Finally hitting cinemas last week ‘Knives Out’ has received critical acclaim at film festivals over the past few months. Rian Johnson’s tribute to classic Agatha Christie whodunnits is immediately grabbing and much like the all-star cast, who appear to be having a blast, it’s a lot of fun.
The story opens with the death of wealthy murder mystery writer Harlan Thromby on the night of his 85th birthday. Hosted at his gothic estate in New England the only guests are his ensembled family and ‘the help’. Shaken by his sudden and apparent suicide, old family feuds begin to arise, exacerbated by the arrival of ace detective Benoit Blanc. Mr Blanc suspects foul play and motives for each of the family members quickly come to light, leaving everyone at the party a suspect.
The film is a love letter to the genre it is evoking, including self-referential winks to the audience such as ‘murder she wrote’ being on the TV and the names of the characters being reminiscent of the board game Cluedo. However, Rian Johnsons vision perfectly toes the line between the homage, ridicule and seriousness of the piece for it be captivating throughout.
Coming off the back of much debated Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Johnson seems to be much more at home in this character driven original that brings small screen murder drama to this larger, glossier format. The film is full of delightfully funny moments and genuine laugh out loud lines that lift the tone allowing a more impactful contrast to the tense moments during the more thrilling sequences.
The topsy turvey plot is backed up by a brilliant cast led by Daniel Craig as the gentlemen sleuth. Suave yet over the top and ridiculous, Craig’s continuing wry smile, Kentucky drawl and pondering soliloquys about the art of the truth again perfectly balances the seriousness of the piece and humour that the genre brings. With a backing cast of Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon and more, the film is filled with believable, well defined characters all with their own distinctive traits.
Fundamentally the film is just a good bit of fun. It is funny when it wants to be and thrilling when it needs to be. The performances are good and the chemistry between a brilliant Daniel Craig and Ana de Armas bodes well for all Bond fans out there. One to catch over the Christmas period, as after all, no Christmas is complete without a fair amount of family squabbles.
Written by Will
Hughes Reviews 