Mysteries can be very hard to do. Can you stay ahead of a savvy audience and keep them guessing? Does your ending both surprise and satisfy? Does the movie still hold up on rewatch once all of the secrets have been revealed? Writer-Director Rian Johnson, an avid fan of Agatha Christie stories, answers all of these questions with a resounding yes. Johnson knows that the secret to a good whodunit is not the final reveal, but how we get there.
What is the secret to Johnson’s success in Knives Out? It’s undoubtedly the incredible ensemble he has put together. What makes the proceedings so much fun is largely attributed to the in-fighting from this massively dysfunctional family. The other ace up Johnson’s sleeve is Daniel Craig. Much like his co-star Chris Evans, he proves just how talented a thespian he is once removed from the shackles of franchise-blockbuster filmmaking. Every actor involved looks to be having the time of their life inside Rian Johnson’s puzzle box and it translates on screen to one of the most entertaining movies of the year and is one you’ll want to revisit again and again. Grade: A+
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