No matter what your critical or fanatical consensus maybe on “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” one who admires potentially-good cinema must have a sliver of excitement for whatever Rian Johnson has next. It seems “Star Wars” was so divisive for Johnson that his next film is now viewed as either continuing his success or redeeming himself. Plus, Twitter is not the best place for a filmmaker to express themselves. With a film titled “Knives Out,” could Rian Johnson’s return be interpreted as a response to the tsunami of criticism he endured two years ago?
Like any great whodunit, the less we know, the better. All we do know is that the cast Johnson has assembled is one of the most impressive to recently hit theaters. What’s interesting is that the ensemble is so broad and diverse that each actor appeals to almost all the crowds; Chris Evans to the Marvel fans, of course; Daniel Crag to the Dads and Bond devotees; even veterans of retro cinema, Jamie Lee Curtis and Don Johnson. And who else to play a patriarch than Christopher Plummer?
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The synopsis reads of the typical whodunit scenario:
Wealthy crime novelist Harlan Thrombrey invites his extended dysfunctional family to his mansion on his 85th birthday in hopes of reuniting them all. However, during the birthday party, Harlan is found dead and Detective Benoit Blanc is called to investigate the case. Soon enough, everyone in the family becomes a suspect.
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The film is an admirable feat for Johnson to tackle after the massive challenge of “Star Wars”. Yet while the setting and scope are literally lightyears smaller, the sheer star power of the cast truly makes the film feel bigger than its setup. Johnson is essentially building on the foundation of the whodunit genre, which consists of entries he has willfully name-dropped like “Clue,” “Gosford Park,” and “Murder On The Orient Express.” The first teaser showcases a sort of fierce style that feels more intensified than you would expect from the genre.
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Johnson is one of those filmmakers, similar to Jordon Peele in a way, where their films are inherently expressive of deep adoration for cinema and its past. With a film aiming for a balance of homage and modernization, Rian Johnson is probably doing the right thing. The murder mystery features an all-star cast that also includes Ana de Armas, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, and more.
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“Knives Out” is scheduled for release on November 27, 2019, but it premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival last week to rave reviews (including ours), hence the new trailer with quotes, praise, and accolades.
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