Knives Out

Knives Out
source
Name	Knives Out
Director	Rian Johnson
Producer	Ram Bergman, Rian Johnson
Writer	Rian Johnson
Starring	Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Christopher Plummer
Music	Nathan Johnson
Cinematography	Steve Yedlin
Editing	Bob Ducsay
Studio	Media Rights Capital, T-Street
Distributor	Lionsgate
Released	7 September 2019 (TIFF), 27 November 2019 (United States)
Runtime	130 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$40 million
Gross	$311.4 million

Knives Out is a 2019 American mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson. The film features an ensemble cast led by Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc, who investigates the death of wealthy crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). A critical and commercial success, it revitalized the whodunit genre and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay.

Plot

Following the apparent suicide of patriarch Harlan Thrombey, renowned detective Benoit Blanc is anonymously hired to investigate. The Thrombey family, including his daughter Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis), son Walt Thrombey (Michael Shannon), and grandson Ransom Drysdale (Chris Evans), are all potential suspects with motives tied to inheritance. The investigation centers on Harlan's nurse, Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas), who becomes the key witness due to a condition that causes her to vomit if she lies. The complex plot involves a mislabeled medication vial, a forged toxicology report, and a secret will, culminating in a dramatic confrontation that reveals the true culprit and their elaborate scheme.

Cast

* Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, a Southern private detective. * Chris Evans as Hugh "Ransom" Drysdale, Linda's arrogant son. * Ana de Armas as Marta Cabrera, Harlan's compassionate nurse. * Jamie Lee Curtis as Linda Drysdale, Harlan's eldest daughter. * Michael Shannon as Walt Thrombey, Harlan's youngest son. * Don Johnson as Richard Drysdale, Linda's husband. * Toni Collette as Joni Thrombey, Harlan's daughter-in-law. * Lakeith Stanfield as Lieutenant Elliot, a police detective. * Katherine Langford as Meg Thrombey, Joni's daughter. * Jaeden Martell as Jacob Thrombey, Walt's son. * Christopher Plummer as Harlan Thrombey, the deceased novelist. * Frank Oz as Alan Stevens, Harlan's lawyer. * Riki Lindhome as Donna Thrombey, Walt's wife. * Edi Patterson as Fran, the Thrombey housekeeper.

Production

Rian Johnson conceived the film as a modern take on Agatha Christie-style mysteries, aiming to blend classic genre tropes with contemporary social commentary. He wrote the role of Benoit Blanc specifically for Daniel Craig, inspired by Craig's performance in Logan Lucky. Principal photography began in October 2018 in Boston, with key locations including a mansion in Milton, Massachusetts. The production design by David Crank and costumes by Jenny Eagan were crafted to visually delineate the characters' personalities and social status. Composer Nathan Johnson, the director's cousin, created a score featuring a prominent, old-fashioned theme for Blanc to evoke classic detective cinema.

Themes and analysis

The film is widely analyzed as a sharp satire on wealth, privilege, and immigration in contemporary America. The Thrombey family, despite their progressive self-image, is portrayed as hypocritically dependent on and dismissive of Marta Cabrera, an immigrant caregiver. The narrative critiques inheritance and entitlement, contrasting the family's greed with Marta's inherent morality. Stylistically, Johnson employs classic mystery fiction devices—the isolated setting, the closed circle of suspects, the dramatic revelation—while subverting expectations through its sympathetic central figure and commentary on class conflict. The "donut hole" theory articulated by Blanc serves as a meta-commentary on the genre itself.

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2019. Lionsgate launched a strategic marketing campaign emphasizing critical praise and its ensemble cast. It was released theatrically in the United States on November 27, 2019, coinciding with the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. International rollout followed throughout December 2019 and early 2020. Following its theatrical run, it became available on home video and digital platforms, and later streamed on services like Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

Reception

The film received widespread critical acclaim, with praise for Johnson's screenplay, direction, and the performances of Daniel Craig and Ana de Armas. It holds a 97% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 82 on Metacritic. It was nominated for three Academy Awards: Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score for Nathan Johnson, and Best Costume Design for Jenny Eagan. Commercially, it was a major success, grossing over $311 million worldwide against a $40 million budget. Its success spawned a franchise, with a sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, released in 2022.