This weekend I decided to catch up on some movies being shown in theaters. I didn’t have any community theatre to attend and there a few movies I desperately wanted to see on the big screen. I made it to Knives Out at AMC, Here are the deets–no spoilers I promise!
I love a classic whodunit. I love the mystery, the humor in the eccentric yet stereotypical family members, and the massiveness of the home the death takes place in. Anyone could be the one and the detective has the superb job of walking us through the process solving the case and revealing the answer to us at the same time. Knives Out delivers.
Written and directed by Rian Johnson, Knives Out is clever, funny, and keeps you guessing. The family members, though stereotypical, are not caricatures which is vital for this film to work. Star studded cast includes Christopher Plummer, the elderly crime/mystery writer patriarch Harlan Thrombey; Jamie Lee Curtis as Linda Drysdale–Harlan’s daughter; Don Johnson as Richard Drysdale–Linda’s husband; Michael Shannon as Walt Thrombey–Harlan’s Son; Toni Collette as Joni Thrombey–Harlan’s daughter in law; Chris Evans as Ransom Thrombey–Harlan’s grandson, Ana de Armas as Marta Cabrera–Harlan’s nurse; and Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc–the detective. There are plenty of bit players who round out the cast and flesh out the story perfectly.
If you’ve seen the trailer, you already know it’s a murder mystery. So no spoiler there…I can’t go into too much detail without ruining some things, but, I will say it was cool to see Don Johnson on the big screen as he’s been busy doing tv. Also, Daniel Craig with a Southern accent? Yes, please. I’m not always a fan of accents but in this case, he pulls it off. Oh, and closeups of Ana de Armas…Let’s just say she says a lot with those eyes. Toni Collette has been a favorite of mine for a long time but here she’s liquid gold for me. Jamie Le Curtis cuts through as if her eyes had daggers or wagging fingers coming out. So many things I loved. Christopher Plummer being most mischievous and stern. The way the movie is set up and shot and then bits replayed at the reveal takes a forethought of detail unmatched in recent films.
I would see this again in a heartbeat and probably will before it leaves the theater… Watch the trailer below.