Knives Out: A Modern Murder Mystery

by Ryan Duvall ’21

After being heavily criticized for “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi,” director Rian Johnson has bounced back in a big way with “Knives Out.” In this original whodunnit, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a bestselling mystery novelist, is found with a slit neck the morning after his 85th birthday party. World renowned detective, Benoit Blac (Daniel Craig), is anonymously hired to investigate the mystery surrounding the wealthy author’s death. Harlan’s family, the Thrombeys, quickly become suspects in the case, as they appear to “love twisting the knife into one another,” and all have motives for killing Harlan.

Johnson did a great job when it came to casting, bringing in A-listers from Craig to Jamie Lee Curtis. However, the two standout performances in the movie comes from Chris Evans and Ana de Armas. Evans plays Ransom Drysdale, the black sheep in a family of successful, self-made millionaires. What makes Evans so good is his ability to be witty while making his character seem smug and selfish. It is also nice to see Evans outside of his comfort zone, as Drysdale is a far cry from his most popular role as Captain America. Armas plays Marta Cabrera, Harlan’s caretaker, and ends up playing detective with Daniel Craig’s character. Armas really holds her own in “Knives Out,”standing out in a crowd of stars, showing that she can be a lead in any big movie. She turns a simple character into a complex, mysterious character, whose most interesting trait may have been her internal human lie detector.

 Watching the movie felt like solving a puzzle, as Johnson put together a great mystery that is similar to “Clue,” and more recently “Murder On The Orient Express,” being a mystery writer, Harlan’s home is like a clue board itself, equipped with trap doors, windows, and stairs. But “Knives Out” tops both the previous films thanks to its modern touch and creative characters. 

“Knives Out” is witty, comedic, and thrilling, and it has a climax that is certain to keep any audience member on the edge of their seat. The film could be in contention for a few awards, and is highly rated, receiving a 96 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It truly proves that modern murder mysteries can succeed, as the movie already got its budget back, earning 42 million at the box office.