Rian Johnson is a decent storyteller. Putting the controversial Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) aside, he has written and directed good films such as Brick (2005) and Looper (2012), where he has shown a knack for character development and getting the best out of his actors. With Knives Out, he has produced another watchable film with a strong, witty, and compelling narrative that’s brought to life by some good performances.

This is a modern murder mystery film that pays homage to the classics without losing its identity. It starts with a grizzly murder, like all classics. Crime writer Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), who has built a fiercely controlled empire of his bestsellers read across the world, is found dead after apparently having slit his throat. Here, we see all the production values of an old Agatha Christie movie. There’s the sprawling mansion full of antiques, the dramatic music, and more. But soon, we realise that this film is set in the modern era.

Here, we are introduced to the rest of the family. All the following facts are related in the first 10 minutes of the film, and aren’t spoilers:

Rian Johnson’s Knives Out keeps us guessing without relying on clichés

There’s his eldest daughter and real estate businessperson Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis), who is the most independent of the children. There’s her husband Richard (Don Johnson), who’s helping her run the business and is cheating on her. We learn Harlan threatened to expose him. There’s Walter “Walt” Thrombey (Michael Shannon), who argues with his father constantly about his reluctance to expand beyond books. There’s his daughter-in-law Joni Thrombey, who is a bit of a hippie and is stealing from him. Harlan has helped her so far because his son (and her husband) is dead.

Then, there are the grandchildren. There is Hugh Ransom Drysdale (Chris Evans), who is the spoiled son of Linda and Richard and argues thunderously with Harlan. There is Megan “Meg” Thrombey, the daughter of Joni, who depends on her grandfather for her college fees. Finally, there is Jacob Thrombey (Jaeden Martell), who comically enough, is always on his phone fighting people on social media with his alt-right politics.

Although every member of his family has reason to kill him already, they have a greater motive when Harlan, a day before his death, indicates that he’ll cut them out of his will. Of course, no murder-mystery film would be complete without the help — there is the housekeeper Fran (Edi Patterson) who discovers the body, and there’s Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), his caretaker, close friend, and one of the stars of the film.

Although every member of his family has reason to kill him already, they have a greater motive when Harlan, a day before his death, indicates that he’ll cut them out of his will.

There’s also the law enforcement, including the famous private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), who has solved some high-profile cases, and is brought to this one by an anonymous client.

The cleverest thing about Rian Johnson’s storytelling is that it keeps us guessing without relying on clichés. For example, we’re introduced to the person responsible for his death surprisingly early. But the film keeps tiptoeing around their guilt throughout. Another interesting plot device is Marta’s inability to lie. She is central to the film’s narrative. Whenever she tells a fib, she vomits. Is she faking it to manipulate us, or is she genuinely a good person?

Like the other talented actors in Knives Out, her performance is excellent. Likewise, Daniel Craig has a great time playing a Hercule Poirot-type. His character is eccentric, wears old-fashioned suits, and has an exaggerated Southern drawl.

Ultimately, the mystery is surprising but not shocking. If Knives Out was all about the whodunit, then it would have been little better than a made-for-TV film. However, the dark humour, the chemistry between the characters, and the hilarity of the family politics make for an entertaining piece of cinema.

PG-13 for thematic elements including brief violence, some strong language, sexual references, and drug material

Published in Dawn, ICON, December 15th, 2019