The american murder mystery film “Knives out” seemingly appeared out of nowhere due to a lack of publicity and a small budget, but is currently taking the movie world by storm.
Only three weeks after its release, the film had a stellar 97% on rotten tomatoes and critics raving about the film. And with good reason: the acting is incredible, the musical score gripping, and the plot engaging to the point where the audience is constantly asking themselves “Who did it? Was it —-?”
“Knives Out” tells the story of the renowned crime novelist Harlan Thrombey dying unexpectedly the night of his 85th birthday. The famous detective Benoit Blanc is hired to find the guilty culprit. Everyone at his party, including his family, is a suspect. On his way to find the murderer, the detective uncovers a web of lies and many possible motivations for killing Mr. Thrombey. He finds the case is more complex than he expected.
The movie contains many exciting twists and keeps the audience at the edge of their seats, recounting every scene in their head to confirm they really saw it correctly.
Every actor in “Knives Out” truly brings a stellar performance. The movie explores each of the main cast’s respective personalities to the fullest, many of them relatable to people in real life: “The Internet Troll,” played by Jaeden Leiberther, “The lifestyle enthusiast” by Toni Collette and “The Pothead” by Meg Thrombey, among others. Each character’s suspected motivations for killing Harlan leads to unexpected reveals and a wonderful conclusion.
An underrated part of “Knives Out” is the musical score. Every composition perfectly fits with each scene and whenever the tension is high, the haunting stringed staccato notes leave goosebumps. The Thrombey family and their mansion have their own melody that captures the web of relationships and hatred between the family members.
In all, “Knives Out” is an amazing diamond in the rough movie that defies all expectations with its masterful telling of the classic whodunit story. Strong elements of comedy, drama, mystery, suspense, and adventure found a balance in this intriguing story which lead it to be one of the best movies of the year.
