After tackling Star Wars The Last Jedi, writer/director Rian Johnson returns to more familiar territory with a modern-day murder mystery, Knives Out. Before he travelled to a galaxy I’ve reliably been informed is some distance away, or time travel shenanigans with Looper, Johnson returns to the roots of his debut, Brick.
The slick trailer makes no secret that this is an Agatha Christie-style whodunnit led by Daniel Craig as an eccentric yet formidable detective out to solve a murder. The cast is just as impressive as any jaunt on the Orient Express with Chris Evans, Lakeith Stanfield, Michael Shannon, Ana de Armas, Don Johnson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, and Christopher Plummer rounding out the main players.
I feel it’s important to mention that since he took on the mantle of James Bond, Daniel Craig has turned in precisely one performance where he seems to be enjoying himself, Steven Soderbergh’s Logan Lucky. Joe Bang was the first time in a long time that Craig appeared to be engaged with the script, the character, the process of filmmaking. That list of one looks set to double as Craig looks like he is having a right old time on Knives Out, granted it’s a totally different character to the brooding Bond, but it’s nice to see Craig still has the power to surprise us with an off the chain performance.
Murder mystery as a movie genre is a rare breed with lavish adaptations like Murder on the Orient Express from Kenny B being few and far between. Knives Out arrives in UK cinemas on November 29, just in time for Christmas.
Acclaimed writer and director Rian Johnson (Brick, Looper, The Last Jedi) pays tribute to mystery mastermind Agatha Christie in KNIVES OUT, a fun, modern-day murder mystery where everyone is a suspect. When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) 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. With an all-star ensemble cast including Chris Evans, Ana De Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford and Jaeden Martell, KNIVES OUT is a witty and stylish whodunit guaranteed to keep audiences guessing until the very end.
