Knives Out (2019) ****

“And yet...a donut.”

Knives Out (2019) is an exceptionally good twisty turny whodunit that takes the best parts of Agatha Christie, subverts and modernizes them just enough, adds a political subtext that never feels heavy-handed, and, despite my initial concerns regarding the more than 2-hour running time, remains consistently engaging throughout.

In the tradition of this genre, an incredible ensemble cast has been assembled and, for the most part, very well utilized. In particular, Daniel Craig is a perfectly cast modern counterpoint to Hercule Poirot in the character of Benoit Blanc, a distinguished southern-fried private dick. I found Knives Out to be a much better take on the murder mystery than Brick (2005) (my review here) was on the noir. The attention to detail, the production design, costumes, and the excellent cinematography are all fully realized on screen.

Not that I actively seek to critique films per se, but I find it difficult to do so with a film like this because the point is to be purely entertained. It could just be my initial excitement, but Knives Out might just be my favorite whodunit after Sidney Lumet's Murder On The Orient Express (1974). 100% the most fun film of the year.