Knives Out: A Revew

By Mason Leaver

Rian Johnson’s Knives Out (2019) is a standout film that offers a refreshing return to classic mystery while still managing to pack in plenty of surprises. After his last film Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017) was met with a mixed reception from critics and fans alike, Johnson has returned to his area of expertise, mystery thrillers. Rian’s previous directorial work, Brick (2005), The Brothers Bloom (2008), and Looper (2012) all focus on stories of intense mystery and intrigue. Brick is a neo-noir detective story set in a high school, starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. The Brothers Bloom is a heist film , with two great performances by co-stars Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody. Looper is a time travel mystery film, also starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt. All three are great films, and certainly worth a watch. Knives Out is a true return to form for Johnson, and he is at the top of his game. 
    Knives Out is a closed room murder mystery. When a famous mystery author is found murdered in his family mansion on his birthday, every family member is a suspect. Detective Benoit Blanc, the world’s last gentleman detective, is brought on to the case, family secrets start to come out. The plot feels like it is straight out of an Agatha Christie novel, from the closed room setting, to the suave gentleman detective. Just like his previous films, Johnson manages to tap into the iconography of a well established genre and bring new life into it. In many ways, Knives Out improves on the standard golden age detective story. The plot feels fresh and captivating, while still feeling like a classic mystery. Within the first twenty minutes of the film, I was surprised at a major turn in the plot. And the story does not do this once, but several times throughout. It is a fine line that Johnson walks, but he manages to both pay homage to the golden age detective myths that he borrows from while also introducing many surprising twists and reinterpretations into a well explored genre.

Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc and Ana De Armas as Marta Cabera in "Knives Out"

One of the most immediately striking elements of Knives Out is its incredible cast. The film is full of major Hollywood stars. The Thrombey family is full of big names like Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, and Toni Collette. Even Frank Oz, the voice of Kermit and Yoda, makes an appearance. All of their performances are both convincing and funny, it’s a wonderful ensemble cast, one of the strongest since Murder on the Orient Express (Branagh, 2017). It seems that mystery films have a way of drawing strong ensemble casts like this. But the two standout performances come from costars Ana de Armas and Daniel Craig. Ana de Armas plays Marta Cabera, a nurse who worked for the murdered author, who becomes entangled in the mystery of the film. This is Armas’ largest role to date, and she delivers a performance that encompases a range of emotions; she is terrified, brave, funny, and relatable. I hope that we will be seeing much more of Ana de Armas in coming years. Craig plays the detective, Benoit Blanc. Going into the film I worried that his time playing James Bond might muddle his performance, that it might feel like James Bond was solving a murder. I’m relieved to say that Craig completely sells the part. Craig immerses himself into his character’s southern drawl and quirky mannerisms, depicting a very unique take on the gentleman detective archetype. 

The entire cast of "Knives Out"

Behind the camera, things are more of a mixed bag. Nothing in the film is expressly bad, but some parts of the film just feel “fine”. Specifically, the editing felt rather uninteresting. I can’t go so far as to say it was bad, but the best thing I can say is that it was serviceable; it doesn’t stand out. The cinematography is more notable than the editing. Director of Photography Steve Yeldin, who Johnson has worked with on all of his films since Brick, delivers another unique visual experience. Yeldin manages to re-imagine himself on each film he works on with Johnson, his visual style changes continually. In Knives Out, Yeldin uses lots of high contrast, low key lighting to emphasize shadows and conceal characters. It gives the film a nice, visually appealing look, while not drawing much attention to itself. Camera movement is similarly very limited; the film doesn’t feature complex camera movements or framing. When the editing and camera work does become more stylized, namely when Johnson and Yeldin makes use of slow motion, it stands out as feeling cheesy and out of place. Johnson wants the audience to focus on the performances and the story, not on the cinematography. 
    Overall, Knives Out makes for a very entertaining mystery that will provide plenty of twists and turns, and also offers a nostalgic look at the golden age of detective stories, with a fresh spin. The film even has things to say about immigration and politics in the United States, and about racial and economic barriers. With stand out performances by a great ensemble cast, and a plot that felt surprising and new, Knives Out is certainly worth watching, and even rewatching.