Knives Out Review

I took my dad to see this film and unfortunately, we had to sit on the very front row in a tiny screening room, but it oddly enough enhanced the ridiculousness and camp of this film. Plus, it was National Popcorn Day (I firmly believe popcorn that's 50% off, tastes infinitely better) and needless to say my dad and I could not stop shoving popcorn in our faces the entirety of this film. This film is the perfect movie theater popcorn film. It felt nostalgic for the classic Agatha Christie "whodunnits" while also bringing a fresh approach. This all-star cast certainly contributed to the delightful chaos of this film.

The murder mystery genre has felt dry, besides Tarantino's eighth installment, but even still that film did not quite feel like a classic staple of the genre. This film reminded me of when I was a young teen finding B-movie style whodunnits of the lowest quality on YouTube (that's normal, right?) I felt completely immersed in this film trying to piece the puzzle together. With Daniel Craig leading us spectacularly through the film with his atrocious but charming accent, the film felt like a more complex game of Clue.

I honestly wish this film would have been a limited TV series as I wanted to dive deeper into this tangled spiderweb of a family. Each member was so absurd and comical that I wanted to hear them talk about petty, minute things for hours. I need to know more about Toni Colette's skincare and social media influencer life. What about that little Nazi kid Jacob? Does he live stream his family's antics constantly? I could listen to them fight about politics all day as it parallels my family members fighting on Facebook. I could discuss for hours about America's good boy in that sweater. The Thrombey family dynamic truly fascinates me and I can assume many other viewers as they really drive the film.

As others have iterated, Ana de Armas exudes perfection and must be protected at all costs. Almost too perfect at times to the point of it being unrealistic, but I still enjoyed her performance.

My main complaint as I mentioned before is it felt rushed at times. Some of the events I wanted to discuss more but then would be quickly brushed aside. I wanted more, but perhaps that is not much of a critique as I genuinely enjoyed this group of characters. Also at sometimes the film almost felt boastful in exclaiming how clever and innovative it was. I believe this to be quite common with Rian Johnson's films.

I am not sure about the rewatch-ability of this film besides wanting to watch the Thrombey interrogations over and over. I did not think I would enjoy this film as much as I did, but this film certainly is a tour de force and quite a treat to end the previous decade.