My Thoughts on Knives Out

I like The Last Jedi. A lot. And I like Rian Johnson, also a lot. And I've been excited for Knives Out ever since I heard it was happening. That ace trailer that dropped over the Summer was more than an appetite whetter; it was a promise that Johnson was on his way to deliver a special experience, and that's something that I think is at the heart of this film. The fact that the film is such a passionate homage to classic mystery fiction (especially Agatha Christie), is proof that Johnson values good storytelling over anything else, and knows that a good experience with a well-told story is something to truly cherish. In a way that's quite an old-fashioned idea, relying purely on the narrative and how it's told rather than flashy VFX or snazzy setpieces to wow an audience. That stuff works too, but what always lingers is the story, a piece of fiction that is a journey in itself. I think that's why The Last Jedi worked so well, because Johnson wanted to get back to the fundamentals of Star Wars and push the narrative boundaries of that franchise in a way that felt challenging and excited. Remember those words by the way, because I think Johnson's goal as a filmmaker is to challenge and excite. And Knives Out, a gorgeous murder mystery film with a real vintage feel does exactly that

It's a classic plot: wealthy man found dead on his 85th birthday, surrounded by his family. An open-and-shut-suicide case.... or is it? This movie has been out for a while, and there's a good chance you've seen it, but even so, I won't spoil any of the plot here, because that's the fun of the film. Johnson gradually unravels something that seems simple, before revealing something that's typically intricate and rich. This is a real rollercoaster of a plot, and that simple start is just the catalyst for a story that gets progressively twistier, meatier and more enjoyable. There's a lot going on here, with so many characters, motives, clues, details, pieces of foreshadowing, sharp social commentary, cracking jokes, flashbacks and reveals to keep up with. This might be the film's only real flaw actually, because as elegant as Johnson's pacing is, it's also possible that the film is too busy, introducing so many things and only going on to use some of them. There's an early reveal about Jaden Martell's phone-obsessed-teenager that seems like a key detail, only to never really come into play. The same can be said about the screentime of certain characters, who kind of get sidelined as the film reaches its climax. It's not a huge problem, not when Johnson proves himself to be so adept at juggling all of these details and preventing the film from ever feeling bloated or messy, but when everything here feels like it has some degree of weight, it is hard not to notice when something goes unutilised

That said, it's quite possible that Johnson has assembled the best cast of the year, in size and quality. The ensemble is next level, giving us a slippery Don Johnson, a neurotic Michael Shannon, a stern but empathetic Jamie Lee Curits, and Toni Collette as a snotty Californian influencer. Special mention also to a deliciously dickish Chris Evans, who's obviously having a blast, and Daniel Craig, whose Southern gentlemen pairs a delectable wit with a ridiculous accent. The standout is undeniably Ana de Armas though, playing quite honestly one of the most likeable characters I've seen in some time. Hers are the eyes that we see this story play out through, and watching her become something of an underdog hero as the plot thickens is a real joy. She brings so much empathy to this film, grounding it and giving it real heft, and choosing her as the anchor with which to hold everything down was a genius move. Shoutout to Christopher Plummer, who injects so much heart, soul and humour into a man whose sole purpose in the story is to be killed. The scenes where Harlan and Marta are just bouncing off of each other are a real treat, and indicative of this film's heart and sense of humour.  As twisty and dark as the plot can get, the fact that there is such a strong streak of sincerity running through the centre of this film is what makes it so engaging. Johnson is giving you a legitimate reason to care, and feel invested so that you almost feel like you're somehow involved in the stakes of the story

So yeah, Knives Out is kind of really special. It's quite old-fashioned in its concept, but the execution is thrillingly modern, and the fusion of these elements is absolutely electric and makes for dynamite viewing. Rian Johnson feels like a real storyteller here, taking pleasure in revealing every detail and developing his sordid plot more and more. That's not actually something I've seen on this level for a good while, a film that feels like a classic piece of literary fiction as told by a narrator who exercises so much control in how the story is told and takes so much pleasure in telling it. The cast is stellar and the thematic edge is sharp, but the real thrill is feeling Johnson's presence behind the camera, crafting an experience that's so slick and effective and genuinely so thrilling. The last twenty or so minutes is maybe the most animated I've been in a cinema all year. It's just such a well-rounded experience, such a well put together, well-told story that's so much fun to watch unfold