Knives Out

Knives out is a Hollywood movie produced by Ram Bergman and written and directed by Rian Johnson. It has a stellar cast of Daniel Craig, Ana De Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Katherine Langford and many more. The movie was inspired from Agatha Christie’s works and was developed around mid-2000s. It has been 5 years since its release and the third instalment for the film was announced recently. So let us take a look back at this visually appealing and brain-racking movie.

The movie is set in Massachusetts, USA and revolves around a wealthy murder mystery writer Harlan Thrombey and his mysterious death and Benoit Blanc who comes to investigate his death.

Now that a premise is set, lets dissect the aspects of the movie and analyse it.

Plot and Storyline: 

The movie follows the classic plotline of whodunit which is intertwined with mystery and social commentary and to lighten the mood, well placed comedy. The movie has plot twists till the very end of the movie but it’s not that stupid kind of twists but well written ones. It does not have a truly linear storyline and that adds to the story’s suspense and the story is often said from different point of views.

Acting Performances:

the acting done by actors cannot be compared to each other. I personally don’t think there were any bad performance portrayed by the actors. From the actor who played Harlan’s elderly mother to Martha’s (Ana De Armas) younger sister played their part excellently. Spoiler alert, I think my favourite genre is seeing the Marvel superheroes in a negative light like Spiderhead. All the roles were played with intense depth and authenticity and gives layers to the narrative.

Direction and Filmmaking Techniques:

The direction done by Rian Johnson is masterful and it’s a blend of a classic murder mystery with modern storytelling. The cinematography captures the luxuriousness and wealth of Harlan in contrast to the characters and their struggles and their tensions. The framing and visual cues guides the audience through the complicatedly interwoven plot in a subtle way that creates more suspense and interest.

Themes and Messages:

The movie explores the themes of privilege, entitlement and greed within a filthy rich family that creates a satirical environment for the story to comment on the societal divisions. The screenplay has skilfully balanced humour with social critique which in fact invites viewers to reflect on their own perceptions of wealth and morality. The movie also challenges the old-style genre conventions by undermining the expectations which in turn makes it entertaining and thought provoking.

Production Design and Visuals:

The production design is what according to me that stood out the most and I feel like the Thrombey mansion is itself serves as a character. The costumes of each character was so accurate that it was reflecting their personality down to the minute point and the set that was there, it was just another reflection of who and what Harlan was and these visual elements aided to the better quality of the movie as whole. 

Steve Yedlin, the cinematographer, has done an amazing job by capturing the lush surroundings of the estate that has created a visually stunning backdrop.

Soundtrack and Music:

Nathan Johnson, who did the music for this movie, has created the soundtrack that goes with the movie’s theme and tone and it has a blend of suspenseful cues and playful melodies that highlight the characters’ motivations and emotions. The music plays a very important role in a movie as it enhances the key movements without using dialogues which creates the whole atmosphere of intrigue and suspense.

Pacing and Editing:

There is a momentum while navigating between the past and the present events. The editing that was done by Rian Johnson himself, was edited in such a way that the narrative was cohesive and it built a space for suspense as well as for character development all through while unfolding the mystery. The balance that was created throughout the movie between exposition and action kept the audience engaged and hooked till the end.

Negatives:

Even though the movie was well received by people, some viewers found the plot twists and characters to be exaggerated or predictable, while some did not appreciate the humour rhat was put out in the movie as they say it overshadowed the seriousness of the movie, while some other found the character of Benoit Blanc as irritating but on a personal note, I do not identify with these views nor support them.

Conclusion

Steve debuted as a cinematographer in 2002, he found his big break with Rian Johnson’s Brick and since then he has been part of all his movies, while Nathan Johnson, paternal cousin of Rian Johnson, debuted as a music composer for Brick, has been part of all his movies since then and also shows a promising career. The combination of these three artists has created some exceptional works and I honestly would want to see that in their upcoming movie Wake Up Dead Man.

The movie personally to me was something that was very refreshing and an idea that was outside the box because as a teenager who was watching it for the first time, the combination of mystery and murder along with humour and a strong storytelling with memorable performances. 

Knives out is surely a must watch not only for its cast and its theme but for its well woven plot and the story’s depth and people who enjoy satire will surely enjoy this movie a hundred percent.