I saw the trailer and understood the plot as a typical Agatha Christie-ish murder mystery. So I felt the actors were all overcast for such a beaten to death genre. Boy, was I so wrong or what and I am glad I was.
Knives Out is a perfect example of how a genre should be revived for the contemporary audience. And this genre needed to be revived. What was the last whodunit movie that catered to this generation audience. Though Gosford Park and Murder on Orient Express remake were well-made they still had the old world charm and a very typical treatment. That's where Knives Out stands out.
Knives Out is aware of the world it is set in to be contemporary but it uses just enough stuff from the times to make it so. It does not totally let go of the old world charm. It is a very nice mix. But the main plus point of the movie, the obvious one, is the humor. Whodunit's have usually become a little humorous in tone and Knives Out takes it further. But in my opinion, the biggest plus of this one is the screenplay. The plot is so basic once all the reveals happens. If you are still observing closely at that point, connecting all the dots, you will notice that the plot is simple. But the how the dots are sprinkled all over the runtime in such a jumbled up manner is what makes this an entertaining watch and definite rewatch for sure.
The actors, were all impeccable in their nice carved out characters written for them. You hardly see the actors except when Daniel Craig is trying hard to get the Southern Accent. In one of the reviews I read(after watching the movie), it read, why actors are bigger than the franchises. I completely bow down to that thought and Knives Out is a classic example of that. I am a huge Marvel fan but what Knives out did in one movie, both Marvel and DC had done over a period of multiple films. There were no prequels to Knives Out to build each character. The actors walk into the characters and you are already into them. That's what good actors can do. And there is no big-budgeted action sequences or heavy CGI to keep you glued. All Rian Johnson(the director) had was a simple script, awesome screenplay and brilliant performances from its cast.
One last thing I would like to mention here is the BGM. The way the director kept the restraint to use more dramatic BGM than required is another plus for the movie. The BGM was so subtle and never dominating the story telling.
Knives Out will stand the test of the times and will remain a classic in the genre. So make your move.
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