Rian Johnson Sharpens the Mystery in ‘Knives Out’ (FILM REVIEW)

[rating=9.00]

I suppose it shouldn’t be shocking that Rian Johnson, who direct not only the best Star Wars movie ever made, but also the neo-noir classic Brick and the best episode of Breaking Bad—and possible best episode of television ever—“Ozymandias” would also be responsible for single handedly revitalizing the classic whodunnit. He is, after all, a director with a singular vision, known for taking impossible concepts and imbuing them with a freshness that elevates even the most tired of routines into something sublime.

And is there anything more stale and tired than the whodunnit? That staple of cinema since its inception has been worn out for years, with directors doing little aside from returning again and again to the likes of Agatha Christie to resurrect her Poirot, with varying effect. So little has been added to the genre in decades that the idea of something new seemed as unlikely as the butler doing it.

Yet Johnson has done it. Knives Out, his first film since The Last Jedi two years ago, is an impossible mix of delicious delights that will keep you guessing, laughing, and stunned until the final brilliant shot. Johnson has somehow outdone himself, craft one of the very best films of the year and breathing new life into a genre in desperate need of triage.

Amazingly, he does so not by redesigning the wheels of the genre but by playing close to the line. Knives Out is, at its heart, Christiean in nature. Johnson’s Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is a Poirot for the modern age and the central mystery feels ripped from the pages of one his original shorts. Johnson, however, in his script, updates the tropes and conventions of the whodunnit to make it resonate for more modern sensibilities. In so doing, he has leveraged his considerable talents as both a writer and a filmmaker into a deft skewering of—and homage to—the classic whodunnit.

Comparisons will no doubt be drawn between this work and Clue, but where Clue went for the madcap, Knives Out plays it straight. The core of the film is as a compelling a mystery as one could hope, and the path to the end is full of winding twists, shocking turns, and subtle nods and winks that keep the story and the breadcrumbs flowing.

The film follows the mysterious death of mystery writer Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) which draws the attention not just of the local detective Lieutenant Elliot (LaKieth Stanfield) but also the legendary P.I. Benoit Blanc. Confusing matters is the fact that every member of Thrombey’s family, a sprawling cast that includes Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, and Toni Collette, might have a reason to see their patriarch done in. As Blanc attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding the writer’s demise, he enlists the help of the family’s beloved nurse, Marta (Ana de Armas), to help put the pieces together.

While the plot of the film is about as straight forward as a whodunnit can get, Johnson laces his film with running gags, sight jokes, and social commentary which further elevate Knives Out into the realm of art. We soon see a sprawling narrative of rich vs poor, old vs young, and Americans vs immigrants play out in tiny slices spread throughout the film, adding a richness and depth to the plot that is, simply, delectable.

Watching these master performers play with and off each other is something special to behold. Johnson has assembled one of the best casts in a generation and by himself proves the need for a Best Ensemble Oscar or, at the very least, an award for casting. Everyone in the film plays gloriously against their type, from Collette’s vapid heiress to Evans’ smarmy bad boy, to create memorable characters that stay with you far beyond the closing of the mystery.

That, I suppose, is the true mark of quality in a whodunnit. Any mystery can keep you engaged for a single watch, but there’s so much talent working at such a high level in Knives Out that it’s one that you can revisit again and again, catching new details and nuances every time. That, on top of Johnson’s masterful script and brilliant direction, helps make this a mystery for the ages and, truly, one of the best times you can have at the theaters this year.

Knives Out is now playing in theaters everywhere.

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One Response

  1. Great, Spoiler Free review of a film I am DYING to see. I love Rian Johnson and, YES Last Jedi is about the best Star Wars film ever. RJ is in that small class of directors that one needs to follow, like a great band or musician that you just freak out about when you find out they are back in the studio or are planning a tour again. It starts and ends with Ozymandias for me:)

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