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Knives Out

8/10

Stars: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Christopher Plummer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Michael Shannon, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, M Emmet Walsh, K Callan, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Frank Oz, Jaeden Martell, Ricki Lindhome

Director: Rian Johnson

In the tradition of such multi-star frolics as The Cheap Detective and Murder by Death comes this slightly less knowing whodunit, as multi-millionaire Plummer is found dead, an apparent suicide, on the morning after his 85th birthday celebration.

Gathered together at his vast mansion is a full crew of grasping relatives, including Curtis, Shannon, Collette, Johnson and latecomer Evans, as well as the chief cop (Stanfield), the family's 100-year-old doyenne (Callan) and an eccentric detective, played with inch-thick Southern accent by Craig, whose character has been hired at an enormous fee by someone unknown to investigate the case.

We soon learn that things are apparently open and shut. The old man's nurse and friend (de Armas) unknowingly gave him a lethal dose of medication and, knowing his time was short, he launched a cunning plan to enable her to escape involvement. And there are surprises and shocks in store at the reading of the will.

It isn't that straightforward, of course, but good fun is had throughout, down to a final twist of the knife (as it were). Director Johnson's script is full of witty moments and red herrings before the real guilty party is unmasked.

David Quinlan

USA 2019. UK Distributor: LionsGate. Colour by FotoKem.
130 minutes. Not widescreen. UK certificate: 12A.

Guidance ratings (out of 3): Sex/nudity 0, Violence/Horror 1, Drugs 1, Swearing 1.

Review date: 25 Nov 2019