Knives Out

Rife with potential yet sadly unsatisfying, Rian Johnson’s Knives Out keeps viewers guessing until the end while wondering if the whole exercise was worth the effort.

A puzzlingly unremarkable whodunit, there’s ultimately little in the characters, setting, or circumstances that makes solving the murder of mystery author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) distinct. Captivating details are frustratingly underutilized or ignored altogether, wasting an all-star ensemble in the service of a project that was doubtlessly more fun to make than it is to sit through.

None of these shortcomings are evident early as a pair of local law enforcement officers (LaKeith Stanfield and Noah Segan) interrogate the surviving Thrombey family members one by one — in front of a tantalizing, intimidating sculpture featuring a circular arrangement of knives — while renowned investigator Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) observes from the rear, occasionally plinking a piano key to announce his presence.

The, er, sharply edited introductions simmer with an enticing blend of intrigue and comedy, enacted by the likes of Michael Shannon, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, and Toni Collette under the playful yet professional direction of the man who gave us Brick, The Brothers Bloom, Looper, and, yes, The Last Jedi.

But once the film shifts its focus to Harlan’s fairly dull South American nurse Marta (Ana de Armas, Blade Runner 2049) instead of the more interesting Thrombey family members, the proceedings lose much of their initial spark. Whether to offer a refreshing female perspective in the male-dominated genre and/or make an ambiguous statement about immigrants, Johnson’s pivot leaves practically everyone except Marta, Blanc, and Harlan’s grandson Ransom (Chris Evans) as half-formed characters, defined by one trait (if that) and practically impossible to care about.

Despite the diluted action and lack of investment in its players, Knives Out is twisty and complex enough that one nevertheless wants to know the answers. Likewise aiding the cause are solid performances all around and practically nothing to fault on the direction front — just that they’re all in the service of a generally fun but confoundedly mediocre script. With the ability to make his film truly unique from any number of angles, Johnson instead plays it safe and leaves one wondering why he wanted to tell such a tame story.

Grade: B-minus. Rated PG-13. Starts Nov. 27 at AMC Classic, Biltmore Grande, and Carolina Cinemark

(Photo: Claire Folger/Lionsgate)