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There was a significant amount of anticipation surrounding Knives Out, Rian Johnson’s (The Last Jedi) latest film, which is always terrifying for a cinephile. This makes it very difficult to go in and watch with a neutral mindset, or to be open and lenient in your feelings towards a film. How you respond to such a film is often loaded with preconceptions and, inevitably, sets you up for disappointment.
Knives Out had this aura of anticipation for several reasons:
- It is Johnson’s follow-up to The Last Jedi (which I think is brilliant, but made some die-hard fans start a petition for a remake done ‘the right way’).
- It’s Chris Evans’ first major role since he gave up being America’s ass, and he has a potty mouth to show for it.
- The cast is very, very A-list: Evans, Toni Colette, LaKeith Stanfield, Michael Shannon, Katherine Langford, Ana de Armas, Christopher Plummer, Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Jaeden Martell, Don Johnson…
- It received rave reviews at the Toronto Film Festival.
The latter is the most concerning, as it provides a consistent confirmation of quality, raising expectations and demands that previously did not exist. It’s why I try to avoid reviews before seeing a film, but as a film student and ardent consumer of cinema, this is a philosophy I struggle to put into practice.
Therefore, it delights me to say that Knives Out does not disappoint. It is, instead, an engaging, funny, tickling treat of a film that keeps you guessing. Whenever you think you’ve worked out where the plot is leading you, you’re proven wrong. Moreover, a whodunnit that actually keeps the truth aloof from its audience is becoming a rare, covetable treasure indeed.
The plot revolves around an investigation into the death of a renowned crime novelist, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). Harlan’s death had initially been closed as a suicide, until an unknown party hires the irreverent Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to look a little deeper into the uncertainties of the case. Flashbacks justify Plummer’s casting and provide plenty of space for more mystery to unfold, using a device commonly used to clarify uncertainties to instead muddy the waters.
Whilst this description of the film’s story is an accurate one, the protagonist of the film is certainly Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), a private nurse and close friend of Harlan’s. The events of the film unfold in relation to her, and de Armas puts in an inspired, vulnerable performance.
Rian Johnson’s script is one of the big contributors to this film’s success, but it is also through the performances he gets out of his actors as director, as well as Steve Yedlin’s cinematography, that Knives Out manages to keep the audience entertained. When you finally reach the dénouement and the knife sinks in, take care not to fall off the edge of your seat.
Knives Out is released for advanced previews from November 27.
