Rian Johnson, who directed such hits as 2012’s “Looper” and 2017’s “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” wrote and directed this new mystery caper. It's inspired by famous murder mystery Movies, starring an ensemble including Daniel Craig (“Skyfall,” “Logan Lucky”), Jamie Lee Curtis (“Halloween,” “True Lies”) and Toni Collette (“The Sixth Sense,” Hereditary”). According to NBC News, this film gives an opportunity for future mystery movies due to the Agatha Christie-esque mystery.

Mystery Throwback

”Knives Out,” an original take on the murder mystery, takes place in a mansion with a wealthy family whose grandfather, Harlan Thrombey, played by Christopher Plummer (“The Sound of Music,” “Up”) gets killed by someone.

The entirety of the movie mainly is about trying to solve the murder by Daniel Craig’s character, Benoit Blanc, a private detective who is called upon to investigate Harlan's murder. The movies pays homage to famous murder mysteries such as “Murder on the Orient Express.” This was executed really well by Johnson due to his great directing and as well as the brilliant script he wrote. According to USA Today, this movie does a great job of reinventing the murder mystery for modern audiences.

Top-notch acting

The acting was great throughout. The stand out was Daniel Craig who uses a very effective southern accent as the detective. His accent fits perfectly as the detective which gives the film some stylish flavor and also some effective humor.

Christopher Plummer’s also great as Harlan, who gives a nuance to the character and has done a lot more than he usually has. The 93-year-old can still act and it shows in this film.

Good writing

Rian Johnson proves again, that he is a very talented writer who gives each actor or actress their time to shine when necessary. He has a very keen ear just like many other directors such as Quentin Tarantino.

He knows when to be serious and when to be funny without making it too serious or too humorous. One specific line that is funny is said by Detective Blanc regarding him explaining a strange analogy of a donut hole in relation to the murder he is investigating. Another great aspect of this film is how he effectively found a way to make light of a serious situation though the script as well.

Verdict

This is a very fun movie to watch in a crowded theater as it comes with solid writing and acting. Johnson’s direction is top-notch and proves yet again how talented a director he is and should be compared to the likes of Spielberg and Scorsese. The twists and surprises are effective and the movie keeps the audience guessing. I recommend seeing this with an open mind in order to have a great experience witnessing this high-quality murder mystery.
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