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Rian Johnson ’s “Knives Out” is one of the most purely entertaining films in years. It is the work of a cinematic magician, one who keeps you so focused on what the left hand is doing that you miss the right. And, in this case, it’s not just a wildly fun mystery to unravel but a scathing bit of social commentary about where America is in 2019. Great mystery writers throughout history have dissected class in ways that were palatable to audiences looking for escapism, and Johnson is clearly doing that here too, using a wonderfully entertaining mystery structure that would make Agatha Christie smile. Directing a wildly charismatic cast who are all-in on what he’s doing, Johnson confidently stays a step or two ahead of his audience, leaving them breathless but satisfied at the end.

Harlan Thrombey ( Christopher Plummer ) is a wildly successful mystery writer and he’s dead. His housekeeper Fran (Edi Patterson) finds him with a slit throat and the knife still in his hand. It looks like suicide, but there are some questions. After all, who really slits their own throat? A couple of cops (the wonderful pair of LaKeith Stanfield and Noah Segan ) come to the Thrombey estate do a small investigation, just to make sure they’re not missing anything, and the film opens with their conversations with each of the Thrombey family members. Daughter Linda ( Jamie Lee Curtis ) is a successful businesswoman with a shit husband named Richard ( Don Johnson ) and an awful son named Ransom ( Chris Evans ). Son Walt ( Michael Shannon ) runs the publishing side, but he’s been fighting a lot with dear old dad. Daughter-in-law Joni ( Toni Collette ) is deep into self-help but has been helping herself by ripping off the old man. Finally, there’s Marta Cabrera ( Ana de Armas ), the real heroine of “Knives Out” and Harlan’s most trusted confidante. Can she help solve the case?

The case may have just been closed if not for the arrival of the famous detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig , who spins a southern drawl and oversized ego into something instantly memorable. Blanc was delivered a news story about the suicide and envelope of money. So someone thinks this is fishy. Why? And who? The question of who brought in Blanc drives the narrative as much as who killed Harlan. Johnson is constantly presenting viewers with the familiar, especially fans of the mystery movie—the single palatial setting, the family of monsters, the exaggerated detective—but then he subverts them every so slightly, and it feels fresh. So while Blanc feels like a Poirot riff, Johnson and Craig avoid turning it into a caricature of something we’ve seen before.

Craig is delightful—I love the excitement in his voice when he figures things out late in the film—but some of the cast gets lost. It’s inevitable with one this big, but if you’re going to “Knives Out” for a specific actor or actress, be aware that it’s a large ensemble piece and your fave may get short shrift. Unless your favorite is Ana de Armas, who is really the heart of the movie, allowing Johnson to imbue “Knives Out” with some wonderful political commentary. The Thrombeys claim to love Marta, even if they can’t remember which South American country she comes from, and Don Johnson gets a few razor sharp scenes as the kind of guy who rants about immigration before quoting “Hamilton.” It’s not embedded in the entire piece as much as “ Get Out ,” but this “Out” is similar in the way it uses genre structure to say something about wealth and social inequality. And in terms of performance, the often-promising de Armas has never been handed a role this big, and she totally delivers.

“Knives Out” crackles visually, although regular collaborator Steve Yedlin never allows his cinematography to get too showy to distract from the mystery or ensemble. It’s a film that works because of Johnson’s palpable love for the genre, but never becomes too meta or referential. A lot of talented directors have returned to genre movies after making a fortune and brought too much self-awareness with them, but that’s not the case here.

Ultimately, as in the films and books that inspired this one, it’s all about the whodunit, which is revealed in such unexpected ways that just when you think you have it all figured out, you realize something doesn’t add up. When it’s actually over (and my God does Johnson stick the landing with one of the best final shots of the year) you’ll unpack its ingenuity like a detective yourself, marveling at not just how the details of what happened that night revealed themselves, but the social message embedded in all of it. It’s tempting to say that it’s a mystery that Harlan Thrombey himself would have loved, but he probably never wrote one this good.

This review was filed from the Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2019 .

Brian Tallerico

Brian Tallerico is the Managing Editor of RogerEbert.com, and also covers television, film, Blu-ray, and video games. He is also a writer for Vulture, The Playlist, The New York Times, and GQ, and the President of the Chicago Film Critics Association.

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Knives Out (2019)

Rated PG-13

130 minutes

Ana de Armas as Marta

Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc

Chris Evans as Hugh Robinson

Jamie Lee Curtis as Linda Robinson

Toni Collette as Joni

Michael Shannon as Walt

Christopher Plummer as Harlan Thrombrey

Don Johnson as Morris Bristow

LaKeith Stanfield as Detective Troy Archer

Katherine Langford as Meg Thrombrey

Riki Lindhome as Donna Thrombrey

Noah Segan as Trooper Wagner

Rian Johnson

Cinematographer

Steve Yedlin
Nathan Johnson

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Knives Out Reviews

Not only is it so tightly written so as to sufficiently fit several characters into the story, but it is wickedly smart in how it approaches its mystery too.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jul 14, 2024

The film is crafted in a way that is clever enough to keep you guessing, but entertaining enough to make you not care if your guess is correct.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Jul 14, 2024

Knives Out is playful and entertaining but his commentary on political and personal detractions within his life spring forward...

Full Review | Apr 4, 2024

In Knives Out, the crime is treated through the police enigma genre that will keep the viewer entertained from beginning to end, through the excellent dosage of information and the different twists and turns that its resolution presents.

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | Jan 27, 2024

Witty, unpredictable and surprisingly insightful, Rian Johnson’s whodunnit Knives Out keeps you guessing until the very end.

Full Review | Original Score: 4.5/5 | Aug 13, 2023

Masterfully written dialogue, remarkable editing, and great use of classic cinematography techniques. An entertaining story with tremendous replay value and significant sociopolitical layers that only elevate the already complex yet subtle narrative.

Full Review | Original Score: A | Jul 24, 2023

Not only is Johnson enjoying himself, but the entire cast is clearly having a blast. And how could they not? Johnson creates for them a narrative playground full of whip-smart dialogue, genre nostalgia, and with a biting sense of humor.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Aug 22, 2022

It has good performances and brushes of originality and freshness. Yet it tries so hard for the audience's approval and validation it becomes somewhat bugging. Good movie nonetheless. [Full review in Spanish]

Full Review | Original Score: 7/10 | Jul 7, 2022

…an engrossing puzzle that constitutes that rarest of cinematic commodities, a good story well told…

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 21, 2022

A devilishly entertaining all-star murder mystery that stands with the best of the genre

Full Review | Original Score: 8/10 | May 13, 2022

It was one of 2019's best films, if only for the way it studies classicism in the genre that has always leaned on the lifestyles of the rich and the famous to mount its greatest mysteries.

Full Review | Mar 11, 2022

Sharp and funny, Knives Out exceeds expectations by proving to be more than its surface implies, even as Johnson demonstrates his first-rate skill in the story's maneuvers and charades.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/4 | Feb 23, 2022

Knives Out might not be the classic whodunit that the marketing suggests, but it remains one of the most entertaining and engaging films of the year.

Full Review | Feb 12, 2022

A generally enjoyable time with fun cartoonish characters.

Full Review | Original Score: 60/100 | Jan 14, 2022

The dialogue is... to die for. It doesn't get any better than this.

Full Review | Sep 16, 2021

An ingenious new thriller that takes the bones of Agatha Christie and brilliantly updates it for the most purely entertaining movie of the year.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Aug 12, 2021

Bubbling merrily in its humanity, and impishly clear in exposing societal rot through the cleverest of cinema lenses - a whodunit.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jul 31, 2021

Knives Out is a thoroughly satisfying murder mystery populated with well-drawn, idiosyncratic characters who collectively present a tapestry of modern America.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Jun 25, 2021

A thrilling, expertly-crafted whodunit...

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 29, 2021

A great example of what genre cinema can be on its best days, Rian Johnson's whodunit takes the rules, bends them, plays with them, reverses them and then realigns them so smoothly...

Full Review | Apr 14, 2021

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‘Knives Out’ Review: Murder Most Clever

In his new movie, Rian Johnson dusts off Agatha Christie with help from Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis and Don Johnson.

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‘Knives Out’ | Anatomy of a Scene

Rian johnson narrates a sequence from his film..

My name is Rian Johnson, and I wrote and directed ‘Knives Out.’ So this is a scene about 45 minutes into the movie, where we first get to meet Chris Evans’ character, Hugh Ransom Drysdale. He goes by Ransom. And there’s Chris Evans, a rare moment of dogs not liking Chris Evans. You can’t really tell here, but this is a real mansion in the middle of Massachusetts that we shot in. It was a gorgeous murder mystery mansion that we just found and we shot inside and outside of it. This is LaKeith Stanfield and Noah Segan as the two local cops right here. “Excuse me. Sir, we’re officers of the law.” And here comes Daniel Craig as the eccentric detective, Benoit Blanc, and Ana de Armas as Marta. “So what’s this arrangement?” “Mr. Drysdale.” “CSI KFC?” I’m very proud right here of the staging of this, trying to stage everybody so the dialogue scenes worked. Like with this, we come in and first meet the family in this room doing this wide panning over shot to establish the geography of it. In the close up of Chris, you see Daniel coming back there. We get Toni’s entrance. “Hey. Hey.” And this is Frank Oz. Frank Oz, who did a little cameo for us. I’ll try and go through and introduce the cast a little bit. You saw Toni Collette there, who plays a lifestyle guru. This is Michael Shannon, who plays Walt, the youngest brother. Jamie Lee Curtis, who plays Linda, the eldest sister. And Don Johnson will be seen here in a moment, who plays her husband. There’s Don right there. Look at all the great sweaters. And then hanging in the background, that’s Katherine Langford and that’s Riki Lindhome. “Jacob was in that bathroom the night of the party.” And that’s Jaeden Martell, who plays the younger son. So an example of that three-shot right there, like this shot right here, figuring out how to just get everybody comfortably in frame it in a way that feels natural. This scene was one of the most fun scenes in the whole movie to shoot, just because all of these actors were together in this room. We had a couple big scenes like this, where all of these amazing actors were together, and they all got to play off of each other. “You want to go?” “You bet, Skippy, let’s go.” So, yeah, everyone kind of goes at each other here. I love this ridiculous little slap fight between the two of them. I mean, it’s kind of silly. But that’s kind of the tone of the movie. It’s a murder mystery, but it kind of, you can tell, has like a sense of humor to it. [INTERPOSING VOICES] “We got to do this more often.”

By Manohla Dargis

A sleek game of cat and mouse, “ Knives Out ” begins the hunt with a mysterious pool of blood and ends, well, telling wouldn’t be fair. The press screening that I attended was preceded by a brief video in which the writer and director Rian Johnson asked viewers not to spill the movie’s secrets. The entreaty suggests how seriously Johnson takes his own cleverly deployed twists and the challenges of keeping ostensible spoilers under wraps. The twists are kinked and amusing, although far less striking than the obvious pleasure he had making this exactingly machined puzzle box.

Stuffed with famous and blurrily familiar faces, the movie takes the shape of an old-fashioned whodunit — the kind with mystery, suspense, entertainment, a corpse on an heirloom settee and a half-dozen or so shifty suspects milling about.

As in many genre exemplars, the main setting is a stately manor with dark corners, creaking stairs and a warren of richly appointed rooms shrouded in secrets. Together, the rooms create a claustrophobic maze, though they more pointedly resemble cabinets of curiosities with jumbles of books, dead animals, laughing masks, acres of rugs and eccentric objets .

The house itself feels like a mousetrap, which works for a narrative puzzle in which the parts keep shifting as the wood-paneled walls close in. The overall sense of confinement is perfect for the aims of a private investigator, Benoit Blanc, a honey-baked ham played by Daniel Craig with grandiose self-regard and a Southern accent that seems borrowed from Kevin Spacey . There isn’t a butler in the parlor, but there is a rather too virtuous caretaker, Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), who worked for the manor’s imperious patriarch Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), who suddenly and rather flamboyantly croaks.

Harlan is a charming monster, a type that Plummer excels in playing, and it’s a shame that he isn’t around longer. A renowned mystery writer, Harlan has written stacks of best sellers, amassing wealth and cultivating a grasping, desperate dependence in his avaricious family. Someone clearly had a good time coming up with the titles of his tomes, which read like winking clues or chapter headings: “Vulcan’s Den,” “The Badger,” “Nick of Time,” “Ultimatum,” “This Little Piggy.” A genre savant, Johnson understands that one of the pleasures of mystery stories is how they turn viewers into detectives, eager amateur sleuths who also sift through the clues, false and not.

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Entertainment
<i>Knives Out</i> Is a Delightful Whodunit Attuned to the Worries of the Modern World

Knives Out Is a Delightful Whodunit Attuned to the Worries of the Modern World

M arketing people seem to think that audiences are always hungry for something new. But what if, without realizing it, they’re actually longing for something old? Writer-director Rian Johnson’s marvelous ensemble murder mystery—and comedy— Knives Out is based on one of the most timeworn conceits in the whodunit playbook: A bunch of family members and other associates gather in an old country house after a rich patriarch or dowager dies under mysterious circumstances. They may want to find out who’s responsible for the premature death of their loved one—but generally they’re more curious to find out how much they stand to gain monetarily from the death of said loved one.

That’s the basic plot of Knives Out, approximately as modern as the novels that Agatha Christie began writing roughly 100 years ago and continued to produce almost until her death, in 1976. But Johnson has taken the essential formula and made it his own. The picture is a delight, but even if it offers some nostalgic pleasures, it’s also attuned to all the worries and, worse, the thoughtlessness that characterize the modern world.

Crabby but sensible old codger Harlan Thrombey ( Christopher Plummer ) has amassed a fortune from his career as a prolific writer of mysteries. Then, on the morning after his 85th birthday, he’s found dead, apparently by his own hand. The last person to see him alive was the woman hired to care for him, a nurse named Marta (Ana de Armas), a Latina immigrant whose family depends on her job. Harlan had always adored Marta, and those in his immediate orbit claim to love her too: His daughter, crisp-mannered businesswoman Linda ( Jamie Lee Curtis ) and son, earnest but hapless Walt (Michael Shannon), sing her praises. Joni ( Toni Collette ), a somewhat shallow lifestyle guru who’s the widow of another son, also heartily approves.

Everybody loudly proclaims how great Marta is, though it’s questionable whether any of them have even gotten to know her. Then the police (played by LaKeith Stanfield and Noah Segan) show up to begin questioning the family. A celebrity detective with a buttery Southern drawl and the delectable name of Benoit Blanc (played by Daniel Craig, clearly having a blast) has also been brought in to oversee the proceedings. He watches wryly as the extended family—including Linda’s silky-slimy husband Richard (Don Johnson) and Harlan’s spoiled grandkid Ransom (Chris Evans)—spin their own narrative of the night’s events, tilting suspicion heavily toward Marta.

The plot of Knives Out is enjoyably, wackily serpentine. Even if you’ve already guessed who hasn’t dunnit, it won’t be easy to figure out who has. The movie’s pleasures lie in the way these characters, each of them well-defined, square off against one another even when they’re pretending to be on the same side. Knives Out is filled with deceit, greed, blackmail, overall unpleasantness—and it’s funny. One character, upon being introduced to Mr. Blanc, blurts out, “I read a Tweet about a New Yorker article about you!” There’s more wit here than in most of Johnson’s movies, although it’s worth noting that his last picture, the 2017 Star Wars: Episode VIII—The Last Jedi , was the best of the recent Star Wars movies, a franchise picture that felt as if it were made by a human being, not a committee.

Knives Out also shows the human touch: The ensemble cast is terrific—these actors make it look as if the movie were a lark to make. De Armas, who was surprisingly memorable as a hologram-wife in Denis Villeneuve’s Blade Runner 2049 , brings sharply focused subtlety to her role here. In a movie filled with intentionally and often comically broad characters, she’s playing a person, not a type. Marta doesn’t radiate virtuousness as a character trait; kindness just finds its way out as she moves and breathes.

As entertaining as Knives Out is, there’s a lot rippling beneath the surface. One of its ideas is that immigrants, people who have chosen to live in America and have had to make sacrifices to do so, often make better Americans than people who were born here. And for all its clever, delightful trickiness, Knives Out is completely straightforward about one thing: It shows the utmost respect for science and for people who know what they’re doing. This is a movie in which expertise and good sense win the day; no one is rewarded for stupidity or cruelty. And in that sense, Knives Out isn’t just a beautifully made diversion. It’s also a utopian vision.

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Cast & crew
User reviews

Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Ana de Armas, LaKeith Stanfield, Jaeden Martell, and Katherine Langford in Knives Out (2019)

A detective investigates the death of the patriarch of an eccentric, combative family. A detective investigates the death of the patriarch of an eccentric, combative family. A detective investigates the death of the patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.

Rian Johnson
Daniel Craig
Chris Evans
Ana de Armas
2.8K User reviews
515 Critic reviews
82 Metascore
52 wins & 113 nominations total

Top cast 34

Benoit Blanc

Ransom Drysdale

Marta Cabrera

Linda Drysdale

Walt Thrombey

Richard Drysdale

Joni Thrombey

Lieutenant Elliott

Harlan Thrombey

Meg Thrombey

Jacob Thrombey

Donna Thrombey

Alan Stevens

Greatnana Wanetta

Trooper Wagner

Mr. Proofroc

Marta's Mom
All cast & crew
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Pop Trivia With Rian Johnson's 'Knives Out'

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Trivia It was Don Johnson 's idea for his character to hand his empty plate to Marta as if she was the maid during the immigration conversation.
Goofs When Marta turns on to 1209 Columbus Avenue the sign says that the road is a one way road yet when she parks up on Columbus Avenue cars can be seen travelling in both directions.

Benoit Blanc : It's a weird case from the start. A case with a hole in the center. A doughnut.

Crazy credits At the very end of the credits dogs can be heard barking.
Connections Featured in CTV News at Six Toronto: Episode dated 7 September 2019 (2019)
Soundtracks The Inspector Written and Performed by Tal Bergman

User reviews 2.8K

johnryeh-49694
Nov 28, 2019
How long is Knives Out? Powered by Alexa
Is there significance in Blanc's use of pressing the piano key? Is it to just get the attention of the family member being interviewed? Or is he doing it specifically when they've said something important?
Is the character name Harlan Thrombey an homage to the Choose Your Own Adventure book "Who Killed Harlowe Thrombey?"?
November 27, 2019 (United States)
United States
Official Facebook
Official Site
Morning Bell
Borderland State Park - 259 Massapoag Avenue, Sharon, Massachusetts, USA
Lionsgate Films
Media Rights Capital (MRC)
See more company credits at IMDbPro
$40,000,000 (estimated)
$165,363,234
$26,769,548
Dec 1, 2019
$312,897,920

Technical specs

Runtime 2 hours 10 minutes
Dolby Digital
D-Cinema 48kHz 5.1
Dolby Atmos

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Knives Out Review

Daniel craig stars as an eccentric detective in a whodunit for the 21st century..

Best Reviewed Movies of 2019

Knives Out is a crime thriller with its tongue placed firmly in cheek. From frame one, Rian Johnson and his cast are clearly having a blast, and that mix of comedy and mystery makes it a genuine crowd-pleaser. Moreover, through clever plotting and smart sleight of hand, Johnson has crafted a whodunit that’s worthy of Agatha Christie or Arthur Conan Doyle, and one that will have audiences guessing until the final few reels.

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Knives Out is a delightful Agatha Christie-style whodunnit made for 2019 America

Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, and more star in the latest caper from Rian Johnson.

by Alissa Wilkinson

Daniel Craig, Lakeith Stanfield, and Noah Segan stand in the woods in the movie “Knives Out.”

Whodunnits in the vein of Agatha Christie — like Knives Out , a romping delight from genre-bending Last Jedi auteur Rian Johnson — require a degree of prejudice in the reader in order to work properly. Characters are slotted into a type, usually owing to their occupation, nationality, or social standing, and then the fun of the story comes from how people act against (or within) type, subverting our guesses.

Christie, of course, was working in England a century ago; Johnson’s story is set in contemporary, richly autumnal patrician Massachusetts, in the home of a hugely successful mystery writer who has, unfortunately, turned up dead. And because this is America in 2019, the prejudices and privileges displayed by the family vying for his money are uniquely American, too.

But Knives Out , being a whodunnit, is best if you go in knowing as little as possible. The twists aren’t aids to telling the story, they are the story. It’s the most finely tuned version of a murder mystery you could hope for, with joyous performances and style in spades. So if you don’t want a hint of a spoiler, stop here. If you don’t mind a bit of background, carry on.

Knives Out is mostly just fun, but it lodges some barbs, too

Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) built his fortune on the mystery novels he wrote, so he’s clearly a man of great imagination, but his family is not quite as bright. There’s business-minded daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), her husband Richard (Don Johnson), and their mean, terrible son Ransom (Chris Evans). There’s Harlan’s son Walt (Michael Shannon), who runs the family publishing company, and Joni (Toni Colette), the widowed daughter-in-law, who enthusiastically shows how compassionate she is toward people the rest of the family sniffs at, but also is happy to take the family’s money. Two more grandkids — priggish alt-right shitposter Jacob (Jaeden Martell) and self-righteous Meg (Katherine Langford) round out the pack. Everybody, to a one, sucks.

Harlan died under mysterious circumstances, which only his longtime nurse Marta (Ana de Armas) knows anything about, and a trio of men arrive to investigate: two police detectives (Lakeith Stanfield and Noah Segan) and one private detective (Daniel Craig, sporting, as one character puts it, a Foghorn Leghorn accent). They try to dig into the story but it keeps slipping out of their grasp.

As it does for the audience, too. If Knives Out moved even 3 percent more slowly than it does, there’s a good chance it would be easier to anticipate what’s going to happen next — a few times I felt like I was on the verge of discovery, but as fast as you can start to fit the pieces together, a new gap appears. It’s confident and exciting, with performances that suggest a cast having the time of their lives on set. (It’s always nice to see Daniel Craig spring into antic electricity outside the confines of his brooding James Bond; as for Chris Evans, his post-Captain America life seems to suit him nicely.)

Rian Johnson, the creative force behind Star Wars: The Last Jedi, explained

Knives Out is primarily splendid revelry rather than satire; it’s not particularly sophisticated social critique to suggest that sometimes the scions of the very wealthy are also ungrateful wretches with delusions of grandeur. (That’s been going on in literature for a very long time.)

But that doesn’t keep the movie from lodging a few barbs between the ribs for rueful laughs, as much at the performatively woke as the hatefully racist. The whole family proclaims their love for Marta but nobody manages to remember which South American country she’s from, and when things start to get serious they’re more than willing to turn on her. The Thrombey crew includes people who can pivot from complaining about immigrants to quoting Hamilton on a dime — a version of the sort of clueless liberalism that Bradley Whitford’s “I would have voted for Obama a third time” Get Out line immortalized. It also includes a kid someone describes as a “literal Nazi.”

In this way, Knives Out bears some striking similarities to Ready or Not , which came out in August 2019, only weeks before Knives Out ’s Toronto premiere. That one’s a horror film, but it concerns a young woman, an outsider, who’s drawn into a greedy family’s sprawling estate, only to discover that those who perform kindness can turn on her in an instant.

But while Ready or Not posits wealth and privilege as a violent horror show, Knives Out paints it as farce. The Thrombey family’s mythos about itself and its “ancestral home” is silly; its members are worthy of ridicule, not because they’re wealthy but because they refuse to admit their wealth comes from anything but their own merit. Their parroting of talking points that only benefit them, their belief in their own superiority, their self-delusional arrogance — that’s what’s ridiculous. They’ve willingly slotted themselves into caricatures that are all too familiar today, and the movie plays on those gleefully.

So, couching their story in a rambling, romping murder mystery turns them into entertainment for us rather than us into cogs in the wheel for them. In this case, it’s their blind prejudices, not ours, that lead them astray.

And it’s all done with such a light touch that you can’t help thinking Knives Out is really an adaptation of one of Harlan’s mysteries, which, it turns out, it sort of is. It’s a worthy tribute to Agatha Christie, a light but pointed rebuke, and a delectable time at the movies, too.

Knives Out premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in September. It opens in theaters on November 27.

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Common sense media reviewers.

Expert, effortlessly entertaining all-star mystery-comedy.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Kindness and compassion turn out to be virtues tha

Quite a few of the characters are shown to be self

Dead body with throat slit. Blood streaming. Fight

One character is said to have had an extramarital

Language includes one "f--k," plus "s--t," "a--hol

Mention of Scope mouthwash. Reference to Juul e-ci

Drinking at party. Pot-smoking, secret stash of jo

Positive Messages

Kindness and compassion turn out to be virtues that win the day. There's also a message about lying; one character is incapable of lying without becoming physically ill.

Positive Role Models

Quite a few of the characters are shown to be selfish and/or greedy, but many are delightful and fun. Still, they're all so one-dimensional that no one is really role model material. But Marta is shown to be kind and compassionate, and Benoit Blanc is smart and persistent.

Violence & Scariness

Dead body with throat slit. Blood streaming. Fighting, slapping. Frequent arguing. Attack with knife. Violent content in spoken dialogue.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

One character is said to have had an extramarital affair. Spoken sex references. Reference to masturbation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Language includes one "f--k," plus "s--t," "a--hole," "t-ts," "ass," "bitch," "son of a bitch," "bastard," "hell," "goddamn." Possible middle-finger gesture.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Mention of Scope mouthwash. Reference to Juul e-cigarettes. References to Twitter, Instagram, etc. Big Gulp cup shown.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Drinking at party. Pot-smoking, secret stash of joints. Prescription drugs and medications shown, injected. Cigar-smoking. Reference to a person being a morphine addict.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Knives Out is a delightful all-star murder-mystery comedy that's reminiscent of Agatha Christie stories. Violence includes a murder victim with a slit throat and a trickle of blood, fighting (punching and slapping), arguing, and harsh dialogue. Language includes one "f--k," plus "s--t," "son of a bitch," "a--hole," and more. There's a bit of sex-related talk, and one character is said to have had an affair. People drink at a party, characters smoke cigars and pot (there's a secret stash of joints), prescription meds are injected, and there's dialogue about a morphine addict. Starring Daniel Craig , Jamie Lee Curtis , Chris Evans , and many more, this expertly crafted movie is both a satisfying mystery and a hilarious comedy with appealing characters, and it even touches on the state of the world today and sends the message that kindness and compassion are virtues that win the day. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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Harlan Thrombey sitting on a chair surrounded by his family

Community Reviews

Parents say (69)
Kids say (178)

Based on 69 parent reviews

Great fun murder-mystery!

Solid entertainment, what's the story.

In KNIVES OUT, wealthy, successful crime novelist Harlan Thrombey ( Christopher Plummer ) celebrates his 85th birthday with his family. But at the party, he argues with just about everyone over money, business, or other things. Later, he's found with his throat slit, and Linda ( Jamie Lee Curtis ), Richard ( Don Johnson ), Walt ( Michael Shannon ), Joni ( Toni Collette ), and Ransom ( Chris Evans ) are among the suspects. Master detective Benoit Blanc ( Daniel Craig ) is called in to solve the seemingly impossible case. The key to the mystery, Blanc realizes, lies with Marta ( Ana de Armas ), who was Harlan's nurse and caretaker and who has a condition that causes her to vomit whenever she tells a lie. The reading of the will sends a shockwave throughout the family, and Blanc finds his final, elusive clue when the murderer prepares to strike again.

Is It Any Good?

This delightful, hilarious, clever mystery-comedy is total entertainment, with expert, precision work at every level -- but also with an irresistible, gleeful sense of fun bursting from the screen. After taking Star Wars to a new level with The Last Jedi , writer-director Rian Johnson seems fully refreshed on Knives Out , keeping his feet on the ground and staying mostly in one beautiful location. From the ground up, he's crafted a solid moviegoing experience, starting with a sparkling gem of a screenplay. An Agatha Christie-inspired tale, the movie's mystery is airtight enough to puzzle most whodunit buffs.

But the movie is also beautifully balanced among its excellent cast, with each member feeling appealingly human and shining in individual moments. Visually, Knives Out is splendid, fluid in the way it moves around the nooks and crannies of the huge house and also when it lingers on its unforgettable "wheel of knives" centerpiece. The music by Nathan Johnson (Rian's cousin) is equally effective. Old-fashioned on the surface, the movie is nevertheless rooted in the modern-day, with several smart, sane references to current insanity. Finally, it's clearly designed for multiple viewings, not only to catch all the sly jokes but also the many concealed clues. If Knives Out has a flaw, it's that the movie is so effortless it might feel lightweight.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about Knives Out' s violence . Why is there so much fun being had around a murder in this story? What's the movie's attitude toward death and killing?

How are alcohol and drugs represented? Are they portrayed as cool or appealing? Are there consequences for using them? Why does that matter?

One character is incapable of lying without becoming physically ill. What does the movie have to say about honesty in general? Is it useful? Is it rewarding?

The family's true character is shown when it's revealed who gets the fortune. How does money impact relationships?

How does this movie compare with Agatha Christie stories? What makes it similar or different?

Movie Details

In theaters : November 27, 2019
On DVD or streaming : February 25, 2020
Cast : Jamie Lee Curtis , Daniel Craig , Toni Collette
Director : Rian Johnson
Inclusion Information : Female actors
Studio : Lionsgate
Genre : Comedy
Character Strengths : Compassion
Run time : 130 minutes
MPAA rating : PG-13
MPAA explanation : thematic elements including brief violence, some strong language, sexual references, and drug material
Award : Common Sense Selection
Last updated : April 16, 2024

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Review: Ingenious and irresistible, ‘Knives Out’ is a criminally good time

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The lies begin piling up early in “Knives Out,” Rian Johnson’s magnificently crafted tale of murder and mayhem. Someone has slit the throat of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), the 85-year-old patriarch of a family with deep pockets and an even deeper capacity for duplicity. His son-in-law, Richard (Don Johnson), is hiding an extramarital affair. His daughter-in-law, Joni (Toni Collette), has been secretly dipping into his fortune for years. But few lies are crueler, or less convincing, than the five little words we hear spoken near the beginning: “You’re part of this family.”

The brave young woman on the receiving end of that lie is Marta Cabrera (the superb Cuban actress Ana de Armas), Harlan’s nurse and, by all appearances, his one true friend. She’s the only person who’s genuinely heartbroken over the old man’s death, which makes it all the more bewildering that, cheap sentiments aside, none of his relatives thought to invite her to the funeral. Maybe they felt shamed by her decency. Or maybe it was just their latest mindless dismissal of Marta, who immigrated to the U.S. from a Latin American country (their inability to remember which one becomes a brutal running gag) and is treated more like a domestic servant than a member of the family.

And so there’s an undeniable justice to the way Marta turns amateur sleuth, reluctantly enlisted by the famed private investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, a very choice ham). Harlan may be dead, but it is his family’s moral obliviousness, their obscene wealth and monstrous privilege, that Johnson keeps eviscerating in this extravagantly entertaining movie. Even among the many class-conscious dramas that have flooded theaters this season (“Parasite,” “Hustlers” and “Joker” come to mind), there is something particularly decadent about the eat-the-rich buffet that “Knives Out” serves up. To watch as the Thrombeys tear themselves apart is to experience a wave of schadenfreude so heady and intoxicating that the revelations of whodunit and why almost feel like third-act bonuses.

Happily, those revelations were clearly not an afterthought for Johnson, a pop-savvy, detail-driven filmmaker whose fondness for crime fiction has been in evidence since his 2005 high-school noir pastiche, “Brick.” Twisty, rug-pulling plot construction is one of his strengths as a filmmaker; it may also explain why his splendid contribution to the ever-expanding yet rigidly fan-policed “Star Wars” universe was so ill received in some quarters. In that picture, as in his 2012 time-travel fantasy, “Looper,” Johnson revels in the kind of labyrinthine storytelling that feels increasingly like a lost Hollywood art, a relic from a time when the studios produced fewer spoiler warnings and more actual surprises.

And so while “Knives Out” may superficially resemble an archly knowing spoof of Agatha Christie, the truth is that few spoofs demonstrate such consummate cleverness, such moment-to-moment mastery of the conventions they’re satirizing. This is, to be sure, a riotously funny movie — a priceless collection of puns, insults, one-liners and some of the best-timed barf gags this side of “Problem Child 2” — but it also treats the classical detective story with the seriousness and grandeur it deserves.

Johnson revels in the old-school tropes of the genre: the juggling of time frames, the withholding of information, the reading of a will, the brandishing of blades and syringes. He can’t resist lingering on the shock of the housekeeper, Fran (Edi Patterson), who discovers Harlan’s bloodied body, or stuffing some genial banter into the mouths of the police detectives (Lakeith Stanfield and a very funny Noah Segan) who are called to the crime scene. Sleuths and suspects all convene at the ramshackle Thrombey estate, a thing of glittering, shadowy beauty in Steve Yedlin’s sharp cinematography and David Crank’s production design. (Best detail: a prize collection of vintage daggers arranged in a circular target formation, like a j’accuse! by way of the Iron Throne.)

Harlan was a celebrated mystery novelist, and his murder turns out to have a fiendish complexity worthy of his own bestsellers. With elegance and economy, “Knives Out” carefully lines up its circle of suspects, nearly all of whom are delightfully loathsome and amply motivated to bump the old man off. There’s the philandering Richard and the thieving Joni, a social-media influencer with her own Goop-inspired lifestyle brand, and also Harlan’s Fredo Corleone-esque son, Walt (Michael Shannon), who until recently oversaw his father’s lucrative publishing empire.

Like his vituperative older sister, Linda (a splendid Jamie Lee Curtis), Walt is a self-flattering but fundamentally useless person, someone who has thrived entirely on Harlan’s generosity. The same goes for Linda and Richard’s son, Ransom (a wily Chris Evans), an impudent black sheep who nonetheless enjoyed a peculiar love-hate relationship with his grandfather. And then there are Joni’s liberal-minded daughter (Katherine Langford) and Walt’s alt-right-leaning son (Jaeden Martell), the youngest and most politically energized members of a clan that likes to squabble over illegal immigration, parent-child separations and other Trump-era talking points.

While it doesn’t take much detective work to figure out where “Knives Out’s” own political sympathies lie, the movie’s larger point is that, when a dynasty is this corrupt, this mired in narcissism and nepotism, those individual leanings become entirely irrelevant. To paraphrase some of Johnson’s snarkier dialogue, extreme greed has a way of uniting conservative trolls and liberal snowflakes alike. And so as delectable as all this family squabbling is, only a few of the Thrombeys emerge as more than cardboard constructs (albeit very amusing ones). It’s no accident that the one who will eventually outshine them all happens to be the kindest and least financially privileged character in the movie.

I’m not talking about Blanc, although Craig is irresistible as this Southern-gentleman detective, with his courtly manners and flamboyant drawl; he’s like James Bond gone to tweed. But while Blanc comes across as a genially bumbling figure at first (one suspect calls him Foghorn Leghorn), he’s shrewd enough to recognize a valuable ally in Marta, whose evolution from guileless outsider to commanding truth teller is one of the story’s most bracing developments. The Thrombeys may write Marta off as someone of no consequence, but the movie knows better. So, too, did Harlan, movingly played by Plummer in extended flashbacks that allow him to hover over the proceedings like a watchful, benevolent ghost.

The name Harlan Thrombey comes from an old “Choose Your Own Adventure” paperback called “Who Killed Harlowe Thrombey?” It’s one of the movie’s countless reference points, some of which Johnson explicitly acknowledges: He’ll throw in a “Clue” name-drop here, a “Murder, She Wrote” cutaway there. I can personally pay “Knives Out” no higher compliment than to say that, with its boisterous comic high jinks and airtight plotting, the movie reminded me less of Agatha Christie than of John Dickson Carr, one of the greatest and funniest of Golden Age detective novelists.

Christie, Carr and their ilk were often lumped into the somewhat derogatory category of the “cozy,” that reassuring mystery subgenre in which every pesky bloodstain can be wiped away and every murder can be neatly solved from an armchair. “Knives Out” doesn’t try to transcend the pleasures of the cozy; it wouldn’t be half as delightful if it did. But it does weaponize those pleasures in ways you may not be expecting. Marta’s dogged pursuit of justice, for Harlan and ultimately for herself, builds to what may be the most satisfying closing shot I’ve seen this year. Rarely has “kill ’em with kindness” taken on such radical new meaning.

‘Knives Out’

Rated: PG-13, for thematic elements including brief violence, some strong language, sexual references and drug material Running time: 2 hours, 10 minutes Playing: Sneaks Nov. 22; opens Nov. 27 in general release

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Knives Out Review

29 Nov 2019

How does one let off steam after a gruelling experience making one of the most anticipated films of all time, and the even more gruelling experience of weathering feedback of that film from people with Twitter handles such as @sithmaster81? Easy: you kill someone. After sending his camera whizzing around the galaxy in The Last Jedi , Rian Johnson ’s next step has been to go smaller, much smaller, largely confining his follow-up movie to the creaky corridors and dim chambers of a Massachusetts mansion. The result, Knives Out , is a sly, wry and nimble homage to the murder mysteries of yesteryear, with a modern spin. And it’s exactly as fun as you’d hope.

It may be littered with references to classic mysteries — here a clip of Murder She Wrote on a TV, there a namecheck for John Watson. But it never feels like a creaky throwback, à la the recent redo of Murder On The Orient Express . For one, it’s set in the modern day, with one conversation overtly alluding to Trump (though he’s never mentioned by name) with such lines as, “They’re putting children in cages!” and, “Take off your red cap, Richard.” Among the roll-call of suspects is a Twitter troll, the kind of man-baby who probably gets upset about porgs. This is a world where iPhones exist, and the musical Hamilton , and, as one unexpected one-liner reveals, the Edgar Wright film Baby Driver .

At the same time, Johnson knows not to wander too far from the tropes of such classic whodunnits as Sleuth and Deathtrap , instead delighting in cranking them up to delirious heights. The Gothic abode in which his suspects are confined looks like it’s been interior-designed by Nicolas Cage on a spending spree. Owned by the mysterious, murdered murder-mystery writer Harlan Thrombey ( Plummer ), it’s decked out with such ghoulish accoutrements as crystal skulls, creepy oil paintings, art that resembles giant eyeballs and, yes, an enormous ring of stabby implements. (Set decorator David Schlesinger vies for the title of crew MVP, along with costume designer Jenny Eagan, responsible for fitting out the cast with the year’s most resplendent knitwear.)

It quickly becomes apparent that Johnson has more than daggers and clues on his mind: the mansion is a stand-in for America itself.

Matching the overblown old-schoolness of the sets is the film’s detective. He may have been profiled in The New Yorker , but Daniel Craig ’s Benoit Blanc (“The last of the gentlemen sleuths”) is an enjoyably ridiculous, tweed-clad creation who seems to have been summoned from the pages of an antique pulp novel. His Deep South accent is pure bouillabaisse . He stands in shadows, plinks single keys on pianos, and sits staring into fires. He says things like, “Something is afoot with this whole affair.” Craig has rarely been this much fun, and a return outing for the character would be most welcome. Suggestion: a movie that pits him against Craig’s peroxided felon Joe Bang from Logan Lucky .

Blanc, though, isn’t the movie’s core character. The starry ensemble cast gleefully embody the various vipers who have gathered at the house, desperate for a share of Harlan’s wealth. Toni Collette is particularly memorable as hippy-dippy Instagram influencer Joni, as is Chris Evans as family black sheep Ransom, a foul-mouthed freeloader whose very scarves look dickish. But Johnson’s masterstroke is to tell the tale through the perspective of an outsider, South American caregiver Marta ( Ana de Armas ), who was Harlan’s closest confidant and who becomes Benoit’s erstwhile sidekick.

Through her, and de Armas’ superb performance, it quickly becomes apparent that Johnson has more than daggers and clues on his mind: the mansion is a stand-in for America itself, with its factions, institutionalised racism (none of the rapacious clan can agree on which country exactly Marta is from) and many shades of venality. The political subtext is clear but not laboured, exposing a whole different kind of foul play.

It’s not a perfect crime. With a cast-list that’s unnecessarily large (Benoit even gets two cop underlings, neither of whom make much of an impression), a few of the actors are wasted, and some of the dialogue suffers from over-snark. But it comes close enough to be a major crowdpleaser, a snaky and sumptuous winter treat with a nice line in acidic zingers. Over to you, Jason Bateman and Clue .

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Knives Out First Reviews: Rian Johnson Revives the Murder Mystery with Razor-Sharp Script and Killer Cast

Critics at the toronto international film festival say there are clues everywhere that knives out is one of the year's best: from daniel craig's performance to the movie's smart political satire..

TAGGED AS: crime thriller , festivals , Film Festival , First Reviews , Mystery , TIFF

Following up his critically acclaimed Star Wars sequel, 2017’s The Last Jedi , writer/director Rian Johnson premiered his new mystery movie Knives Out (2019) 97% at the Toronto International Film Festival on Saturday night to multiple standing ovations. And the first reviews out of the gate are in tune with that immediate reception. Critics love this movie, so far, from its wholly delightful ensemble cast and their big comedic performances to the smart suspense of the storytelling, which keeps viewers guessing until the film’s final moments. Many were even quick to claim that this will be high on year-end lists.

Here’s what critics are saying about Knives Out :

How much fun is Knives Out ?

“ Knives Out is pure fun from beginning to end and a popcorn crunching whodunit of the highest accord.” – Carla Renata, The Curvy Film Critic

“It’s a total blast.” – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

“This juicy comedy thriller is a treat from start to finish.” – David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

“It’s one of the most purely satisfying and enjoyable moviegoing experiences I’ve had in recent memory.” – Adam Chitwood, Collider

“ Knives Out is one of the most purely entertaining films in years.” – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

“This one is a crowd-pleaser.” – Joe Lipett, Bloody Disgusting

Is it full of surprises ?

“Johnson’s script is loaded with more twists and turns than a roller coaster.” – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

“The audience is kept on their toes from the first frame to the last, as this tale weaves its way through twists and turns leading to a shocking conclusion you will never see coming.” – Carla Renata, The Curvy Film Critic

“There are reveals that tip the standard structure on its head in ways that prove wickedly disorienting.” – Benjamin Lee, Guardian

“Johnson’s screenplay in many ways is the star here, with its well-oiled plot mechanics and guileful twists and turns, constantly pulling the rug out from under the audience as much as the characters.” – David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

“Even if you do somehow manage to piece the whole thing together in advance, there’s no way of predicting the joy of watching it all unfold.” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

“The thing that makes this a better mousetrap than most isn’t the complexity, but the fact he’s managed to rig it without the usual cheese.” – Peter Debruge, Variety

(Photo by Claire Folger, Lionsgate)

Will mystery fans love it?

“Rian Johnson shows that there’s life left in the genre.“ – Peter Debruge, Variety

“There’s nothing better than a whodunit mystery movie, but in the hands of a writer-director like Rian Johnson, the enjoyment is heightened.” – Jason Guerrasio, Business Insider

“ Knives Out is, above all, a celebration of murder mysteries that puts on a fairly nifty impression of one itself.” – Tim Grierson, Screen International

“ Knives Out a more playful and far more contemporary renewal of the genre than Kenneth Branagh’s pageant-like 2017 Orient Express remake.” – David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

“This isn’t just Murder on the Orient Express with cell phones, but rather a room-shaking crowdpleaser that reckons with how fresh Agatha Christie’s books felt to those who read them in their time.” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

“It’s a film that works because of Johnson’s palpable love for the genre, but he never allows the film to become too meta or referential.” – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

“It’s such a rare pleasure to see a director so in love with a genre without slipping into Tarantinoesque fanboy indulgence.” – Benjamin Lee, Guardian

And it’s hilarious, too ?

“Certainly one of the best laugh riots in 2019.” – Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies

“[It’s] a very funny movie where even the most throwaway jokes are later exhumed with vital importance.” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

How’s the (incredibly stacked) class?

“The real treat of Knives Out is watching this incredible cast ham it up and have a clearly great time doing it.” – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

“The whole cast is in on the over-the-top fun…all these actors get their time to shine.” – Jason Guerrasio, Business Insider

“There’s not a weak link in the ensemble.” – David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

“There’s not only not a single weak link in the entire ensemble, it’s also kind of impossible to choose an acting MVP.” – Adam Chitwood, Collider

“Recognizable yet incisive casting, each actor perfectly matched to their role.” – Benjamin Lee, Guardian

“Some of the cast gets lost…it’s a large ensemble piece and your fave may get short shrift. – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

And specifically, how is Daniel Craig?

“This is one of the most enjoyable characters Craig has ever played, and here’s hoping he starts doing more and more comedy now that his Bond days are drawing to a close.” – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

“It’s enough to make the Bond actor’s yee-haw prisoner turn in Logan Lucky feel like a warm-up routine.” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

“The actor seems determined to amuse himself, going overboard with the character, much as he did in Logan Lucky (although there, at least, it played to more amusing effect).” – Peter Debruge, Variety

“I would put his work here in a similar place to what he did in Logan Lucky . He can certainly surprise us every now and then!” – Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies

“Craig never entirely breaks free of the straitjacket of his knowingly preposterous role — he’s a little too stiff to be truly freewheeling.” – Tim Grierson, Screen International

Director Rian Johnson with Chris Evans and Ana de Armas. (Photo by Claire Folger, © Lionsgate)

But this is really Ana de Armas’ movie, right?

“Ana de Armas is a surprising standout.” – Adam Chitwood, Collider

“ Ana De Armas is spectacular.” – Carla Renata, The Curvy Film Critic

“De Armas shines as the hired help plunged into the middle of a murder investigation.” – Tim Grierson, Screen International

“Sweet, charming, and adept at some great physical comedy, de Armas is a treat to watch.” – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

Any others who stand out ?

“Jamie Lee Curtis does amazing work for laughs by delivering a deadpan performance. It’s amazing.” – Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies

“Collette punches past the rafters, through the roof, and enters Earth’s lower orbit, combining faux-spirituality, liberal elitism, and emotionally stunted neediness into a whirlwind of hilarious inanity.” – Jake Cole, Slant

“The local cops played by Lakeith Stanfield and Noah Segan … deserve their own spin-off movie.” – Chris Evangelista, Slashfilm

Which below-the-line talents make an impression?

“It’s a testament to Bob Ducsay’s editing that not only does the film fly by, but each scene featuring the massive ensemble feels even-handed and clear.” – Adam Chitwood, Collider

“The Thrombey estate is an art director’s dream, as production designer David Crank imagines a mansion that only a mystery novelist could fashion for himself.” – Peter Debruge, Variety

Does the movie get political?

“[It’s] grand statement about America and our current moment…the first film to take on the significance of a President Trump without lapsing into corny preachiness.” – Charles Bramesco, The Playlist

“The film’s true lacerations concern those inflicted by the elite on themselves in Johnson’s expert parody of whodunnit class politics.” – Jake Cole, Slant

“Some of [the] attempts to give the film a contemporary, Trump’s America spin are a little too clunky, other similar touches work so well that you’re willing to forget them.” – Benjamin Lee, Guardian

“The rich-folks jabs provide the film’s cheapest laughs.” – Peter Debruge, Variety

“Thanks to an impeccable script, game actors and plenty of laughs, though, the messaging goes down easy.” – Joe Lipett, Bloody Disgusting

Any criticisms – at all ?

“This thriller can sometimes be too mechanical — a breezy exercise if not always an emotionally satisfying one.” – Tim Grierson, Screen International

“Spending so much time with [Ana de Armas] when the time could be spent with the film’s larger than life personalities is admittedly frustrating.” – Joe Lipett, Bloody Disgusting

We hear there’s a final shot for the ages…

“My God does Johnson stick the landing with one of the best final shots of the year.” – Brian Tallerico, RogerEbert.com

“[It’s an] all-timer of a final shot.” – David Ehrlich, IndieWire

“[Johnson]’s assembled a dazzling contraption that, if twisted in just the right way, pops open to reveal a nugget of wisdom crystallized by the cathartic final shot.” – Charles Bramesco, The Playlist

Will we want to see it again (and again)?

“When it ends you’ll immediately want to get back on.” – Adam Chitwood, Collider

“I cannot wait to see this laugh riot again!” – Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies

Knives Out premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2019. It will be in theaters November 27, 2019.

Knives Out (2019) 97%

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DVD & Streaming
Comedy , Drama , Mystery/Suspense

Content Caution

In Theaters

November 27, 2019
Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc; Chris Evans as Ransom Drysdale; Ana de Armas as Marta Cabrera; Jamie Lee Curtis as Linda Drysdale; Michael Shannon as Walt Thrombey; Don Johnson as Richard Drysdale; Toni Collette as Joni Thrombey; LaKeith Stanfield as Lieutenant Elliott; Christopher Plummer as Harlan Thrombey; Katherine Langford as Meg Thrombey; Jaeden Martell as Jacob Thrombey; Riki Lindhome as Donna Thrombey; Edi Patterson as Fran

Home Release Date

February 25, 2020
Rian Johnson

Distributor

Movie review.

Well, that could’ve gone better.

Harlan Thrombey, a mystery writer of renown, knew his 85th birthday party was going to be more difficult than some. Thrombey family get-togethers are always a little trying, even under ideal circumstances. It’s not that Harlan doesn’t love his family: of course he does. It’s just that all of his kids and grandkids can be … well, jerks.

Oh, overachieving eldest daughter Linda is all right, albeit a little high strung. But her husband, Richard, is something else again. Their aimless, shiftless son, Ransom, clearly takes after his pops—though Harlan has to admit that he sees of a lot of himself in the rascally scalawag, too. All the worst parts.

Harlan has worked closely with son Walt for years. He runs Harlan’s self-made publishing company, in fact. After Harlan writes a book, Walt sees that it gets to market. But let’s be honest: Harlan’s books pretty much sell themselves. Stick a trained koala in Walt’s publishing chair, and the sales wouldn’t dip.

Joni married into the Thrombey family (her husband died some time ago) and, let’s face it, her whole flower-child shtick can wear a little thin on the rest of the clan. And while Harlan dutifully pays tuition for Meg (Joni’s daughter), you’d think the girl would graduate one of these days, wouldn’t you?

Yes, Harlan knew he was going to need to have some frank conversations with his dear relations at his 85th birthday party. He said as much to his young nurse, Marta.

He never expected to wind up dead.

But there he is—sprawled out on the couch of his study, throat cut, knife on the floor, blood everywhere.

The police say it’s suicide, but Benoit Blanc—a mysterious detective who swoops onto the scene—isn’t so sure. Someone’s hiding something. In fact, several someones may be hiding several somethings.

But Blanc knows that one of them, Marta, won’t be able to hide much of anything. She literally cannot tell a lie. Or, at least, not without tossing her cookies.

Yes, Harlan Thrombey’s 85th birthday party could’ve gone better. He’ll never see another. But if Blanc has his way, someone will celebrate what would’ve been Harlan’s 86th annum behind bars.

Positive Elements

You’re not going to find a lot of role models in this Agatha Christie-like murder mystery. Everyone has a motive to kill the old man, and most seem to have the (ahem) stomach to potentially do so. And honestly, because this is a murder mystery, I’m loathe to go into too much detail on anything . But I can say that Blanc finds someone with a good, even sacrificial, heart in the sprawling Thrombey mansion, and that heart winds up being an important part of the puzzle.

Thrombey, you could argue, administers some tough love to his more wayward family members. And while alive, he does his best to save someone from (what he sees as) an unfair fate.

Spiritual Elements

Marta lives with her mother and sister, and the whole family seems to be Catholic. We see a statue of Mary in the background of Marta’s home, and a cross dangles from the dashboard of Marta’s car.

Joni chants and meditates in her bedroom.

Sexual Content

Someone is having an affair: We see incriminating pics of a kiss. Walt’s 13-year-old son, Jacob, reveals that he was in a bathroom for quite some time (where he heard something incriminating), and some speculate that he was masturbating. (One alleges that he was doing so “joylessly” to “dead deer,” for what that’s worth.) Family members insinuate—sometimes crassly—that Marta was having sex with Harlan.

Violent Content

Harlan’s throat is cut: We don’t see the knife slice the skin, but a flashback still suggests the horror of the act.

Overdoses of medication are key to the story’s plot. Family members fight, mostly verbally; but sometimes the arguments threaten to crest into physical violence.

A building is burned down. A car chase leads to some minor property and vehicular damage. In the background, we hear audio from a salacious television show graphically describing a murder and the mutilation of the murder victim. We see a dead body, along with someone who’s on the verge of death.

Crude or Profane Language

Two f-words and nearly 30 s-words. We also hear “a–,” “b–ch,” “b–tard,” “d–n,” “h—” and “pr–k.” God’s name is misused at least 20 times, five of those paired with “d–n.” Jesus’ name is abused a half-dozen, too. Someone uses an obscene gesture.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Marta routinely injects Harlan with medication, including some morphine on occasion—which both jokingly refer to as “the good stuff.” (Marta tells the police that it’s a small dose that helps Harlan sleep.) Fran, the housekeeper for Harlan’s mansion, apparently smokes marijuana: We see her stash of joints, one of which Meg smokes and offers to Marta. (Marta, it seems, sometimes partakes, but she’s apparently too distraught to use this particular evening.) Characters smoke tobacco, too—both in the form of cigars and cigarettes.

Someone makes reference to Ransom using whatever “designer drug” is in fashion these days. Walt, who’s clearly drunk, talks with his father during Harlan’s birthday bash. (Other people, it’s insinuated, over-imbibe as well.) People drink wine, whiskey and champagne. Two characters sit at a pub table with several empty beer bottles.

Other Negative Elements

As mentioned, Marta cannot lie without vomiting, and she becomes a de facto—and gross—lie detector of sorts. We see her toss her cookies several times, including once all over the face of another character. (In that scene, the vomit is visible; in others, we mainly hear her as she kneels over a toilet or urn or, in one case, a plastic glass.)

As you might expect in a movie built around myriad deceptions, we see many characters lie and attempt to mislead either the police or each other—sometimes going to extreme lengths to do so. Also important: The movie encourages us at times to root against the police. Family members, we learn, have taken advantage of Harlan’s financial generosity.

The Thrombey family can be offensively patronizing toward Marta, whose mother immigrated from some strangely unspecified Latin American country. (Most say she’s like part of the family, but no one knows where she actually immigrated from). Issues related to immigration, both legal and illegal, pop up often. (We hear someone express a great deal of fear that “millions of Mexicans” are, the character believes, taking over the country.) Jacob (Walt’s son) is frequently called a “Nazi.”

It says something about entertainment today that drawing room-style murder mysteries are considered pretty innocent. Never mind the dead body on the floor: Mysteries where the brilliant detective gathers all the suspects together and unveils the murderer is something your grandmother reads—and she thinks chess is too violent.

Knives Out layers on a bit more content than your typical Agatha Christie story, but only by degree, not a quantum leap into the swamp. We hear rumors and evidence of sexual dalliances, but we don’t see the dalliances themselves onscreen. Murder is, of course, part of the story—but it’s treated less graphically than a typical episode or your favorite CSI clone.

No, if I was going to gather our typical band of content culprits into a library and point to the worst of the perps, I’d jab a finger in language’s direction. “The f-word done it!” I’d shout, “And the s-word, too!” And no matter how they might profanely protest, I’d only have to play the movie over again to prove the point definitively.

Knives Out comes with a killer cast and a clever script. For fans of the murder-mystery genre—and I am, admittedly, one—this film offers its share of gratifying twists and even a rare moral of sorts. But when it comes time to cuff this flick, the charge will undoubtedly be murder most foul … words .

Paul Asay has been part of the Plugged In staff since 2007, watching and reviewing roughly 15 quintillion movies and television shows. He’s written for a number of other publications, too, including Time, The Washington Post and Christianity Today. The author of several books, Paul loves to find spirituality in unexpected places, including popular entertainment, and he loves all things superhero. His vices include James Bond films, Mountain Dew and terrible B-grade movies. He’s married, has two children and a neurotic dog, runs marathons on occasion and hopes to someday own his own tuxedo. Feel free to follow him on Twitter @AsayPaul.

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Knives Out Review: One of 2019’s Sharpest Films

Rian Johnson returns to his roots with the star-studded Knives Out, an old-fashioned whodunit done 2019 style.

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You can tell that writer-director Rian Johnson is having fun again in Knives Out . I don’t want to presume that he didn’t enjoy himself while making The Last Jedi –after all, he’s only one of two directors since 2015 who made it through the process of helming a Star Wars film from start to finish–but certainly there was more pressure involved. I wouldn’t even be surprised if the toxic aftermath of that film’s release cast a certain retroactive pall over its making, as well as what he decided to make next.

But with Knives Out , Johnson is doing his own thing, unencumbered by expectations or canon, so it’s hardly a surprise that he’s gone back to where it all started for him: the murder mystery genre. Knives Out kicks off with the 85th birthday party of world famous crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), whose various children, grandchildren, associates, and other hanger-ons have gathered to celebrate in Thrombey’s vast, brooding, labyrinthine mansion. As you might expect, the stately home becomes a kind of character itself, or at least a mirror of its master’s mind.

In any event, poor Harlan won’t get to do it again for his 86th; following the party, he’s found dead in his top floor study of an apparent suicide. The investigating police officer ( LaKeith Stanfield ) is ready to wrap things up as quickly as possible, but he’s thwarted by another detective on the scene: Benoit Blanc ( Daniel Craig ), a Southern gumshoe in the classic tradition who suspects there is more to the case than meets the eye–especially since he’s been hired by persons unknown to investigate the case and the Thrombey family.

As in all classic mysteries, nearly everyone in the family has their reasons for wanting Harlan dead. All seemingly except for his kindly caregiver Marta (Ana de Armas), who also happened to be the last person to see him alive. What follows is very much a whodunit in the traditional sense… until it isn’t.

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Like his previous films, Johnson sets his story up using a long-established genre template before playing with its plot, its conventions, and its underlying themes. Don’t worry though: Knives Out has its share of social commentary about the haves and the have-nots, and about how wealth and privilege often don’t play nicely with compassion and empathy, but those ideas spring from the characters without making the viewer feel like he or she is watching a lecture. In fact, in some ways, the movie is almost too subtle: despite a fabulous, pointed closing shot, Knives Out doesn’t quite bow out with the resonance that Johnson may have wanted–you’ll have fun watching it but it might feel somewhat evanescent as soon as you leave the theater.

But for those two hours, this is an absolute blast. That is a tribute to not just Johnson’s surehanded writing and direction, but to the incredible cast he’s assembled to play the dysfunctional, vicious, complicated Thrombeys. Each and every one of them–including Jamie Lee Curtis , Don Johnson (settling nicely into his elder statesman phase), Chris Evans (playing about as far away from Captain America as he can), Michael Shannon, and Toni Collette–just dig into the comedic meal that their director has laid out, clearly relishing the chance to cross verbal swords with each other and chow down on dialogue, scenarios and characterizations that are both well-trod and made fresh again.

The top standouts, however, in a cast full of them may be De Armas and Craig. The former is appealing, enigmatic, and sympathetic as the woman who is sort of the moral center of this little universe, while the latter is having the time of his life as the suave, effortlessly cool “gentleman detective” who is the latest in a long line of literary and cinematic predecessors. Rian Johnson has said that he wouldn’t mind exploring further adventures with Blanc, and if Knives Out is a hit, and Craig is up for it as he begins the post-James Bond portion of his career, we’d like to see that happen too.

So what are you waiting for? Go out and make Knives Out a hit… you’ll enjoy the hell out of it and wish there were more movies like this around.

All-star murder mystery Knives Out is a bloody clever good time: Review

Movies with sprawling, starry casts nearly always seem like a treat for the actors in them; a sort of celebrity summer camp, with paychecks. That giddiness doesn't necessarily translate, though, to the common people on the other side of the screen. God bless director Rian Johnson then for bringing so much equal-opportunity fun to Knives Out , a silly, stabby, supremely clever whodunnit that only really suffers from having too little room for each of its talented players to fully register in the film's limited run time.

Those actors include (deep breath): Christopher Plummer as wildly successful murder-mystery writer and family patriarch Harlan Thrombey, whose untimely demise on the night of his 85th birthday party triggers everything that follows; his tightly-wound eldest daughter and son-in-law, Linda and Richard ( Jamie Lee Curtis and Don Johnson ), and their wayward offspring, Ransom ( Chris Evans ); brooding middle son Walt ( Michael Shannon ), who helps run the family publishing business; dippy lifestyle guru Joni ( Toni Collette ) and her vaping co-ed daughter, Meg ( 13 Reasons Why 's Katherine Langford ); Harlan's faithful nurse-companion Marta (Ana de Armas).

There's also Sorry to Bother You 's Lakeith Stanfield as a low-key police detective, and Daniel Craig as the fancy private P.I. brought in under special, anonymous circumstances to audit the investigation. He sounds like Foghorn Leghorn on Quaaludes when he talks, but he sees things others don't. And he quickly zeroes in Marta as his key to the case, in part because she cannot tell a lie — literally: Untruths make her projectile vomit.

The script, also by Johnson ( Star Wars: The Last Jedi , and the upcoming Untitled Star Wars Trilogy: Episode I ) lovingly teases the tropes of classic murder mysteries, while simultaneously blowing the dust off them with timely jokes about Game of Thrones , Hamilton , and dark-web incels.

Inevitably, some cast members rise to the top: Colette's fluttering, moon-juiced Jodi deserves her own Goop-sponsored sequel, or at least a half-hour pilot on Bravo. Evans is perfectly smarmy as the swaggering trust-fund kid who floats above it all, and Craig honestly seems to be having more fun with his Colonel Sanders gentleman than he has in the last four Bond films combined.

It's not too much of a spoiler to say that lot actually hinges on the lovely, wide-eyed de Armas ( Blade Runner 2049 ), who maintains a sweetly implacable presence, even as the script gleefully digs into a running gag about her family origins (she's from Uruguay! No, Paraguay! Guatemala! Brazil?) at the oblivious Thrombeys' expense.

The exact who of the dunnit, when it finally comes, is unabashedly corny but satisfying, too; a callback to all the classic wrap-ups of the genre, with a pitch-perfect, thoroughly modern final shot on par with that of one of the other great black comedies of this year, Ready or Not. But to reveal any more than that, of course, would be a crime. B+

( Knives Out premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and will be released in theaters Nov. 27)

Screen Rant

Knives out review: rian johnson's whodunnit is a masterful thrill ride.

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10 Horror Movies That Genuinely Terrified Me, And I Usually Don't Get Scared

Fast & furious already has its perfect toretto family replacement for the next saga, what happened to mirkwood & dol goldur after lord of the rings, knives out leads viewers on a thrilling and wickedly fun ride as the entire ensemble offers breathtaking performances in this whodunnit mystery..

Though Rian Johnson is now perhaps best known for having directed Star Wars: The Last Jedi , the writer-director cut his teeth in Hollywood on the likes of the neo-noir Brick , comedy caper The Brothers Bloom and sci-fi crime drama Looper . Across all his films, Johnson incorporates story elements that subvert expectations, delivering twists viewers won't see coming. That's all to say, Knives Out fits perfectly within his wheelhouse as a modern murder mystery whodunnit thriller. Written, directed and produced by Johnson, the filmmaker also surrounds himself with an astonishingly talented ensemble cast, who execute his vision with masterful precision. Knives Out leads viewers on a thrilling and wickedly fun ride as the entire ensemble offers breathtaking performances in this whodunnit mystery.

In Knives Out , detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is hired to look into the death of wealthy crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), who died on the night of his 85th birthday. Assembled at the house is his dysfunctional family, which includes Harlan's oldest daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her husband Richard (Don Johnson); Harlan's son Walt (Michael Shannon), his wife Donna (Riki Lindhome) and son Jacob (Jaeden Martell); Harlan's daughter-in-law Joni (Toni Collette) and her daughter Meg (Katherine Langford); and Harlan's nurse and friend Marta (Ana de Armas). Linda and Richard's son Ransom (Chris Evans) arrives later, just in time for the will reading. Though Detective Lieutenant Elliot (LaKeith Stanfield) is quick to rule Harlan's death a suicide, detective Blanc is sure there's more going on at the Thrombey household and he's determined to find the truth.

LaKeith Stanfield, Noah Segan and Daniel Craig in Knives Out

Johnson's particular talent of keeping audiences on their toes is on full display with Knives Out , which follows a fairly standard formula for murder mystery movies - in that the viewers are shown little bits about the night of the murder as the mystery is slowly unraveled on screen. The filmmaker uses a deft hand in both setting up and pulling off the twists in Knives Out , laying the foundation for them long before viewers even see them coming. Astute audiences, especially those that revel in solving a murder mystery plot before the characters on screen, will pick up on the clues, but Johnson uses their expectations against them to keep even those viewers guessing. One particular instance where Johnson subverts expectations is in the character of detective Benoit Blanc, portrayed by a wonderfully theatrical Craig with an exaggerated southern drawl, whose entire involvement in the case offers a secondary mystery to Harlan's death. Altogether, Knives Out showcases Johnson's exceptional artistry as a writer and director, with his particularly exceptional skills demonstrated in this whodunnit.

In a film with plenty of colorful characters, Craig's Blanc is an energetic scene-stealer, even as de Armas' Marta is presented more as the film's protagonist. The actress and her more understated performance work well to make Marta the most grounded character in Knives Out , contrasting well against the more campy, over-the-top members of the Thrombey family. Collette's Joni is another scene-stealer, dropping a surprising number of one-liners, as Curtis's Linda is a more imposing woman - though her performance is just as fun. Meanwhile, Shannon brings an underlying menace to Walt that gives the character much-needed depth, and Don Johnson's Richard is the purposefully stereotypical rich white man. Evans shines with a deliciously fun turn as Ransom, showcasing a delightful range in his acting following his departure from the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Because of the extent of the cast, some of the other players don't get as much to work with (Stanfield, Langford and Martell in particular), as their characters are largely used to move the plot forward. Still, that's bound to happen with this big of an ensemble, and everyone gets at least one moment to stand out.

Chris Evans in his white sweater in Knives Out

In Knives Out , Rian Johnson sets out to write and direct a murder mystery whodunnit with plenty of twists and turns - and the filmmaker delivers exactly that. With the help of his incredibly talented ensemble cast, Johnson pulls off another phenomenally entertaining entry in his filmography. Further, Knives Out provides one of the most enjoyable movie experiences of 2019, keeping audiences engaged and guessing about the central mystery until the very end, while the cast offers their own uniquely enthralling performances. As such, Knives Out is a must-see, especially for fans of Johnson's work and/or murder mysteries. The film may not require a full IMAX experience, but it's certainly worth seeing with a big audience. And, of course, viewers will want to remain as unspoiled as possible going into this twisty whodunnit.

Every aspect of Knives Out - from Johnson's directing and Craig's southern drawl to the satisfyingly chilling score and intricately detailed set design - comes together to form this lush, captivating murder mystery. Knives Out manages to combine the campy fun of Clue with a new and carefully crafted mystery, plus infuse some commentary about everything from detective stories to modern American politics, all while allowing Johnson's filmmaking voice to shine through. In the end, Knives Out is a wickedly fun masterpiece.

Knives Out is now playing in U.S. theaters. It is 130 minutes long and rated PG-13 for thematic elements including brief violence, some strong language, sexual references and drug material.

Let us know what you thought of the film in the comments section!

When renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead at his estate just after his 85th birthday, the inquisitive and debonair Detective Benoit Blanc is mysteriously enlisted to investigate. From Harlan’s dysfunctional family to his devoted staff, there are suspects aplenty. Blanc sifts through a web of red herrings and self-serving lies to uncover the truth behind Harlan’s untimely death.

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Killer Thriller 'Knives Out' Is Surprisingly Subversive — And Comfortingly Familiar

Justin Chang

Writer-director Rian Johnson's deliriously entertaining comic detective story brings together an all-star cast and an ingeniously plotted crime story whose every twist catches you by surprise.

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Review: Star-studded 'Knives Out' takes a smart stab at reinventing the murder mystery

The culprit’s pretty clear in this case: Rian Johnson brings the murder mystery back in vogue with his cunning and twisty “Knives Out.”

The “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” writer/director delves into the world of Agatha Christie and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and takes a stab at carving out something new, tweaking suspect archetypes, playing with tropes but also honoring the whodunits that came before his. Wickedly hilarious and even a little political, “Knives Out” (★★★½ out of four; rated PG-13; in theaters nationwide Wednesday) revels in the fun of red herrings, lies upon lies, and enough Chekhov’s guns for an entire arsenal, while introducing Daniel Craig's country-fried Benoit Blanc as the latest oddball sleuth of note.

Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is a wealthy mystery novelist of much acclaim who’s found dead, throat sliced and blood everywhere, in his New England mansion during an 85th birthday celebration.

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His dysfunctional family hangs around for the funeral but also for the all-important will reading. Among the relatives are Harlan’s real-estate mogul daughter Linda ( Jamie Lee Curtis ) and her philandering husband, Richard (Don Johnson); publisher son Walt (Michael Shannon); lifestyle guru daughter Joni (Toni Collette); and spoiled playboy grandson Ransom ( Chris Evans ).

Authorities investigate the situation, and while a deadpan local cop (Lakeith Stanfield) and fanboy state trooper (Noah Segan) ask the mundane questions, a grinning Blanc sits back and watches as his enigmatic presence throws off various family members, who all have a motive for murder. Blanc is present on behalf of a mystery client and when the private eye suspects foul play was involved, he enlists the help of Harlan’s good-hearted nurse Marta (Ana de Armas), who cannot lie or else she pukes, to figure out family secrets and guilty parties.

“Knives Out” harks back to the star-laden mystery movies of old, like “Murder on the Orient Express”: Where else would you see James Bond, Captain America and Laurie Strode in the same film, other than in a cinephile's dream? Craig and de Armas get the lion’s share of screen time when the game is afoot, but everybody gets a chance to showcase their character’s individual charms and idiosyncrasies.

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The political jabs are less than subtle: The Thrombeys overall represent a clueless, self-serving corner of the One Percent. Linda proudly telling the cops she got a $1 million loan to start her company feels awfully Trumpian, and none of them really cares enough to figure out what country Marta is from – one thinks it’s Uruguay, another Mexico.

But Johnson adores painting his canvas in absolute absurdity, which keeps things from getting heavy-handed. The filmmaker brilliantly reinvented crime noir with a high-school bent in his 2006 directorial debut “Brick,” and “Knives Out” marries the problem-solving of Sherlock and Columbo with the nuttiness of “Clue.”

Craig’s delightfully strange detective – the subject of a New Yorker article hailing him as the “last gentleman sleuth” – is what takes the film from entertaining to enthralling. Blanc gets the best lines (he likens a will reading to a “community theater production of a tax return”) and gets lost in his own racing, razor-sharp mind. (In trying to break through a bothersome part of the case, he spouts off about a doughnut hole within a doughnut hole, hilariously confusing surrounding players.)

“Knives Out” is a lovingly and intricately crafted homage to Johnson’s drawing-room predecessors, unleashing a drawling delight and a refreshing throwback vibe for youngsters who’ve never had the pleasure of watching “Murder, She Wrote.”

Where You've Seen the Cast of Knives Out 3 Before

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Knives Out 3, titled Wake Up Dead Man, features Daniel Craig as the lead detective in another murder mystery.
Jeremy Renner, Josh O'Connor, Gurney Halleck and Cailee Spaeny join the cast.
Andrew Scott, famous for playing villains, may take on another antagonist role in Knives Out.

Knives Out is back in production with the third installment, Wake Up Dead Man : A Knives Out Mystery . Though no details have been given about the plot, the studio has been slowly making cast information available. Following the Knives Out trend, the newest installment will again feature an entirely new roster of actors, with Daniel Craig being the only recurring star from the previous films. Similar to the past movies, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will include an impressive roster of actors.

Director Rian Johnson has a history of convincing Marvel Cinematic Universe actors to star in his movies . The director is again "collecting" Avengers to join the upcoming Knives Out film, after having included the first Avenger, Captain America star Chris Evans in the original film. Knives Out 3 will also see the MCU's biggest antagonist in a mysterious role.

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Daniel Craig has been leading the franchise of Knives Out since 2019. He plays a Southern-fried private detective, Benoit Blanc, who is hired to investigate murders. Though plot details are still under wraps, fans can expect the third installment in the franchise to follow its usual route of mystery. The movie will revolve around another murder that Blanc has to sort out.

Knives Out would not be the same without its lead star. Craig is a huge part of the reason why the franchise is so successful. However, before he landed the role, another well-known franchise helped prepare him. The 007 star needs no introduction to most moviegoers. Daniel Craig received global recognition for his portrayal of the charismatic international playboy spy, James Bond. The role was originally played by Sean Connery, and since him, six other actors have cemented their own versions of Bond in film history. Craig took the torch from Pierce Brosnan as the latest Bond in Casino Royale in 2006. He then did another four James Bond movies before moving on from the role after No Time To Die . Knives Out happened in between James Bond films. In fact, Daniel Craig starred in a few successful titles while he was Bond. He played the lead role of Mikael Blomkvist in The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, which won an Oscar for Best Film Editing in 2012. Beyond that, he also starred in The Golden Compass which came out in 2007.

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Knives Out 2 Is Lacking Ana de Armas' Marta - and That's a Bad Thing

Knives Out 2 hits theaters with an entirely new supporting cast. But can the franchise really continue without Ana de Armas' Marta?

It's official that Jeremy Renner is joining the star-studded cast of Knives Out 3. Though it's currently unknown which character he'll play, the news itself is exciting. Renner became the second Marvel Cinematic Universe star to join the franchise, following Chris Evans in the original movie. Director Rian Johnson has a history of "stealing" Marvel stars for his movies. He has previously invited Edward Norton (Bruce Banner/Hulk) and Dave Bautista (Drax the Destroyer) to star in Glass Onion.

Renner is best known for his portrayal of Hawkeye, Clint Barton, in the Marvel Cinematic Universe . Renner joined the MCU in Thor, which came out in 2011. Thor's hammer landed on Earth. S.H.I.E.L.D had it fenced and protected, and Clint was one of the people guarding the hammer. Known for his classic bow and arrow, Clint later joined the Avengers. He made another appearance in The Avengers that came out in the following year and has been a crucial part of the Avengers storyline. Clint wasn't "blipped" during the event in Avengers: Infinity War , but losing his family in the blip drove him down a dark path.

Being part of the MCU has brought Renner's career to the next level. After all, being an Avenger has its advantages. However, Hawkeye is a relatively ambiguous character that seems to be more in the background. Being in the MCU has made Renner a well-known actor in Hollywood. The actor had, however, won two Oscars prior to joining the MCU. Renner was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor for his role in The Hurt Locker in 2008. He received a nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his role in The Town in 2010. He also had his foot in the Mission Impossible franchise, being part of the cast for Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol in 2011.

Andrew Scott Has a Track Record of Playing Villains

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Andrew Scott is famous for playing antagonists . He has been the face of villainy in several franchises. Scott played the villainous professor James Moriarty in Sherlock as Sherlock's enemy , which earned him a lot of praise. He portrayed the secondary villain, C, in James Bond: Spectre . In Fleabag, Scott played a troubled priest in the second season against Phoebe Waller-Bridge's lead role. Unlike his usual pitch-black character, the priest is someone who is pure and good, but also arguably ends up being the villain in Fleabag's story. Though having expressed that he wanted a break from villainy, fans have suspected that Scott will be the new antagonist of Knives Out 3. After all, it's hard to imagine Scott in a non-morally questionable role.

Knives Out has always built suspense and anticipation about who's playing who. With a star-stacked cast each round and only Daniel Craig reprising his role, there are always surprises and shocking revelations for fans to find out. It's also possible that Scott will finally depart from villainy as he had hoped.

Josh O'Connor Plays a Priest in Knives Out 3

Prince Charles relaxes in the balcony in The Crown.

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While Scott broke many hearts as the hot priest in Fleabag , the priest's role in Knives Out 3 has gone to another. Josh O'Connor has been spotted on the London set wearing a collared priest outfit for the shooting of Knives Out 3 , according to TheCut . Just like Scott, O'Connor also has a record of playing religious characters. The 2020 adaptation of Emma sees O'Connor as a vicar in love with Anya Taylor-Joy's matchmaker, Emma. Prior to joining the cast of Knives Out 3 , O'Connor had starred in Challengers alongside Zendaya and Mike Faist. However, it was his role of Prince Charles in the Netflix series The Crown that earned him his very first Primetime Emmy Award.

The star is only 30 years old, having made his first on-screen credit in an episode of Inspector Lewis in 2012. However, O'Connor is certainly not a stranger to masterpiece titles. Since then, O'Connor has starred in the 2019 series Les Miserables along with Dominic West, David Oyelowo, Lily Collins and Olivia Colman. He also portrayed the role of Larry Durrell for four seasons of The Darrells in Corfu.

Priscilla Star Cailee Spaeny Is Joining the Knives Out Franchise

a24 Priscilla kisses Elvis in Priscilla.

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Austin Butler might have made his name playing Elvis in Elvis , but it's Cailee Spaeny who nailed the other half of the puzzle as Priscilla in Priscilla . It's hard to picture anyone else in the role of Elvis after Butler, and the same would apply to Spaeny. At the age of 21, she has already played the lead in the big-budget blockbuster, Pacific Rim Uprising and become involved in star-stacked films like Bad Times at the El Royale alongside Chris Hemsworth, Dakota Johnson and more. She is a regular on Annihilation director Alex Gardena's television show Devs . She also starred in A24's war movie Civil War .

Spaeny's portrayal of Priscilla earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actress in a Motion Picture under the category of drama . She also received the Volpi Cup for Best Actress. Even though she was already a rising star before Priscilla , the movie certainly gives her another push in establishing her as one of the hottest young actors in Hollywood alongside Euphoria star Jacob Elordi, who played Elvis opposite her in Priscilla .

Knives Out 3 Features Gurney Halleck Star From Dune

Josh Brolin as Gurney looks concerned in Dune.

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There's simply no more exciting news than the fact that Josh Brolin is joining Knives Out 3. While many young fans might only remember him as Gurny Halleck from the recent Dune franchise , there is so much more to Brolin. He has had a long career, having dipped into critically acclaimed films, known franchises and blockbusters. He has both footings in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and DC. Prior to joining the MCU, Brolin took the lead role of DC movie Jonah Hax in 2010. In the MCU, the actor is most famous for portraying the purple titan, Thanos, who was the franchise's notorious antagonist until his storyline ended in Avengers: Endgame. However, Brolin also played Cable in Deadpool 2. While he has nothing to do with the third installment, many suspected that he might reprise his role as Thanos later in the franchise.

While his film credits trace all the way back to 1985, he is most praised for his role as a young Agent Key in Men in Black III. Brolin also left strong impressions on moviegoers' hearts with his portrayal of Josh Bryant in Highway to Heaven , Johnny Betts in Private Eyes, Tom Chaney in True Grit and more.

Wake Up Dead Man A Knives Out Mystery Teaser Poster

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)

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‘Trap’ Review: Josh Hartnett Plays a Serial Killer in an M. Night Shyamalan Thriller Where Each Twist Is More Contrived Than the Last

It starts out at a pop-diva concert, designed as an elaborate trap to catch Hartnett's killer. But his emotions are no more believable than his escapes.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

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As a filmmaker, M. Night Shyamalan has been a household name for 25 years, starting in 1999, when he ruled the end of the summer with “The Sixth Sense.” You can basically divide the Shyamalan oeuvre into four periods. There was the era when he was an A-list visionary who some compared to Spielberg (a period that includes his finest film, “Unbreakable,” as well as “Signs” and “The Village”). There was the era when he began to lapse into self-parody (“Lady in the Water,” “The Happening”), and when the whole notion of the Shyamalan twist ending became less an entertainer’s trademark than a sign of the rut he was in.

Reviewed at AMC 34th St., New York, August 1, 2024. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 105 MIN.

Production: A Warner Bros. Pictures release of a Blinding Edge Pictures production. Producers: Ashwin Rajan, Marc Bienstock, M. Night Shyamalan. Executive producer: Steven Schneider.
Crew: Director, screenplay: M. Night Shyamalan. Camera: Sayombhu Mukdeeprom. Editors: Noemi Katharina. Music: Herdís Stefánsdóttir.
With: Josh Hartnett, Ariel Donoghue, Saleka Shyamalan, Hayley Mills, Alison Pill, Kid Cudi, Tim Russ, Marnie McPhail, Vanessa Smythe.

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2 children dead in stabbing attack in British seaside town

9 other children and 2 adults wounded, police say.

Police officers stand behind police tape on the street.

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Bloodied children ran screaming from a dance and yoga class "like a scene from a horror movie" to escape a teenager's savage knife attack that killed two children and wounded 11 other people Monday in northwest England, police and witnesses said.

A 17-year-old male was arrested on suspicion of murder and attempted murder in the stabbing in Southport, a seaside town near Liverpool, Merseyside Police said. The motive was not clear, but police said detectives were not treating the attack as terror-related.

Nine children were among the wounded — six of them in critical condition.

Two adults were also left in critical condition, police said.

"We believe the adults who were injured were bravely trying to protect the children who were being attacked," Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said.

The attack was the latest amid a recent rise in knife crime in the U.K. that has stoked anxieties and led to calls for the government to do more to clamp down on bladed weapons.

A woman wearing a protective suit and holding a clipboard walks along a sidewalk. There is police tape in the foreground.

The Taylor Swift-themed workshop was held on the first week of school vacation for children aged about six to 11. The two-hour session was led by two women — a yoga instructor and a dance instructor — according to an online listing.

Witnesses described hearing blood-curdling screams and seeing children covered in blood emerging from the business that hosts everything from pregnancy workshops and meditation sessions to women's bootcamps.

"They were in the road, running from the nursery," said Bare Varathan, who owns a shop nearby. "They had been stabbed here, here, here, everywhere," he said, indicating the neck, back and chest.

'Horrendous and deeply shocking'

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer called the attack "horrendous and deeply shocking."

Police were called shortly before noon to a street where several small businesses are located behind rows of brick houses in Southport, a city of about 100,000.

The first officers who arrived were shocked to find so many casualties from the "ferocious attack," most of them children with serious injuries, Kennedy said.

Stabbing attack kills 2 children in U.K.

Colin Parry, an auto body shop owner, said most of the victims appeared to be young girls.

"The mothers are coming here now and screaming," Parry said. "It is like a scene from a horror movie.... It's like something from America, not like sunny Southport."

The suspect, who has not been identified, lived in a village about eight kilometres from the site of the attack, police said . He was originally from Cardiff, Wales.

'Trap,' 'Rebel Moon' Director’s Cut, and This Week’s Best New Releases, Reviewed and Ranked

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It’s a blockbuster week with not one, but two new releases from beloved yet divisive filmmakers hitting the big (and small) screen. The first is M. Night Shyamalan ’s Trap starring Josh Hartnett as a serial killer who is trapped at a concert that the cops are using to try to bring him in. We have a review of that as well as Zack Snyder ’s massive director’s cut of his sci-fi epic Rebel Moon , now streaming on Netflix . Whether you're heading out to the theaters or having a night in, we’ve got reviews of all you can see, ranked by what we thought of them.

5 Rebel Moon - Director's Cut

Directed by zack snyder.

Sofia Boutella as Kora covered in blood and preparing to fight Rebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver.

In life, there are only three guarantees: death, taxes, and a new director’s cut from filmmaker Zack Snyder. Rebel Moon is his latest and most expansive yet, taking us back into his sci-fi world for a journey that now runs for a whopping nearly two more hours than the original cut. But does this offer anything more or is it just a retread? In my two for one review of both chapters , I wrote that "it’s less a director’s cut that offers anything worth revisiting, and more Snyder’s glorified rearranging of deck chairs on the Titanic " where "you might see a new piece of furniture as it sinks down, but it only descends all the faster from the dead weight."

rebel-moon-chapter-two_-curse-of-forgiveness-poster.jpg

Rebel Moon - Director's Cut

Zack Snyder's Director's Cut of Rebel Moon not only adds nothing new, but it ends up being worse than the original cut.

The ending song is nice if you imagine it as being a farewell to this sad attempt at a sci-fi epic so that it can be finally over.
Any addition the film makes either feels lifted from a far better work or just drags down the experience with dead weight.
The action choreography, no matter how much CGI blood gets thrown in, is still lackluster.
Rather than expanding or deepening the film, it all just sinks that much faster with nothing worth revisiting it for.

READ OUR REVIEW

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan

Josh Hartnett as Cooper with a serious expression in M. Night Shyamalan's Trap

There are a handful of directors out there whose movies become events that get the world talking. M. Night Shyamalan’s Trap is already proving to be one such film. It has people discussing what exactly this wild ride even is going for and where it ranks in his filmography. Is it like The Sixth Sense or more a The Happening situation? In his review , Senior Film Editor Ross Bonaime praised Hartnett though wrote "at this point in his career, Shyamalan’s biggest twist is his inability to utilize the tools that once made him such a promising filmmaker."

Trap is another promising thriller from M. Night Shyamalan, but his filmmaking choices simply can't do this conceit justice.

Josh Hartnett is having a ball playing a loving father who also happens to be a serial killer.
A shift in the story shows Shyamalan's strengths as a filmmaker.
But there's too many silly choices and awkward script moments that bring this story down.
Shyamalan just can't build tension the way a story like this truly needs.

Directed by Rich Peppiatt

Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh walk up the stairs in Kneecap.

Next is Kneecap , featuring Michael Fassbender as an Irish rap daddy, which made a splash at Sundance as festival-goers fell in love with the real-life rap group fighting for their heritage through music. While its heart is in the right place and it has plenty of flair, this mostly okay film is not ever quite as inventive and fun as it’s central subjects. In my more mixed review from back at the festival , I wrote that "at the very least, it's a film that isn’t afraid to bare its ass to ensure its message about music and the language that makes it gets heard."

Kneecap Sundance Film Festival 2024 Movie Image

Kneecap may not be the most inventive of musical biopics, but it does a solid job of creating a profile of the Irish rap group that became part of something bigger than themselves.

Rather than always be bound by what may have literally happened, the film embraces the more heightened sense of what the past can feel like when you're looking back on it.
The film succeeds at capturing the main trio of musicians as they are, without any of their rougher edges feeling like they have been sanded down.
Michael Fassbender sticks out as a stiff attempt at bringing in a big-name actor when the main characters feel much more organic.
The film's rhythm often falls into being more rote than riotous with conventional plotting that is more standard than spectacular.

2 The Vourdalak

Directed by adrien beau.

Two people stand side by side in an intense conversation in The Vourdalak.

No Nosferatu yet got you down? Don’t you fret, there is already a great vampire movie this year in Adrien Beau ’s feature debut The Vourdalak . It's not only the perfect film to hold you over until Robert Eggers ' latest, but it's a really fun time all on its own that also looks absolutely beautiful. In my review , I wrote "it goes to some delightfully dark places that all look great in the eye of David Chizallet who shoots in 16mm to menacing and magical effect."

The Vourdalak

The Vourdalak is a gem of a feature debut from Adrien Beau that presents a visceral and vibrant vision of a vampire unlike anything you've ever seen before.

The film is fascinating in so many ways, from the design of the vampire to the tonal swings, proving to be a work that feels like it's flown under the radar.
David Chizallet's beautiful cinematography creates a menacing and magical effect, sweeping you up in the experience.
The ending brings with it a surprising emotional impact, sending you into freefall just as it lands one last zinger.

1 Janet Planet

Directed by annie baker.

Julianne Nicholson as Janet and Zoe Ziegler as Lacy sitting together while watching a play in a still from Janet Planet.

Annie Baker ’s spectacular debut Janet Planet is not just one of the year’s best, but it also has some of the most quietly flooring performances you could see in a lifetime. Following a mother and daughter over the course of a summer, as you pass through the film’s mesmerizing and breathtaking orbit, you’ll come away forever changed just as you too must drift away. In my rave review , I wrote "it proves to be as emotionally vast as the universe itself just as it burrows down into those living a simple life in their small corner of the world."

Janet Planet (2024)

Janet Planet is spectacular feature debut from writer-director Annie Baker with great performances by Zoe Ziegler and Julianne Nicholson that's one of the best films of 2024 so far.

The film finds an understated beauty in its small corner of the world, delicately exploring the relationship between a mother and daughter.
Janet Planet explores life's most pressing questions about how we can become set down certain paths and whether we can find a way free of them.
Julianne Nicholson inhabits this world so naturally, it feels like you're just peeking in on Janet's life.
The film ends with a fitting coda, cementing it as an evocative and essential work.
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Knives Out movie review & film summary (2019)
Rian Johnson 's "Knives Out" is one of the most purely entertaining films in years. It is the work of a cinematic magician, one who keeps you so focused on what the left hand is doing that you miss the right. And, in this case, it's not just a wildly fun mystery to unravel but a scathing bit of social commentary about where America is ...
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cruise01 13 December 2019. Knives Out (4.5 out of 5 stars). Knives Out is a mystery murder crime film which you will have a lot of fun with this Clue like concept as Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) tries to solve a murder. This kind of film reminds me like Murder at the Orient Express.
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