By: Keaton Marcus

Wasn't it deemed nearly impossible to shake off the cobwebs of both the moderately-budgeted film and the whodunnit genre after the adaptation of "Murder on the Orient Express" was released in 2017? Nonetheless, director Rian Johnson and an ensemble cast are back for some delicious, terrific, mystery fun with "Knives Out". We've got all the Agatha Christie clichès, utterly awesome performances, and a twisty, entertaining and enjoyable story led by retro costume design and impressive production value. Yep, just as you thought that nobody was creative enough to reinvent mystery flicks, Mr. Johnson has done it. With a 130-minute, fast-paced, often hilarious and surely welcome addition to the undusted genre, think of an aggregate of the comic "Pink Panther" franchise, and a Christie-written thriller. Impressively hitting all the marks, a silly/serious crime picture has finally become one of the most distinguished releases of the year.

Surely you know the genre stereotypes, there's a mansion, an old man, and unexpected death. Developing into that, the pic originally focuses on a cumbersome estate home to the legendary crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (a brilliant Christopher Plummer), who on his 85th birthday, was conspicuously slain. Enter the suave private detective Benoit Blanc (one of Daniel Craig's finest outings) donning a southern accent and a perfect, Poirot-type entrance. Blanc proceeds to question all of the residents, including maid Marta (shy, but a break-out performance by Ana de Armas). Furthermore, there are more A-listers, with an excellent Toni Collette playing Joni Thrombey and the boy-scout Captain America (Chris Evans) as the loud-mouthed Ransom Drysdale. Oh, but there's more, we still have Linda Drysdale (Jamie Lee Curtis), and Meg and Jacob Thrombey arguing about politics (Katherine Langford and Jaeden Martell) to interrogate.

It's a little much to take in, but trust me when I say that everything becomes worth it in the end. If you must be against Chris Evans yelling "eat shit" to his family, Mr. Craig intoning "I suspect foul play", or Ana de Armas vomiting every instance she lies, head to see "Frozen II", but if not, experience it. Primarily, this is the movie event of the year if you"re looking for underrated, Oscar-worthy performances. There was Bill Hader in "It: Chapter Two", Brad Pitt in "Ad Astra", Joaquin Phoenix in "Joker", and now there's James Bond and Captain America fighting for a slot in the list. It's gotta be a tough choice, but Craig, Evans, Armas, Collete, Curtis and even the supporting Plummer sure do make a convincing pick. It isn't just guaranteed to be a critical darling, but "Knives Out" is truly a film for the people. It deftly blends comic relief, sporadic thrills, and a fantastic cast into one hell of a movie.

Johnson, known for delivering the time-traveling thriller "Looper", and 2017's intermittent, but truly epic "Star Wars: The Last Jedi", has moved from the sci-fi genre spectacularly. Working with yet another talented bunch, and an innovative storyline. Maybe its 40 million budget doesn't quite construct it into quite the show "The Last Jedi" was, but the pic given efficiently proves that if there are no 300 million costs involved, its still very possible to wow the cinema. That's what Johnson (the director and screenwriter) have acheived, giving life to the genre with a certain panache that defies an "Avengers" movie. The first half seems like basic stuff but as the plot deepens, twists, and turns, "Knives Out" becomes more then what it seems.

The final opinion is: The rusty whodunnit genre is compellingly brought back to life with "Knives Out", a humorous crime thriller with an all-star cast, clichès and another winning outing for director Rian Johnson...$PLURGE IT

By: Keaton Marcus

Box Office Info:

Opening: 26.7M

Domestic Total: 165.3M

Worldwide Total: 312.6M