It is no secret to anyone who knows me that I love Star Wars and all of its live-action entities. It is, in my opinion, one of the greatest film franchises ever created. However, in 2017, writer-director Rian Johnson’s Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi was released in theaters and the opinion of the Star Wars franchise (not just mine, but opinions around the world) changed forever. Much of the blame for the failure of this film is placed on Johnson, and many moviegoers and cinephiles have found themselves turned off by even the thought of him. Why am I telling you this? I am telling you this because the same man that, in many ways, ruined the Star Wars sequel trilogy is the one who both wrote and directed Knives Out. I had great reservations going into the film due to the fact that Johnson nearly murdered the entire Star Wars franchise. With that being said, it is possible that Star Wars Johnson prepared himself for a murder mystery like Knives Out (I know, bad joke).
When a self-made millionaire is found dead in his mansion by what is suspected to be suicide, a number of eccentric family members’ lives are turned upside down. While the police have initially ruled the demise of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) a suicide, a private detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), is tipped off by an unknown player in the story of Harlan’s death that the death was, in fact, a homicide. As Blanc interrogates the family and attempts to deduce the truth from the money-hungry relatives, he will be taken on a wild ride of death, deception and destruction. Each family member has their Knives Out in preparation to earn what they believe is theirs.
Even though I have already explained the reservations that I had on Knives Out (as a result of Rian Johnson’s role), the star-studded cast is incredibly intriguing and is the primary reason I was interested in watching the film in the first place. What can sometimes be dangerous when casting A-list actors is the fact that they are sometimes so connected to a role from their past that audiences struggle to separate them from the character they have fallen in love with. Actors like Craig (known for his role as James Bond), Chris Evans (Ransom Drysdale--known for his role of Captain America) and Katherine Langford (who plays Meg Thrombey, but is better known for her role as Hannah Baker in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why) pose a potential threat to the success of Knives Out. Yet, these three, as well as the rest of the cast, are nothing short of perfect. Evans and Craig, in particular, shine and engage audiences, making those viewers temporarily forget the previous works in which they were a part, and focus one hundred percent of their attention on the characters on the screen. The acting is stunning and endearing, and, temporarily excluding Craig, Evans and Ana de Armas (Marta Cabrera) from the conversation, none of the actors have to compete to look good as they help to balance one another (and, to be clear, Evans, Craig and Armas do not have to compete because they, with ease, do a wonderful job). LaKeith Stanfield (Lieutenant Elliott), Michael Shannon (Walt Thrombey), Don Johnson (Richard Drysdale) and Jamie Lee Curtis (Linda Drysdale) help to round out this impeccably bulked-up cast and bring to life this wonderfully twisted tale of family.
One of the biggest issues with The Last Jedi is the fact that Johnson tries too hard too early to get audiences hooked on his film. It seems that with Knives Out Johnson attempts to rectify this issue by dialing it back and drawing in audiences through story rather than theatrics. I believe, however, that he overcompensated and dulled the opening act of the film entirely too much, leaving audiences feeling a bit tired in the beginning. Once the technicalities and introductions (there are a lot) are out of the way, Johnson’s script is able to bounce back, intrigue audiences and begin to take shape in the form of a delightfully funny and abnormal murder mystery. He finds a wonderful balance of beauty and horror and simplicity and depth, ensuring that his audiences are enveloped in a world with many meanings, multiple approaches to comedy and multiple viewpoints that parallel the real world.
Rian Johnson, in many ways, redeems himself and allows the world to see what he is capable of after his Star Wars debacle (I know I am harping on this Star Wars thing a bit much, but I am still struggling to get over the letdown). With the exception of the first twenty minutes or so, Knives Out lives up to the expectations that the audience might have when considering the incredible number of prolific works that this cast has been a part of. The story is, despite the dark nature, is fun and full of life. It keeps audiences engaged from beginning to end and finds new ways, as it progresses, to entertain viewers. Amazon did the world a favor by adding Knives Out to their free (with subscription) library. Take advantage while you can and experience the true talent of Johnson and the impeccably brilliant ensemble.
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