The Original Knives Out is Utterly Brilliant

Knives Out, Rian Johnson's brilliant riff on the classic murder mystery, is the type of movie that improves with each viewing. I'll admit that this movie was far smarter than I was when I first watched it a few years ago, and while I can't say with all honesty that I'm there yet, I'd like to think I'm improving. What was a great movie to me before is today a near-perfect tapestry of deceit and misdirection that ties up all of the loose ends surrounding the mysterious and possibly sinister death of famed mystery writer Harlan Thrombey with a deftness and attention to detail that I've rarely seen matched. Marta Cabrera, Harlan's primary caregiver, has the odds stacked against her. She's surely innocent of any knowledgeable wrongdoing, but accidents still happen, and she faces an uphill battle so long as she's dealing with the rest of the Thrombey family, a vicious pack of wolves looking to exploit her every weakness and fear for their own benefit. It's a beautiful movie about an ugly, ugly scenario.

One of the most striking aspects of Knives Out is how effortlessly it blends tones of Gothic traditionalism with modern tropes and a witty, wry sense of humor. It is the type of movie that can only be made by a modern director with a clear love for classic cinema. While it firmly takes its place in the modern world (while rarely failing to take brutally funny shots at it), it also clearly loves Agatha Christie-esque conservatism, brilliantly and unceasingly riffing on classic murder mysteries. Somewhat more understated but equally as impressive is how Johnson and Co. waste absolutely zero time before grabbing us with the hook of a murder scene. Some more conventional murder mysteries take the time to introduce characters before springing their premise on us, but Knives Out does the opposite. It grabs us with the hook before slowing down to methodically introduce us to its cast of characters as if they were a police lineup - and what a colorful and devilish lineup they are.

Every single character in this movie crafts their own distinctly depraved identity and repeatedly hammers it home, blow for petty, backstabbing blow. Richard is the unfaithful and manipulative son-in-law of Harlan; Ransom, the turd nephew who takes a weird delight in the misfortune of the other, admittedly awful members of his family, Joni, the two-faced daughter-in-law skimming off the top, and so on - you get the picture. For a character-driven drama, distinction is a non-negotiable must-have that Knives Out delivers in spades. Nevertheless, no matter how interesting the ensemble cast, the main character of this movie, Daniel Craig's enigmatic Detective Benoit Blanc, absolutely steals every single scene he's in, in a good way. Anyone expecting Craig to be something as dull as James Bond but solving mysteries will be in for the pleasant surprise that is this peculiar, eccentric man whose distinctive voice sounds like the lovechild of British royalty and a Kentucky militia. He's an intelligent character, wildly fun to watch as he cracks the case, sometimes subtly, and other times theatrically. He's also given a heck of a playground to work with, because the production quality of Knives Out is utterly top-notch.

No expense was spared in bringing Harlan Thrombey's mansion to life, and it glistens with the old-fashioned flair and eccentricity of both a fashion-conscious millionaire and that one kid who wears a fedora to school. The attention to detail in this movie is just as immaculate, as it tells and retells scenes several times while injecting just a few more vital pieces of information into the story with each retelling. It also ensures that everything that happened before remains potently relevant to what's happening now. The puzzle is a beautiful sight to behold when it's all put together, and the assembly becomes increasingly impressive with each subsequent viewing.

On some level, one thing that doesn't work as well about Knives Out is that we know Marta is innocent of any wrongdoing from pretty early on in the movie. The first half of this film rests upon whether or not Benoit will wrongfully believe her guilty of the apparent murder of Harlan, and so the weight rests not on unanswered questions but instead on the whims of one character. However, the second half of this movie rights the ship by turning the story into one of Marta's attempt to either prove her innocence or keep the seemingly-incriminating facts of the case covered until the issue dies down, a clever play on the part of the writers that turns the story into something else when it fleetingly seems as though its initial form is starting to run out of steam. Spoiler alert - it doesn't run out of steam, and really hits its stride when all of the individual strands of the mystery start to become tied together.

The subtle use of setup and payoff on display in Knives Out is highly satisfying and only improves with each subsequent viewing. I knew what was coming in this movie, and when you know what's coming, you're able to pay closer attention to and better analyze how it's getting there. Rewatching it was very much like watching someone weave a beautiful tapestry backwards - knowing the end result made the subtle but sturdy individual strands stick out that much more impressively when you know what they're working towards. In essence, I was able to trace every thread of the final picture back to its frayed beginning, where I discovered that, no, Knives Out has not dulled the cutting edge of the knife that is the classic Victorian mystery. Instead, it has paid homage to the blade while learning to cut with it in some exciting new ways.

Knives Out - 10/10

Proverbs 15:20