Knives Out – 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, & Digital

If you haven’t seen Knives Out yet, why are you reading this? Seriously, stop what you’re doing and go watch the movie right now!

Regardless of whether you have or haven’t seen the movie yet, this review will not contain spoilers for the story. We typically try to avoid spoilers, and in this case, spoiling any of the story would be unfair to you as the reader of this review and viewer of the film.

Knives Out is fun from beginning to end. The movie flips the traditional murder mystery inside out but still provides a compelling and complete story. Rian Johnson has assembled a well-known cast and crafted characters that are unique, well-developed, and truly memorable. Everyone has a motive. The movie is visually stunning, and viewers are in for a challenging mystery, hilarious characters, and an engaging film.

Here’s a look at Lionsgate’s official description – “The circumstances surrounding the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey are mysterious, but there’s one thing that renowned Detective Benoit Blanc knows for sure – everyone in the wildly dysfunctional Thrombey family is a suspect. Now, Blanc must sift through a web of lies and red herrings to uncover the truth. From acclaimed writer-director, Rian Johnson comes this suspenseful, twist-filled whodunnit with an all-star ensemble cast including Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Christopher Plummer, and more.”

In addition to the cast listed above, Knives Out also stars Riki Lindhome, Noah Segan, K Callan, Edi Patterson, M. Emmet Walsh, and Frank Oz. The movie runs two hours and 11 minutes.

The morning after his 85th birthday party, renowned mystery author Harlan Thrombey (Plummer) is found dead in his study, his throat slashed in an apparent suicide. Though admitting that it’s an unusual method, the investigating detectives believe that the evidence supports a suicide. No one is suspected of murder. However, the case is reopened when the mysterious Benoit Blanc (Craig), the last of the gentlemen detectives, is hired to investigate. Blanc suspects murder. He tells the family in his thick southern drawl, “I have eliminated no suspects.”

And just who are those suspects? Every member of Harlan Thrombey’s family. Cue the knives out, backstabbing, and lying as the family members quickly turn on one another.

The movie cleverly introduces the suspects and establishes their relationships to each other by having the investigating officers, now accompanied by Blanc, re-interview everyone. Linda (Curtis), Harlan’s oldest child, is married to Richard (Johnson). They have one son named Ransom (Evans). Harlan’s son Walt (Shannon) is married to Donna (Lindhome) and has a son named Jacob (Martell). Joni (Collette) was married to Harlan’s late son and has a daughter named Meg (Langford). Also in the picture are Harlan’s nurse, Marta (de Armas), his housekeeper, Fran (Patterson), and his mother (Callan). Everyone is a suspect, and everyone has a motive.

Worth noting is Christopher Plummer’s performance. The movie opens with the discovery of Harlan’s death, but Plummer is heavily featured in several flashbacks throughout the film. Despite the shenanigans and treachery of his relatives, Harlan still loves them. Plummer excels in delivering the character’s emotions and love of a good puzzle.

As you may have noticed, the movie is packed with many other well-known names, and every one of those well-known names plays a unique, developed, and memorable character. This is a dysfunctional family but one that is sure to make audiences laugh (think of Arrested Development, if you will). In many scenes, Daniel Craig’s Blanc serves as an anchor and balance for the family’s big personalities. From deadpan, stoic Linda to free spirited Joni and even politically charged Jacob, each member of the family comes across as self-centered, traitorous, and absolutely hilarious.

Each of these characters also has his or her own unique motive. Was Harlan killed to cover up an affair? Could he have discovered one of his children was stealing from him? Did someone want their inheritance early? The movie offers countless, plausible possibilities for the audience to evaluate and Blanc and the police to investigate.

In a nice twist from the traditional format, the movie never makes any moves to undermine its cop characters. In fact, Benoit Blanc makes a good partner for Lieutenant Elliot (Stanfield). The two never become antagonistic and clearly respect each other’s opinions and expertise. Elliot also acts as the straight man in many scenes with the delightfully cheerful Trooper Wagner (Segan).

The movie also defies the standard murder mystery format by telling much of the story from the perspective of one of its lead suspects. Rian Johnson plays it smart. He makes this character endearing, and the audience will be torn between supporting her and rooting for Blanc to solve the mystery.

Like any good mystery, the movie is also packed with clues in every scene. If you watch the movie twice, you’re sure to notice clues and details you missed the first time through. The movie also offers little details like a portrait of Harlan that features a different expression on his face depending on the scene. These slight changes, meant to inform how the characters see and relate to Harlan, may go unnoticed the first time through for many viewers.

The movie is also visually stunning. A majority of the story takes place in Harlan Thrombey’s home, which, as one of the officers notes, looks like the mansion from Clue (the game). The house and the surrounding landscape are gorgeous and beautifully shot. Johnson chooses camera angles that highlight the heavily detailed mansion and uses the camera to clue viewers in on specific details they will need to solve the mystery. Let’s also just take a minute to appreciate the movie’s costumes. Ransom’s white, cable-knit sweater is so beloved by the Internet that it has started a Knives Out Challenge (#KnivesOutChallenge) and inspired many Twitter accounts. The soundtrack is also a perfect fit for the movie. Be sure to check out the special features for more on the setting, the costuming, the music, and the cinematography.

Overall, Knives Out is an excellent film from beginning to end. The movie flips the traditional murder mystery inside out and introduces characters that viewers will both love and love to hate. Daniel Craig does a nice job of anchoring the big personalities found in the Thrombey family. As his Blanc notes, everyone has a motive. The movie is visually stunning and full of rich, yet often subtle detail. Viewers are in for an excellent and engaging movie!

Is There a Scene After the Credits?
No, but the lead actors are credited on playing cards, much like the 1985 Clue film.

Main Menu and Special Features
The main menus of the 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray discs are designed to look like one of Harlan Thrombey’s novels. After a brief dedication to his loyal readers, the menu appears to flip through pages that each feature a different character from the movie. Displayed across the bottom of the screen are the options presented to the viewer. Let’s look specifically at the special features offered.

**As always, watch the movie before the special features to avoid any spoilers.**

• Audio Commentary by Writer-Director Rian Johnson, Director of Photography Steve Yedlin, and Actor Noah Segan
• In-Theatre Commentary by Rian Johnson
• Deleted Scenes (with Optional Audio Commentary by Rian Johnson)
  1. “Bicycling Accident” (2:45)
  2. “Don’t Do Anything Rash” (2:12)
• “Making a Murder” Eight-Part Documentary (1:54:07)
  1. Premeditation: Inspirations & Origin
  2. Gathering The Suspects: The Cast
  3. Dressed To Kill: Costume Design
  4. The Scene Of The Crime: Production & Design
  5. Visual Clues: Cinematography
  6. Putting The Clues Together: Editing
  7. Music To Kill For: Music & Sound
  8. Denouement: Whodunit?
• “Rian Johnson: Planning the Perfect Murder” (6:17)
• Writer-Director and Cast Q&A (42:09)
• Marketing Gallery
  1. Teaser Trailer
  2. Theatrical Trailer
  3. Final Trailer
  4. “Ode to the Murder Mystery” (1:43)
• “Meet the Thrombeys” Viral Ads
  1. “Thrombey Real Estate” (0:34)
  2. “Blood Like Wine Publishing (0:56)
  3. “Flam” (0:34)

Much like the movie, the special features are engaging, entertaining, and informative. Fans of the film should explore the features to learn about the making of the movie and to be clued in on details they have missed.

The standout feature is the eight-part documentary “Making a Murder.” Each chapter is cleverly named and full of details and information about the making of the movie from concept to final product. In addition to the documentary are two commentary tracks. It’s worth noting that the commentary tracks can be turned on and off while viewing the movie. Viewers aren’t required to be on the main menu to access the tracks.

The deleted scenes, both presented with accompanying scenes for context, provide more insight on two of Harlan Thrombey’s children (a.k.a. two of the suspects). In “Planning the Perfect Murder,” Rian Johnson talks about designing a mystery that is engaging, yet plausible. If the audience doesn’t believe and accept every detail, the story will never work. The Q&A feature allows viewers to watch a live panel that was recorded in November of 2019. Viewers will hear from Rian Johnson, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Katherine Langford, and Jaeden Martell.

Under the Marketing Gallery, the “Ode to the Murder Mystery” pays tribute to Hitchcock and the idea of the classic murder mystery with a campy black and white look, sound effects, and selective color highlighting. The featurette sees Johnson talking directly to the audience and inviting them on an adventure. Finally, the viral ads act as commercials (not seen in the movie) for the businesses of some members of the Thrombey family. Each ad, though carefully crafted to look innocent, is laced with references to knives and death. Check out the viral ad for Linda’s real estate business below. (Because if we’ve learned anything from all those Activia commercials, it’s that I’ll buy anything Jamie Lee Curtis tells me to!)

Takeaway
. . . and to make a long story short (too late) . . . go watch Knives Out! You won’t regret it.