Knives Out - Review: A Modern Take on a Classic Genre

Knives Out - Review: A Modern Take on a Classic Genre

Release date (US): November 27th, 2019

Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Lieberher, Toni Collette, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lakeith Stanfield, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Christopher Plumber

**DISCLAIMER**: This is a subjective, opinionated article that does not have, nor should have any effect on your opinion. As such, my opinion is entitled to change over time and whatever is written here at this point in time may not and should not be held to me in the future. You are not meant to agree with me 100 percent of the time, because the nature of subjectivity is we see everything differently. If there is something you happen to disagree with, I absolutely respect your point of view if you will respect mine. Please keep this in mind. 

The Review

Years ago, I remember being absolutely enthralled with the writings of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, two of the most prominent mystery writers of all time. Their titular detectives, Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot respectively, never seemed to stumble upon a case that they could not solve with their brilliant deductive reasoning and intellect. And yet, as I reflect upon those wonderful journeys that I took with those characters, I also begin to realize how few and far between those stories have become in the twenty-first century.

Indeed, as our culture and entertainment begin to become inundated with tales of superheroes and Force-wielders, these classic tales are being left behind. Or so it seemed. While Knives Out will not single-handedly necessarily revive the mystery genre of film, it did something that I hadn't realized we, or at least I, needed. And that was put a new, inventive take on the "who-done-it".

Knives Out was one of the extremely rare instances where I had little to absolutely no idea what the film was about before watching it. I hadn't even so much seen a trailer. The only pieces of information I knew were that it was a murder mystery, and that Chris Evans was in it. But positive word-of-mouth and critical acclaim piqued my interest. The film opens rather abruptly, and immediately, Rian Johnson previews exactly the kind of film that you're in for in the first five minutes simply through his style of directing. 

Johnson, who was last seen famously (or infamously, depending on where you stand) behind the helm of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, masterfully executes his vision in the film. It's clear from the beginning that each and every story beat has been thoroughly and meticulously thought out before any camera was turned on. Johnson has said in interviews how many times he had to rewrite the film in order to change what the audience knew at given intervals, as well as to keep the story interesting.

And to his credit, he does exactly that. In a classic murder mystery, the audience is waiting for a certain piece of information that the detective finds that will lead them to the correct suspect. But Johnson manages to give the audience a sneak peak into the answer; the film reveals some key pieces of information very early on that was shocking and caught me considerably off guard. The genre would seem to indicate that you are given a certain amount of information at the beginning at the story, which reveals itself the more it goes on. But Knives Out pulls the rug out from under you within the first thirty minutes.

The ingenuity of this tactic is that the film still remains relevant and interesting after you've received almost all the information that you need. The immediate worry that I had when the film showed its hand was, "Is the rest of the film going to remain interesting enough for me to care, despite me knowing some critical pieces of information already?" And the answer was a resounding yes. That is the genius of this film; not that it necessarily twists the genre so much that it becomes unrecognizable, but rather that it tells a classic tale in a completely different way. It reminded me of Christopher Nolan in a certain sense; filmmaking that was elevated by structure. 

It helps, of course, to have a phenomenal cast behind you as well. Johnson was able to work with actors from across genres, from Captain America himself, Chris Evans, to James Bond, Daniel Craig. The two real standouts of the film were Craig and relative newcomer Ana de Armas. And unbeknownst to me before the film, de Armas actually receives the most amount of screen time out of anyone in the film. Her performance is akin to the reaction of the audience; you are meant to relate to her character and see the story from her perspective. She is thrust into a story that she did not necessarily want to be a part of. And yet, she becomes the central figure in the entire mystery, for reasons that shall not be explained here.

But I would be remiss if I moved on without mentioning the aforementioned Daniel Craig. Craig, who is now most well-known for his role as James Bond, plays the primary detective in the film. And he absolutely nails the role. It is so wholly unique from any other character in the movie; and yet, I felt the mannerisms of Sherlock Holmes peeking out from underneath his character. His performance in the role was so magnificent, that I would wager if you were to call his character Sherlock Holmes, I wouldn't have batted an eye. It's a reimagining of that type of character, and Craig absolutely kills it.

Evans also plays an extremely different character than he has before. His naturally good-natured persona is dropped for a rebellious teenager; a rascal in every sense of the word. The rest of the ensemble cast, rounded out by veterans such as Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, and Jamie Lee Curtis, all add to the atmosphere. The film, though taking place in the 21st century, feels very much like a murder mystery in every sense because of the ambiance it creates with both the cast and the setting. 

And the atmosphere is everything. In a film that is in such a niche genre, creating that tone and tension that is so intertwined with a mystery piece is of utmost importance. Rian Johnson and his team accomplish this by keeping the vast majority of the story if an antique, dilapidated house that screams late-1800s London. That's how Johnson is able to keep the story in the 21st century without compromising the integrity of his story.

That being said, no film is without fault, and the second this film decides to step outside of the house, it loses all air of tension and vibrancy that it had when it was within the confines of the house. The vast majority of the first two thirds of the movie take place in the house, but the last third takes some liberties as the characters venture out and about in order to trace certain steps and chase other characters. And this is where the film feels dull. The tension of having these suspects in such a confined location is missing when Ana de Armas and Chris Evans are driving around in a modern-day car in a modern-day city.

There are also secondary and tertiary characters that were not necessarily utilized to their maximum potential either. The film cast a couple of people that seemed to indicate they had bigger plans for them than Johnson really did. But then again, in the grand scheme of things, the movie didn't need to utilize them either in order to tell an effetive story. 

In Conclusion: Knives Out is the prime example of how to take something that's tried-and-true, and turn it on its head just enough to where the audience is able to recognize it, and yet still be surprised. With a superb cast, fascinating story, and captivating filmmaking, the film will keep audience members on their toes for the entirety of its runtime, right up until the very last twist and turn.