“Knives Out” is a modern whodunit murder mystery with a darkly comic tone. It follows a famous detective investigating the suspicious death of a wealthy crime novelist at his mansion.
Basic premise
The story begins when bestselling mystery author Harlan Thrombey is found dead in his large family estate the morning after his 85th birthday party. The police initially treat the death as a suicide, but renowned private detective Benoit Blanc is secretly hired to look deeper into what happened.
The investigation
Blanc interviews Harlan’s dysfunctional, money-obsessed relatives and the household staff, uncovering that Harlan had recent conflicts with almost all of them over money, careers, and personal secrets. Each family member has both something to hide and a motive, which keeps everyone a suspect as Blanc tries to untangle lies, red herrings, and half-truths.
Marta and the twist
Central to the plot is Marta Cabrera, Harlan’s kind nurse, who has a medical issue that makes her physically ill whenever she lies, which becomes a clever device in the investigation. The film reveals key events from Marta’s perspective early on, then gradually shows how another family member manipulated those events, turning the story into both a mystery and a commentary on class and immigration.
Tone and themes
The movie mixes suspense with sharp humor, poking fun at entitled rich heirs and their assumptions about deserving Harlan’s fortune. It also explores themes of honesty, justice, and who is truly “worthy” of inheritance and power in a modern American setting.
Where it fits
“Knives Out” is a 2019 American film written and directed by Rian Johnson and stars Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc alongside an ensemble cast including Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, and Jamie Lee Curtis. Its success launched an ongoing series of Benoit Blanc mysteries, with additional films set in different locations and new casts.