Knives Out
Overview
Knives Out is a 2019 mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson, serving as a modern homage to classic whodunit mysteries. The film features an ensemble cast including Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, and Christopher Plummer. The film is set in a sprawling, Gothic mansion in Massachusetts owned by Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a famous and wealthy crime novelist. On the night of his 85th birthday, Harlan is found dead, his throat slit. The police initially rule it a suicide, but a private detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), is anonymously hired to investigate. Blanc is a Southern gentleman with a thick accent, a sharp mind, and a flair for the dramatic. He interviews the entire Thrombey family, a dysfunctional group of entitled, selfish, and suspicious relatives. The family includes Harlan's daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her husband Richard (Don Johnson); their son Ransom (Chris Evans), a handsome, arrogant, and seemingly harmless playboy; Harlan's daughter-in-law Joni (Toni Collette), a lifestyle guru who is stealing from Harlan; her daughter Meg (Katherine Langford), a woke college student; Harlan's son Walt (Michael Shannon), who runs Harlan's publishing company and is furious that Harlan fired him; and Harlan's elderly mother, Great Nana (K Callan). The film also follows Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), Harlan's kind, loyal, and hardworking nurse. Marta has a unique condition: she vomits whenever she lies. She is the only one who knows the truth about what happened that night. The film is a masterful puzzle box, with twists and turns that keep the audience guessing. The central twist is that Marta accidentally gave Harlan a fatal overdose of morphine, but then she discovered that she had actually given him the correct medication and that he was not poisoned. Harlan, knowing that Marta would be suspected, killed himself to protect her. The real killer is Ransom, who had switched the medication to kill Harlan. He also killed the housekeeper, Fran, to cover his tracks. The film ends with Blanc revealing the truth, Ransom being arrested, and Marta inheriting Harlan's entire fortune. Knives Out was a critical and commercial success, earning over $312 million worldwide. It was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. The film is a clever, witty, and entertaining whodunit that revitalized the genre.
