OSCARS 2020: Knives Out (2019)

Rian Johnson's best known for directing what is, depending on your opinion on this surprisingly thorny subject, either one of the best or one of the wort “Star Wars” movies. However, those who have been following his career from the beginning know he got his start with “Brick,” a clever film noir riff set in high school. It would seem his affection for the mystery genre hasn't faded any over the years. Around the time of “Looper,” he conceived of an idea for an Agatha Christie-style whodunnit. Having a “Last Jedi” level hit to his name allowed Johnson to finally make his murder-mystery, and with an A-list cast too. “Knives Out” rolled out last fall to critical acclaim and financial success. This was enough to score the film an Oscar nomination, even if it was a sole nod in the Best Original Screenplay category.

The family of hugely successful, and very rich, novelist Harlan Thromby gather for his 83rd birthday. The next morning, Thromby is found dead, throat slashed, of an apparent suicide. Yet there's something suspicious about the case. Secrets and motives abound. Harlan recently became aware of his daughter Linda's husband, Richard, having on an affair. Daughter-in-law Joni was stealing from Harlan. Son Michael, head of the publishing company, was about to be fired while grandson Ransom had an argument with Thromby the night of his death. Eccentric detective Denoit Blanc is hired by a mysterious outside party to investigate. When Harta, Harlan's private nurse, is revealed as the sole inheritor of his estate, things get especially interesting.

“Knives Out” certainly has all the ingredients of a great whodunit. It's largely set in a sprawling mansion, outfitted with elaborate decorations and at least one secret passageway. The tangle of motives, reasonable causes, and the seeming impossibility of the crime, immediately draws the viewer. The slow reveal of how greedy, and petty, Thromby's potential heirs were makes everyone a plausible suspect. The events of the night of the death are gone over. Like any good mystery, this makes the viewer part of the investigation. We are asked to consider the evidence and the suspects, to try and figure out who did it first. Harlan Thromby was fond of puzzles and games and Rian Johnson is clearly playing a game with us.

This becomes all the more evident when, forty minutes in, “Knives Out” completely overturns the whodunit premise. The exact details of Thromby's death is revealed to us. The fun now comes from, like an episode of “Columbo” (an obvious influence), watching Blanc deduce out the truth. Or seeing where certain loyalties lie, as more deceptions reveal themselves. This doesn't dissipate the suspense, as the twists are only just starting. The playfulness of Johnson's script doesn't end there. The dialogue is frequently hilarious, sometimes even surreal. People will be quoting Blanc's bizarre doughnut metaphor for years to come. The film also features one of the most amusingly flippant car chases I've seen in a while.

What will give “Knives Out” the kind of replay value not every murder mystery has is how layered a film it is. The world of “Knives Out,” much like our own, is obsessed with mysteries and death. There are shout-outs to true crime shows, the cozy mysteries of the Hallmark Channel, “Clue,” and even “Murder, She Wrote.” It's also a very political world. Walt's teenage son is an alt-right troll, though he's clearly parroting some philosophies from his equally reactionary mother. (Walt seems oblivious to how toxic these attitudes really are.) The film is ultimately a story of class conflict. All the Thromby children, even would-be New Age guru Joni, describe themselves as “self-made” millionaires. That's despite all of them depending on million dollar hand-outs from their dad. When Marta is revealed as the sole benefactor of the will, they swarm her, each a vulture desperate for their cut. The film successfully updates the old “will reading” premise for our modern divided times, concluding the rich will do absolutely anything to hold onto their wealth.

Johnson assembles an all-star cast for this tale. Daniel Craig, having the most fun he's had in years, stars as Benoit, a delightfully ridiculous character that is, despite his very silly tics, motivated by empathy. Ana de Armas is funny, shy, and deeply relatable as the way-over-her-head Marta, a hero we can root for. Christopher Plummer is highly energetic as Harlan, while maintaining the wise gravitas we've come to expect from him. Toni Collete is hilariously high-strung as Joni, the artificiality of her “influencer” persona always starting to slip. Don Johnson makes Richard an amusing asshole. Chris Evans is a similarly amusing snake, as someone who is deeply self-satisfied with his avarice. The cast is so star studded that even the relatively minor parts of the cops assisting Blanc are played by familiar faces like LaKeith Stanford and Noah Segan. I wish Jamie Lee Curtis and Michael Shannon were given a little more to do, as their roles are rather low-key.

“Knives Out” is not set around any specific holiday, as far as I can tell. The movie was released at Thanksgiving, which seems too perfect to be coincidental. Any movie with this much long-simmering resentment, family bickering, autumnal glow, and cozy sweaters is perfect for the end of November. In other words, “Knives Out” is a delight. Rian Johnson has already suggested more Benoit Blanc adventures may be forthcoming, which I fully support. If sequels must rule the megaplexes, let it be unexpected stuff like this. [8/10]