Back in November, Knives Out hit the screens and immediately became a success in media and at the box office. The well-written screenplay intrigued audiences while still maintaining elements of comedy within the storyline. The modern take on a classic ‘whodunnit’ features a critically-acclaimed cast including Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis and more. Thus far, the movie has received multiple Golden Globe nominations, including Best Picture, Best Actor and Actress. Lionsgate also recently announced that a sequel may be underway circling the main character, with a possible franchise; the movie is to be released on Blu-ray on February 25th. 

The film opens with the Thrombey family gathered at Harlan’s estate, a wealthy author of crime novels, after he was found dead by his housekeeper, Fran. After it was ruled as suicide, a mysterious detective, Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, appears on the scene to learn about the strained relationships of each family member that came up at his 85th birthday party. Harlan threatened to expose an affair that his son-and-law, Richard had been keeping from his wife Linda, played by Jami Lee Curtis. He also was able to have a heated argument with his grandson, Ransom, played by Chris Evans, as well as cut off college funds from his daughter-in-law and remove the publication rights of his novels from his own son. Each of these amazing characters has an amazing presence. My personal favorite character in the film was Ransom Thrombey, played by Chris Evans. His ability to make the audience burst out laughing even with his mysterious bad boy exterior was stunning to watch and it’s not just because he’s easy on the eyes. 

Through Blanc’s investigation, it is easy to see that any of the family members would have a motive to play a part in Harlan’s murder. It is when Harlan’s nurse, Marta, played by Ana de Armas, becomes a helpful hand to Blanc– as lying makes her puke on command. The well-kept pace of the movie keeps an audience’s eye on the screen from beginning to end, which makes the resolution of the crime just as satisfying to the on-screen characters. 

The movie has just about everything of a perfect film, including beautifully shot scenes, perfectly timed comedic relief and a cast that has a perfect dynamic level. The Hollywood Reporter explained the film as an “ingeniously plotted, tremendously entertaining and deviously irreverent crowd-pleaser” and “a treat from start to finish,” and highly rewarded the film’s script, the nostalgia of the whodunit mysteries in the 70s, and the astounding performances of the well-chosen cast. As a cinematography freak, it was so pleasing to see shots that gave the feeling of mystery and fit extremely well with Harlan’s ‘puzzle-like’ house. I also loved the misdirects given by the directors in how they paired Ransom and Marta in certain scenes but had several reasons to keep them apart. 

All in all, I’d recommend Knives Out to anyone who wants to sit down and have a film be worth their time. Although seeing it in theatres made the movie all the more stunning, renting the movie would be a great way to see if you can solve the mystery before Blanc and Marta did. 

Purchase Knives Out on Blu-ray on February 25th or purchase now on Youtube or Google streaming services.