Skip to content
Banner Final

Malden High's Official Newspaper

Primary Menu
  • Home
  • Local
    • New Staff Profiles
    • Top 10
  • Sports
    • Athlete Profiles
  • World
    • International
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Entertainment Opinions
    • Health Opinions
    • Local Opinions
    • Political Opinions
    • Sports Opinions
  • Print Archives
  • Home
  • 2019
  • December
  • Movie Review: Knives Out
  • Entertainment Opinions
  • Movie Reviews

Movie Review: Knives Out

Carlos Aragon December 18, 2019
movieknivesout.png

The film "Knives Out" was released on Thanksgiving day featuring a story about the Thombrey family. Image from IMDB.

After the highly controversial, yet bold eighth entry into the Star Wars saga, Rian Johnson delivers the gripping and entertaining film that is Knives Out. Everything from the cast, to music, to the script is simply superb.

The film revolves around the Thrombey family, Marta Cabrera (the patriarch Harlan Thrombey’s caretaker and friend) and Benoit Blanc, who can be described as an American Hercule Poirot, or Sherlock Holmes. When Harlan is found dead the morning after his 85th birthday, Blanc takes on the case and eliminates no suspect of the Thrombey family.

The film “Knives Out” was released on Thanksgiving day featuring a story about the Thrombey family. Image from IMDB.

One of the best aspects of the film is its all-star cast, and how they interact as the Thrombey family (with Blanc and Cabrera). Even characters who do almost nothing, like Jacob Thrombey (played by Jaeden Martell of the well-known film It) are memorable because each Thrombey family member has a quirk or a stereotype to go with them, most of which are terrible with a few exceptions. For example, Jacob is an alt-right internet troll who even his own uncle outright says he is a Nazi. 

On the other hand, we have Meg Thrombey (played by Katherine Langford from 13 Reasons Why and Love, Simon), who is called an SJW at least once over the course of the film. The two characters contrast with each other in such a manner that makes it impossible to forget them, which makes the characters with even minimal presence memorable (although Meg certainly did have a bigger role than Jacob, and was definitely more sympathetic.) The highlight out of the supporting Thrombey cast however, was definitely Toni Collette as Joni Thrombey, who simply stole every scene she appeared in. 

There are also characters that glue the film together, the ones who make the wheels move. This includes Daniel Craig’s (Skyfall) Blanc, Ana de Armas’s (Blade Runner 2049) Cabrera, Chris Evan’s (Captain America: The First Avenger), Hugh “Ransom” Thrombey, and lastly, Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music) as Harlan. 

De Armas is great as Cabrera, as the most sympathetic character in the film, aside from Harlan. Without delving too deep, Harlan’s death becomes less of a murder and more a tragedy the more you learn about it, and grows even more intricate as the film goes on, as does his character, with us finding out more and more things that happened on his fateful birthday. 

There’s also Ransom Thrombey, and while I can’t talk much about him without spoiling the film, the relationship between him and Harlan was definitely a core part of the film, and Evans plays him fantastically. Lastly, we have Craig as Blanc, who I surprisingly would not describe as the protagonist, but more so the outsider of the bunch, who moves along the plot (although not necessarily in a conventional way due to how the information is presented to us, the audience, but more so for the family.) 

While I can’t delve to deep into the script without ruining the film, one of the things I love is how it handles it’s twists. Knives Out, is simply twists done right, and for a few reasons. One, they unfold organically and make sense. There aren’t any cheap fake outs or curveballs in the film, and the film doesn’t make it so easy to guess that you get it right from the start. It strikes a balance, the fast pacing helps a lot, making it so that you can’t ponder why certain details line up nicely with the information presented. 

There are more, however listing them here would probably ruin the film a bit. The twists are the film. It forces you to question the nature of Harlan’s death. Each time you think you have it, another layer appears. Blanc even described the case as a donut with more donuts inside of it, in a very strange (albeit entertaining) monologue right before the climax of the film.

The score of the film also augments the scenes, with the music always tense, which is fitting as you aren’t really safe from the twists until the very end. The strings were a standout, and were simply superb.

Knives Out is an entertaining, enjoyable, and gripping ride that raises the bar for any mysteries that come after. I do not hesitate to call it one of the best films of the year, and for anyone who still had doubts about Johnson as a director (which they shouldn’t have in the first place), this cements him as one of the best directors alive now, along with the likes of Edgar Wright, Ryan Coogler, Wes Anderson, Martin Scorsese and Denis Villeneuve, among others. If you enjoyed Knives Out, you may also enjoy his other pieces, which include The Last Jedi, and perhaps even Brick, although it’s not exactly in the same genre as Knives Out so it may depend on your taste at that point.

Just a fair warning, Knives Out has said to trigger anxiety in those who have Emetophobia, a fear of vomiting. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great film but you should always put safety first.

Continue Reading

Previous: Cheerleading Team Fall All-Stars
Next: Boys Soccer Fall All-Stars

Related Stories

Screenshot-2024-02-05-082504
  • Entertainment Opinions
  • Event
  • Local

The Malden Reads Book of the Year, Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist

Mack Keating February 5, 2024
Screenshot 2024-01-26 10.29.13 AM
  • Entertainment
  • Event
  • Homepage
  • Local
  • Movie Night
  • Movie Reviews

Five Nights at Freddy’s Movie Night at the Malden Public Library

Ashton Calixte January 26, 2024
IMG_4978
  • Entertainment
  • Entertainment Opinions
  • Event
  • Local

Summer Musical Opportunity at Malden High School

Delina Yohannes May 18, 2023
Log in

The Blue and Gold: The Podcast Edition

April Print Edition

FINAL MALDEN BLUE AND GOLD APRIL 2025Download

You may have missed

Screenshot 2025-05-30 11.25.31 AM
  • Homepage
  • Local

Why Teach?: Malden High Teachers Respond

Bo Stead May 30, 2025
8684699C-32C4-4A0E-B291-87F7EE78F477
  • Homepage
  • Humans of Malden
  • Local
  • Politics
  • Profiles

Class of ’27 Prepares for Junior Year with Annual Election

Hannah Coggswell May 30, 2025
Screenshot 2025-05-30 11.28.05 AM
  • Homepage

Final Splash of Fun: Senior Assassin

Reva Upadhayay May 30, 2025
Screenshot 2025-05-30 at 11.13.24 AM
  • Local

The Sociology of Social Media

Abyan Ali May 30, 2025
Copyright © All rights reserved. | MoreNews by AF themes.