Ewan Gleadow’s review published on Letterboxd:
The unsung fun of a tight murder mystery cannot be faulted when tied together in an impressive manner. Dormant lies the genre, just waiting for someone to inject new life into it somewhere down the line. It can happen, The Hateful Eight and Bone Tomahawk proved you could still get a kick out of the age-old Western genre, so why not the suspenseful arc of the simplistic whodunnit? Director Rian Johnson looks to find out in his latest feature film, Knives Out, a superb piece of the mystery genre that leaves its mark with a dedicated ensemble cast and a suspenseful tale of murder and motif.
Daniel Craig stars as Detective Benoit Blanc, a private investigator called in to aid the investigation of a seemingly open and shut suicide case. The death of Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) leaves the detective bewildered and his family hungry to receive the news of his will. A mesmerising cast star alongside Craig, including veterans of the screen like Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson and Michael Shannon, as well as up and coming stars like Chris Evans, Ana de Armas and Lakeith Stanfield. The cast is one of the biggest hooks of the film, and with this much talent on display it’s no surprise that we’re in for an inventive and twisting ride.
Read the rest of my review on Northern Lights.