Knives Out (2019)

A film that follows the mystery formula while simultaneously subverting it. It reveals an important truth by the midpoint and says “Right, now watch the rest knowing this” — and what follows is more interesting still. My rating is ★4.0. It is a strong piece of work that modernises the classic Agatha Christie-style mystery.

What it’s about — A Structure That Reveals the Culprit Early

Acclaimed mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey, found dead in his room with his throat cut on his 85th birthday. It looks like suicide, but private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is engaged and interrogates every family member. The relatives — all suspects with an eye on the inheritance, all lying — are put through their paces. Then the film reveals the killer far earlier than expected and sends the story spinning off in an entirely different direction.

Direction — A Genre Game That Flips the Formula

Rian Johnson made this film from a deep understanding of the genre. The traditional setup — grand house, eccentric detective, suspicious surviving family — is faithfully followed, but the story’s axis is shifted to an unexpected destination. The balanced blend of black comedy and mystery maintains the film’s energy throughout.

Performance — Benoit Blanc, the Anti-007

Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc is the polar opposite of 007. An exaggerated Southern accent, an unhurried manner, a razor-sharp eye for observation. The fact that Craig is playing this character is itself already funny. Ana de Armas is effectively the film’s real protagonist — a character with a medical condition that causes vomiting whenever she lies, generating tension and empathy simultaneously. Chris Evans is clearly relishing a character designed to betray his Captain America image.

What the film says — The Hypocrisy of the Privileged

On the surface this is mystery entertainment, but the film quietly runs through the economic conflict between immigrant and native-born family, and the hypocrisy of the established class. How the family members treat Marta, and how that attitude changes when they find themselves in crisis, is what forms the theme. It’s not delivered heavily, but there is something to think about.

Ratings & reception

IMDb score is 7.9, high. Rotten Tomatoes freshness is 97% — effectively unanimous critical praise. The film received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. It was also a box-office success, spawning the sequel Glass Onion. Both critics and audiences named it among the best entertainment films of 2019.

What doesn’t work

Given the nature of mystery, the second viewing loses the tension of the first. Seeing Glass Onion first may dilute the freshness of this film. The black comedy elements may feel a little heavy to some viewers. The result of Rian Johnson’s bold genre subversion is that the tension of the back half tends to lose some energy compared to the first. The suspects who were introduced so interestingly at the start gradually recede as the story concentrates on a single thread, which is somewhat regrettable. Ransom, played by Chris Evans, makes a big impression at first but feels underutilised through to the ending. Some viewers also find this film’s twist simpler than the more complex tricks of the sequel.

Verdict

A film where you can fully enjoy the pleasures of the mystery genre while also experiencing clever twists and social perspective. A model of well-crafted entertainment that draws you in gently and refuses to let go until the end. One of the reasons this film succeeded is a structure that always stays one step ahead of the audience — not by hiding the culprit, but by changing the rules themselves. The choice to lead the story through Marta’s perspective as a suspect rather than as a detective is also fresh. It demonstrates how much possibility opens up when you run a Christie-style mystery from a viewpoint other than the detective’s. Light and fun, but it leaves you with quite a bit to think about once it’s over.

Recommended for

• Fans of Agatha Christie-style mysteries
• Viewers who want a film with surprising twists that upend expectations
• Those curious to see a different side of Daniel Craig