Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 3 ratings
When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan's dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan's untimely death.
Knives Out is a masterclass in subverting the whodunit genre — Rian Johnson audaciously reveals the 'answer' halfway through, reframing the entire mystery. The ensemble cast is uniformly excellent, with Daniel Craig's flamboyant Blanc and Ana de Armas's nuanced Marta standing out. The screenplay is exceptionally layered, weaving sharp class commentary into a genuinely fun puzzle structure. Cinematography is competent and atmospheric but not especially distinctive. The ending, while satisfying, is somewhat conventional in its final reveal mechanics compared to the bold structural gambit of the first half.