Everyone loves a good whodunit. From Murder on the Orient Express to Clue, allowing an audience to piece together clues and draw their own conclusions creates a fun time at the movies that help in creating a communal, interactive atmosphere that help make the theatrical experience a unique one. The mystery in Knives Out begins at the home of famed crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) after he is found dead. Lieutenant Elliott (Lakeith Stanfield) is assigned to the case, but also hired to investigate the death is world famous private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). The only problem is, just who hired Blanc despite the fact that it is at first unclear if it was even a case of foul play, remains shrouded in mystery. After it is announced that Thrombey has left his sizable fortune to his nurse Marta (Ana de Armas), Blanc must search through Thrombey’s extended family, from son Walt (Michael Shannon), daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), grandson Ransom (Chris Evans), son-in law Richard (Don Johnson), daughter-in-law Joni (Toni Collette), and grand children Meg and Jacob (Katherine Langford and Jaeden Martell) in order to unravel what happened while the family tries to pressure Marta into giving back what they feel is rightfully theirs.
Knives Out contains all the elements of your classic, whodunit mystery right down to the characters that make up the cast. Members of the Thrombey family each embody an archetype that makes for very distinct and memorable characters from the spoiled rich kid in Ransom, to the stern oldest son in Walt, to Joni’s vapid character. The film also does a fantastic job of misdirecting viewers in order to keep them guessing and establish suspense. The choice to center the mystery not around the death of the victim, which is explained and shown to us early on, but instead on the pursuit of the victim’s wealth and the person to whom it was bequeathed is an inspired one and keeps the film fresh and avoidant of any predictable plot points. In addition to strengthening the story, the subject of the mystery adds in another element that makes Knives Out not your average whodunit.
In addition to its murder mystery, director Rian Johnson also infuses the film with an element of social commentary, touching on class interaction and greed. Marta’s journey as a Latina immigrant domestic worker caught in the storm of legacy kids pressuring her to give them access to wealth they believe they are entitled to, despite her having received it instead of them through fair and understandable means feels like a direct reference to our current moment. Marta finds herself a targeted, expendable piece of a larger plan to accumulate wealth by the surviving Thrombeys, whose years long design on the patriarch’s wealth was upended by decision to pass it down to Marta. The desperate greed displayed by all members of the family as they look out for their own self interests no matter the cost to Marta who has a fraction of the resources that they have speaks to the self-centeredness our society is currently debating as we ponder issues like legal immigration and income inequality. The Thrombeys politics range from committed progressives to ultra right-wingers, but we are shown that when it comes to the inheritance, even the most leftist Thrombey is willing to sacrifice Marta in order to benefit themselves. The development brings to mind the issue of class solidarity and recent debates over whether America’s great divide can be traced to politics or the wealthy versus everyone else. As the Thrombey family lashes out at everyone around them in an attempt to enrich themselves, Marta stays above the fray and is consistently comes out the better for it. While that message of kindness mattering may be a bit on the nose, it is one many in the audience are sure to take to heart.
In Knives Out, Rian Johnson has managed to craft a clever and entertaining whodunit that’s both suspenseful and substantive. The film manages to present an engaging murder mystery that also satirizes the current body politic. The all-star cast all bring their A-games and under Johnson’s direction, manage to create a believable and engaging toxic family dynamic that brings just the right amount of detestability for the story being told. Ana de Armas is given the chance to flex her acting chops as the film’s lead and depart from her previous work as an attractive supporting character and she pounces on the opportunity as the film’s light in a dark, twisting world. Knives Out is the perfect good time at the movies for the Thanksgiving holiday.
Image: Lionsgate
