After the suicide of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) — mystery writer, self-made millionaire and benefactor to his wretched and undeserving children and grandchildren — his family is assembled to answer questions from the local police. It seems as though Mr. Thrombey’s death may not have been suicide, but murder! A murder any one of the family members could have committed and from which everyone stands to profit.
You see, the night of the supposed murder, all the family gathered for what would be Harlan’s ultimate birthday. There was music and dancing, cake and threats of being written out of “my will.” The characters may not be new to the genre — there’s the mooching daughter-in-law, the spurned son who runs the family business, the loving daughter, her freeloading husband and their utterly despicable trust-fund son. There’s also the dunce-ish cop (who’s actually quite well-read), the nurse with a heart of gold and, of course, no mystery would be complete without its sleuth.
What makes the latest feature from writer/director Rian Johnson (The Last Jedi; Looper) sing is these familiar parts’ portrayals by a five-star cast. It’s refreshing to see a film with such star power and not one of them in a lycra jumpsuit and cape. (Well, Chris “Captain America” Evans is here and loving every minute reciting lines no superhero would ever utter.)
The story mostly focuses on Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), the last of the gentlemen sleuths, who has been summoned by an anonymous party to get to the bottom of this devious deed, and his newly appointed “Watson,” Harlan’s Paraguayan nurse Marta (Ana de Armas, Blade Runner 2049), who was the last person to see him alive. Marta has a special gift: the inability to tell a lie. If an untruth passes her lips, her lunch will surely follow, and with that knowledge, Benny Blanc takes his walking, talking polygraph upstairs, downstairs and all through the yard. He’s onto something, but little does he know the answer has been alongside him the whole time, trying not to ralph.
I’m not spoiling anything, as this whodunit twists with the best of them. Johnson’s writing and direction are pitch perfect for his ensemble cast, and even the old dark house plays its role with relish. Quick, smart and funny to the last frame, my only qualm with Knives Out is that there isn’t more screen time for every single character. I’ll be seeing it again.
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