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How ‘Knives Out’ Takes on White Upper-Class Liberalism
I went into Rian Johnson’s new film expecting a fun murder mystery. What I got was so much more.
The nature of Rian Johnson’s new film Knives Out is surprising and subversive right from the start. That made reviewing the film a somewhat difficult task, as I couldn’t discuss much of what I loved about it. The marketing — which I avoided until after watching the film to see what I could potentially discuss — even downplays the importance of Marta (Ana de Armas), the kind nurse of deceased patriarch Harlan Thrombey. Since there is a lot to unpack in the vastly entertaining murder mystery, let’s break down the twists and turns that Knives Out takes. Obviously, SPOILERS ABOUND.
Having not seen any of the promotional materials aside from a few snarky Chris Evans gifs, everything in Knives Out was a (pleasant) surprise. But even if you’d seen the trailers, the biggest surprise is the lead of the film. While Ana de Armas is a largely unknown actress to the general public, she is undoubtedly the lead actress in an impressive ensemble cast of household names. Knives Out is Marta’s story, and its a good thing, too. The rest of the characters, with the exception of the three detectives, are all despicable people. Marta seems to be the only one with a soul.
