Knives Out

“Until you can’t tell the difference between a stage prop…and a real knife.”

No movie has ever captivated me the way Knives Out did the first, second, third, and fourth times I watched it did. This movie is everything the common movie watcher could want: suspenseful, yet funny; witty at the right moments, shocking at the next; a classic murder mystery with a shocking twist. It is without a doubt one of the best movies I’ve ever seen (and that’s saying a lot—I love every movie I watch).

I am not a picky person when it comes to movies, but I do have a short attention span. Everything about this movie kept my eyes glued to the screen the entire time. I remember the first time I watched it I shouted, “I know who actually did it!”, yet when the reveal came, I was shocked. I had read so many Nancy Drew books as a child, how could I be wrong?

Yet, the full beauty of this movie does not lie solely in its chilling twist, it’s charming and funny character intro, or its star-studded cast (Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana De Armas, Daniel Craig…shall I go on?) it lies in the underlying message that is prevalent throughout the movie.

The entire movies is centered around the extremely wealthy Thrombey family. They are, as one might say, quite the cast if characters. Yet, they all have one thing in common: they are all ignorant rich white people. Even Meg, who comes across as progressive and young—at her core, she is like the rest of her family. The family talks about where Marta, Harlan’s nurse, in a passive, uncaring way. Someone says she’s from Paraguay, one from Uruguay, another says Ecuador, and someone says Brazil. It is even mentioned in the movie by Richard that she “did it the right way”, a common expression used by ignorant people when referring to immigration.

Marta is a good person, and a good nurse. She cares for Harlan, even after his death, and in the end always does the right thing. That’s why she prevails—another prominent theme in the movie.

I highly recommend this movie to everyone, regardless of what kind of movies you like. This movie has something for everyone.

-Bella