2019 was a strong year for movies. And perhaps thankfully so, since 2020 doesn’t seem too promising in that regard. In that spirit, I thought it fitting to begin this column with one of my favourite movies from last year, and one that I feel, appeals to almost every type of cinemagoer.
Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, a modern take on the classic whodunit, is fresh, bold, and wonderfully entertaining. The film has everything the genre demands – the eclectic family, the deceptively open-and-shut murder, and the brilliant off-beat detective, yet none of these elements are even remotely stale. Johnson puts a new spin on the murder mystery tropes we know all too well, masterfully breathing new life into them.
The scene is set with the death of writer Harlan Thrombey at his New England estate, which, in itself, is replete with mystique, an essential of the genre. We meet his dysfunctional family, all of whom reek of privilege and immediately arouse suspicion. The ingratiating son feeding off his father’s empire, the entitled grandson in his casually distressed Gucci loafers and Aran Islands sweater, and the white female advocate of “self-help” dressed almost exclusively in resort wear are all hilarious cogs in this outlandish ménage. All I can say is, thank the gods Harlan’s birthday cake didn’t feature unsavoury candles courtesy of Flam. The only respectable character among them is Harlan’s nurse and confidante, Marta, who has a curious case of “regurgitation to mistruths”. A built-in lie detector in her gastrointestinal system, if you will.
Enter Detective Benoit Blanc, dripping in enigma. Daniel Craig takes on the character with remarkable panache and a poetically out of place Southern drawl. He melds into the role beautifully, peculiar but charming as always. It is a delight to watch him weave through the subplots and red herrings and ultimately draw a conclusion with a flourish.
Knives Out also brings to the table a clever commentary on society with its intricate characters. Class disparity, which seemed to be a prevailing theme in 2019, is subtly weaved into the story. The Thrombeys all refer to Marta as an immigrant from a different South American country, a running joke that takes a dig at the ignorance of the privileged.
The success of a whodunit lies in its engagement of the audience. It’s an elaborate game designed to trick the viewer, who in turn grows increasingly anxious and fervent to solve the mystery. There’s a strange beauty in the chaos that ensues that reels the audience in and keeps them hooked until the end. The genre is almost inherently meta, thriving on clichés and tropes rather than being smothered by them. Once assumed to be irrelevant and dying, the whodunit now seems to be making a noteworthy comeback in Hollywood.
The film unwinds in riveting sequence and keeps the viewer wondering how each loose thread will either tie everything together, or spin it wildly out of control – the mark of a great murder mystery. The ending will leave you smug with satisfaction.
Knives Out has something for everyone – the hawk-eyed mystery enthusiasts, those looking for a laugh, and the Chris Evans’ Sweater Stans. It might just be the resurgence of the whodunit in a new Golden Age of murder mysteries.
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