Knives Out
Directed By: Rian Johnson
Watching Knives Out was an interesting experience in large part because even though I knew who did it going in I was convinced the spoilers were wrong and something else happened. They weren’t and it didn’t.
Also it’s getting the wrong sequel.
Spoilers below:
So as the movie is laid out Marta (Ana de Armas) accidentally gives legendary crime writer the wrong injection of medicine. It’s going to kill him even before they can get an ambulance out there. So instead of even trying Harlan tells her this exceedingly windy plan about how to make sure she doesn’t go down for it and then…
Slits his own fucking throat.
Harlan is hardcore for this nurse and I’m sorry but the human cynic in me is like who the hell would do that? What the hell was that relationship?
Okay maybe Harlan was sicker than I thought but hell Plummer looks way to healthy and they made a big deal about his characters mother being alive so…
Plus he knows that Marta can’t tell a lie without barfing so slitting your throat and relying on her for everything else is probably going to get her in more trouble then taking a chance with the ambulance and absolving her. It just doesn’t seem like something someone would do to the extent that I was convinced Harlan was actually alive and acting out an upcoming book plot or something.
It’s made even worse by the end revelation that Marta didn’t even accidentally switch the medication- despite the fact that she was being set-up she was so good at her job she physically recognized the weight of the medicine and then confused herself and yeah… who knows?
So Harlan didn’t even have to die. He wasn’t going to. He just offed himself for his nurse because reasons I suppose.
Which leads me to perhaps the biggest problem with Knives Out and the sequel Benoit Blanc is kind of a horrible Detective for one that’s supposed to be sought after and famous for it.
That actually seems to be his character trait. Okay, so he saw the blood on her shoe that the camera absolutely lingered on and then nothing. Marta is nearly killed and someone else is before she confesses to him. She confesses and he doesn’t even solve it. He only knows something is fishy about it when her confession doesn’t match the pathology results in his hand!
Marta’s even the one who has all the brains to trick the killer into actually confessing. Now mysteries don’t always need great detectives but its Benoit that’s getting the sequel and I’d kind of like to see the continuing adventures of rich Marta and the awful Thrombey gang.
Cause you know from that look she gave her cheating husband at the end Jamie Lee’s going to be doing some prison time herself soon.
I did think Chris Evans looked very nice in his sweaters but you know what would have made it even better…
A beard.
Recommend: Yes.
Despite all the above I did enjoy Knives Out quite a lot I just think it’s getting the wrong sequel.
I kind of feel that Rian Johnson is one of those directors who keeps getting in his own way. I certainly think he’s talented, but whenever he succeeds, it’s usually in spite of himself. I feel that Knives Out is his best film, but that’s mostly because he happened to choose a genre that suits his strengths. The constant expectation subversions were obnoxious in The Last Jedi, but they are practically expected in a murder mystery piece. It probably won’t make my top ten, but I could see myself recommending it to someone who didn’t like The Last Jedi – even if certain pieces of writing are painfully dated.
I completely agree about Johnson. I also think it helps here that we didn’t really need any in-depth characters or on-going character arcs here.
I watched this last night, and my biggest issue was that I thought it was supposed to be a comedy, and it was way to serious. Yes, it did have some funny parts, but it wasn’t a full out comedy like the commercials led me to believe. Also I didn’t realize it before but Blanc really didn’t do anything! And his accent annoyed me haha 😂 😂 I didn’t even know there was going to be a sequel but hopefully he does a better job!
Yeah I kept wondering if his accent was supposed to be like a choice like he was actually British but pretending not to be for the family. It was definitely out there!
I loved the movie but yeah you are kinda right about Benoit. I don’t, maybe they just hire him because he is hot? And yeah Plummer really was hardcore for her….:) All I know is that I have so much fun watching this and I’m glad more of this is coming, hopefully Rian doesn’t TLJ-it and make a mess
Fun review! I love Knives Out, but I’ll definitely agree it has some rough writing patches – I didn’t like that Marta was a puking lie detector and the plot hung way too much on one of the Thrombeys more than the others. But I think Harlan just respected Marta more than his family and knew no matter how he died he wanted the money to go to her. He’s actually pretty manipulative to plant the seeds for Ransom to ruin his own life by trying to kill him. lol Benoit’s basically there to figure out who hired him and figure out who killed Harlan by happenstance. I hope the sequel doesn’t have as many ‘twists’ in every act.
Oh I agree he didn’t want his horrible family to have the money but man exercise a little patience next time buddy 😉