Review
JAMIE EAST AT THE MOVIES
Knives Out is a murder-mystery that keeps you guessing thanks to its incredible ensemble cast
DIRECTOR Rian Johnson masterfully presides over an incredible ensemble cast in an enthralling murder-mystery which keeps you guessing to the very end.
Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is an extremely rich crime novelist who has invited his extended family to his extraordinarily grand mansion to celebrate his 85th birthday.
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His plans to smooth over some long-standing squabbles and disputes are hampered somewhat when his housekeeper finds him dead in his study.
As the family gather to mourn (and hear the reading of his rather substantial will, of course), the police probe the murder with the help of world-renowned investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig).
He has no idea why he’s been asked to investigate — he just knows there was a big old envelope full of cash involved.
As each member of the family, including Richard (Don Johnson), Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), Joni (Toni Collette), Ransom (Chris Evans) and Walt (Michael Shannon) fall in and out of the spotlight, each with their own motives and secrets, all we viewers can do is strap ourselves in and start playing detective.
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This is a film dripping in fun. Everyone looks like they had an absolute riot from start to finish.
This is not a Prime Suspect/Cracker investigation — it’s Pink Panther meets Murder She Wrote.
Knives Out is the visual culmination of its two main people blowing off steam away from their respective franchises — director Johnson, taking a well-earned break from Star Wars, and Daniel Craig from a different kind of crime caper.
Watching Craig is not so much a surprise as a blooming revelation.
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His Deep-Southern drawl, tweed suits and pipe are about as far from an Aston Martin as you can get. And he revels in it.
For someone who usually appears so serious, he sure seems to enjoy twirling his imaginary moustache here, making Poirot seem like Juliet Bravo.
In fact, everyone involved has dived in head-first, dialling it up to 11, including a deliciously horrible Evans. The twists keep coming and I guarantee you will not see the killer coming.
Looking at my notes, all I see are a load of “It’s HIM!” or “Gotta be HER!” with thick scribbles through them as I got it wrong time after time.
MOST READ IN FILM
It says a lot that one of the year’s most entertaining films is also its most straightforward.
There’s little here except a tight, smart script and a bunch of extremely talented actors.
But I had about as much fun watching this as I have anything else this year — and it’s suitable for the whole family too. Bravo to Benoit Blanc!
KNIVES OUT (12A) 130mins
★★★★★
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