Courtesy of Boston Globe
The latest mystery thriller movie, “Knives Out,” directed by Rian Johnson, is a well-thought-out story that delves deep into the mystery of the Thrombey family to find out who murdered the head of the family, Harlan Thrombey. The best part of the film is the casting, with each and every actor making the best out of the roles that they were given. Jamie Lee Curtis is a standout performer, playing the eldest daughter of the Thrombey family, Linda Drysdale. Chris Evans’ performance is masterful as well, in his first major acting role since his departure from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Evans plays Hugh “Ransom” Drysdale, the son of Linda. You can go down the list of the ensemble cast, with big names such as Daniel Craig, Michael Shannon and Lakeith Stanfield having key roles in the script and an amazing screenplay to follow.
The movie wastes no time getting to the main problem of the story, opening up with the dead body of Harlan Thrombey being found by one of his caretakers in his room. From there, we get an introduction to all the characters as they gather to mourn Thrombey’s death. The case had already been ruled a suicide until detective Benoit Blanc (Craig) suspects there is “foul play” involved. The first act of the movie is set up brilliantly, and the audience’s eyes stay glued to the screen in an attempt to not miss any clue or hint as to what could have happened on the night of the murder.
During the second act, the plot takes a sudden turn and the audience is somewhere they didn’t expect, as another problem arises that the characters must deal with. Part of this act becomes a bit confusing because there are multiple storylines that the audience has to keep up with in order to get to the bottom of what really takes place. Once the third act arrives, the truth begins to unravel as the pieces of the puzzle come together – or so we think, as there is another “hole in a doughnut hole,” as Detective Blanc would say. The ending of this movie, just like the rest of it, takes the audience through loops and spins that no one could guess. During the middle of the film, one might wonder where the direction of the movie is heading, but then it comes full circle and everything is explained, leaving the audience fairly satisfied.
It would be normal to walk into this movie and compare it to another “Whodunnit?” or “Clue,” but this movie takes you through many unexpected twists and turns from the start to the very end. While there are a few choice words littered throughout the movie, it’s still be something to take the whole family to see and enjoy together over holiday break. The actors, direction and screenplay are all high points of “Knives Out” that make it a must-see movie.
