Knives Out (2019)

Knives Out isn't a Who Dunnit. It's a How Dunnit. It's a disassembled, deconstructed murder mystery that makes a mockery of the entire genre. Whatever you think is going to happen here, doesn't. That's fascinating. Rian Johnson is a really talented guy. I feared that this film was going to suffer cliches and lulls throughout, but not for a second was I not invested. I loved the convoluted nature of the mystery. The cast themselves help bring it all together. The standout is Daniel Craig in the most gloriously fun role he's ever delivered. It's hammy, it's over-the-top, but that's the point. He plays an old-school southern detective with an unorthodox knack for cracking completely absurd murder mysteries. He puts Sherlock Holmes to shame. The rest of the cast fires on all cylinders. This is the rare instance of an ensemble cast in which everyone compliments each other beautifully. I believe we'd go from a really good film to a great one with a trim of unnecessary dialogue. A few key pages of this scrip hint at a larger political message that doesn't materialize into anything meaningful, nor was it necessary. Some characters are seen, but seldom used, like Lakeith Stanfield as the lieutenant detective. But overall, this movie is nothing but fun. 4 out of 5 stars.