Posted by Written and directed by Rian Johnson (The Last Jedi, but do not hold that against him) and full to the brim with A list hollywood talent is Knives Out, a delightfully fun whodunnit. World renowned and best selling author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead the day after his 85th birthday, so an unknown figure hires private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to solve the mystery.
It is a riotous homage to Agatha Christie set in the modern day. The out of town detective with an out of place accent pieces together what happened, sifting through the suspects and the motives in the environs of a massive country manor like a kentucky fried Hercule Poirot. It nips along at an agreeable pace, with plenty of twists, turns and red herrings to keep you engaged and guessing to the end. It is not poe faced either, it is a genuinely funny film full of quirky, questionable and quarrelsome characters.
The best of whom being Harlan’s grandson Hugh Drysdale, the dry, crafty man-child captivatingly played by Chris Evans (Captain America, not the shouty radio presenter). That said everyone here is great, Daniel Craig’s aforementioned Benoit Blanc with his delightfully hammed up Foghorn Leghorn accent is a treat. As is the dim, awe struck policemen Trooper Wagner, Noah Segan. Not forgetting Harlan’s wide-eyed, nationality changing nurse Marta – Ana de Armas – who pukes when she lies, and of course the irrepressible Jamie Lee Curtis who is the fiery Linda Drysdale, Harlan’s daughter.
Murder most foul has never been so fun. Knives Out is a wondrously enjoyable whodunnit full of laughs, action and intrigue – an expertly made love letter to the murder mystery.
9/10
Lofty Music and Film 