person who can really help them close the case is Harlan’s nurse, Marta (Ana de Armas).
It may sound like a pretty typical whodunit, but while Knives Out definitely plays on the style and suspense of a classic mystery, it’s anything but typical. With its quirky characters, its clever writing, its plot twists, and its timeless feel, it’s pure Rian Johnson. It’s colorful, playful, and a whole lot of wacky fun.
Johnson definitely knows how to create the perfect atmosphere for the film. Harlan’s big, old home is dark and stately and a little bit eerie, too—with plenty of unique touches. It’s a fitting home for a crime novelist—and a fitting setting for a classic-style mystery with a twist.
The characters, too, add to the fun. The members of Harlan’s family are business owners and influencers and political bloggers and trust fund babies—but they’re also rich and entitled and generally full of themselves. On the surface, they’re a loving family, but give them the slightest opening, and their dysfunction comes out. They’ll happily dish the dirt on everyone else. As it turns out, though, the real dirt is even worse than they realize.
At the center of the craziness is poor Marta, the sweet and thoughtful young nurse who isn’t without her own bizarre quirks. And as she faces off against oddly debonair investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), the story moves through twists and turns and hilarious surprises that will keep viewers always on their toes.
If you love the quirks and surprising style of Rian Johnson’s earlier films—like The Brothers Bloom—you’ll find more of the director’s own delightful brand of movie magic here. In a time of year that’s typically loaded with heavy dramas, this fresh and fun-filled whodunit is a breath of fresh air.
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