Knives Out - A compelling whodunit that is supremely entertaining as well!!!

Bharath Vijayakumar

Ryan Johnson's Knives Out is everything you want a whodunit to be. There are questions to be answered right till the end and the film keeps you playing the guessing game. Logic is in place and there is no last minute entrant introduced as the killer. But the real surprise is the humour quotient that keeps running through the vein of this superbly directed film.

Crime novelist Harlan Thrombey is found dead in his room after celebrating his 85th birthday party. The family takes it to be a suicide but detective Benout Blanc who arrives at the scene detects foul play and is in no mood to take convenient answers. What follows is an investigation and we get to know the happenings of that fateful night through the viewpoint of the various members of the household.

Knives Out is backed by superb performances from the cast. Ana de Armas is terrific as Marta ( Thrombey's caretaker) who sort of becomes the pivot around which the investigation revolves. She mixes her strong nature with a dash of vulnerability and has us by her side through the film. Daniel Craig plays Mr.Blanc with a certain sincerity but ensures that he maintains a streak of sarcasm right through. Every actor in the film brings in something to the table.

Knives Out unravels itself like a novel. Ryan Johnson never resorts to any gimmicks. It is only solid storytelling that is in place. There are no flashy cuts and a certain old world charm is felt in how unrushed the entire narration is. The film also makes a solid point about a very pertinent issue. Whom we consider outsiders might care more for us than whom we consider blood. The film uses this as a metaphor to drive home a point or two about immigration.

Bottomline:

Knives Out is a terrific whodunit that keeps things simple and is also supremely entertaining.

Rating: 3.75/5