Knives Out

Knives Out – Famous mystery author Harlan Thrombey dies in his home, having apparently committed suicide. As his children and extended family gather for the funeral, memorial service, and the reading of the will, the local police and a private investigator start to dig a little deeper into what really happened, revealing a tangled web of lies.

Knives Out (2019) – Director: Rian Johnson

By Source (WP:NFCC#4), Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=61197044

Rating: 12

Running Length: 130 mins

Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana de Armas

Genre: Drama, Comedy, Crime

REVIEW: ‘KNIVES OUT’

It’s very difficult to talk in any detail about ‘Knives Out’ without revealing major spoilers, and this is definitely the kind of film you should see with as little foreknowledge as possible, to make the unravelling of the twisted plot all the more enjoyable.

Johnson, directing his own script, self-consciously uses a grab-bag of tropes from the murder mystery genre, and makes explicit references to Sherlock Holmes, Cluedo, Agatha Christie and Murder, She Wrote. This is also a thoroughly modern pastiche, with hints at deeper issues like the alt-right, anti-immigration rhetoric, class, inequality, and the dangers of social media. But in case that makes it sound dark and self-serious, it’s primarily a hilarious entertainingly plot-driven rollercoaster ride

The cast is superb. Both Craig and Evans play against type and seem to be having a whale of a time, while the supporting cast also perform well, although given less to work with. But the real break-out star is Ana de Armas as Marta, who provides the real heart and moral centre of the story. There’s much to enjoy in the production design as well, as the ramshackle Thrombey mansion is full of nooks and crannies and decorated with gruesome art and creepy toys and knick-knacks.

Younger children may find the film, much of which revolves around interrogation and conversations, a little slow and talky, and the flurry of climactic revelations may be a little complex for some to follow. The film starts a little slowly, and it’s not until around a third of the way through that the action and tension start to ramp up, but it all leads to a delicious and delirious showdown.

CONTENT: IS ‘KNIVES OUT’ SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN?

One character throws up regularly throughout the film, although no actual vomit is shown until one scene at the end.

Two brief verbal references to a boy masturbating in a bathroom.

A medical professional is shown in close-up giving injections of various substances to someone in their care. Later other characters use needles to administer sedatives or other substances to incapacitate people.

Two non-sexual uses of the word “f–k”. “Stick it up your ass” is used a few times, and several uses of the word “bitch” and “son of a bitch”. “Eat sh**” is used repeatedly in one scene.

A family confrontation almost descends into violence, with two men having to be held back from hitting each other.

Several characters smoke cigarettes onscreen. One character takes out joints from a hidden drawer, but doesn’t smoke them on screen. Several characters drink alcohol during a party.

A character is shown to be extremely distressed at another character’s impending death and the inability to prevent it. They becomes frantic while searching for medication, and later sit alone in the dark, crying.

In a spooky, underlit scene a lifeless character is seen slumped in a chair. When light is shone on their face they seem to be dead, and a spider crawls across their eye. They come back to life but seem distressed and have evidently been medicated against their will. A flashback shows them being ambushed, with a chloroform rag held over their mouth while they are injected with a syringe.

One character grabs a knife and lunges toward another, intending to stab them. It is implied that they have stabbed them in the chest, but it then emerges that the knife was a harmless prop and the victim is unharmed.

CAN I SEE A CLIP?

VERDICT: IS ‘KNIVES OUT’ FOR KIDS?

A complex and entertaining mystery with some profanity and a few violent moments, this is suitable for children over the age of 10.

• Violence: 2/5 (the aftermath of a suicide, one attempted stabbing)
• Emotional Distress: 2/5 (several characters upset by the death of an old man)
• Fear Factor: 2/5 (tense scenes in a darkened room with the implied threat of danger or attack)
• Sexual Content: 1/5 (passing, humorous references to masturbation)
• Bad Language: 3/5 (regular uses of mild to strong profanity)
• Dialogue: 2/5 (repeated reference to murder and suicide)
• Other Notes: Deals with themes of suicide, racism, immigration, and infidelity.

Words by Simon Litton