Knives Out is a classic mystery thriller with a little comedy added. Fitting in with films like The Last of Shelia, Murder by Death, Death on the Nile, and Murder on the Orient Express the script leads us in many directions as we follow Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) search to determine how Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) passed away.
Harlan Thrombey is found dead just after his 85th birthday and his dysfunctional family on hand for the birthday wait for the reading of the will. Rian Johnson who directs also wrote the script which is filled with clues that fill a web of intrigue filled with activities of his self-serving family and false leaders which bring us to potential conclusions which may be true or not.
Siting in with the Thrombey family is Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas) who has grown close to the very successful and wealthy 85 year old Harlan. She is somewhat like a companion and is the one who administers Harlan’s medication. That leads to a few theories as to the demise of Harlan.
Filled with a solid cast, Jamie Lee Curtis is the smoking daughter who is not sure about her husband’s loyalty and has a sealed note addressed to her in dad’s desk middle drawer. Toni Collette a daughter-in-law who has been siphoning off money which Harlan has set aside for her daughter’s college fund. Chris Evans is the son of Curtis and Don Johnson and he skips the wake but is right there to hear the reading of the will.
The result of the reading of the will brings out the bitter relationships which exist in the family and the attitude by each sibling that they deserve to enjoy the spoils of dad’s hard work when he is gone.
A brick mansion in Massachusetts is where the film was shot, it has a quiet almost secret room which Harlan spends his time in. It’s filled with books and a game which he plays with Ransom Thrombey (Chris Evans) and Marta Cabrera. The building is filled with ornate almost ancient looking rooms one in which there is a circular display of many Knives. The place for the Knives in the script is held in suspense until late in the story. The atmosphere is perfect for a mystery thriller. There are also some secret doors and enterances.
With a story that leads us in many directions Knives Out is an enjoyable trip as we follow Detective Benoit Blanc as he chases the family members and a few others for answers to the demise of Harlan Thrombey.