Knives Out: Bring Home The Best Film of 2019

From left to right. Richard (Don Johnson), Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis), Ransom (Chris Evans) Great Nana (K Callan), Marta (Ana de Armas), Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) Walt (Michael Shannon), Jacob (Jaeden Lieberher), Donna (Riki Lindholm), Joni (Toni Collette) and Meg (Katherine Langford) in KNIVES OUT. Photo credit: Claire Folger.

Knives Out, the Solzy Award-winning film of the year, is now available for audiences to bring home on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital.

Crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is discovered dead on the morning after his 85th birthday party.  We don’t know whether he was killed or whether he did the deed himself.  What we do know is that members of the Thrombey family are being questioned by Lt. Elliott (LaKeith Stanfield) and Trooper Wagner (Noah Segan).  Little do they know that sitting behind them is the world-renown PI Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig).  Did a family member have a motive?  Nobody seems to know.  What is known is that Harlan’s caregiver, Marta (Ana de Armas), took him upstairs and left the house at midnight.

Harlan left behind quite the family.  The family’s black sheep is none other than Ransom Drysdale (Chris Evans).  Ransom is Richard (Don Johnson) and Linda Drysdale’s (Jamie Lee Curtis) son.  Married into the family is lifestyle guru and Instagram influencer Joni Thrombey (Toni Collette).  Joni’s husband may have died but this doesn’t stop Harlan from keeping them up and paying for granddaughter Meg’s (Katherine Langford) college tuition.  There is Walt (Michael Shannon) and Donna (Riki Lindholm) Thrombey with alt-right racist son Jacob (Jaeden Martell).  Marta and Fran are also among the family’s staff.  If you can keep up with the entire family, you’re going to do just fine.

There’s no shortage of political commentary in this modern whodunnit either.  We see this by way of Walt and Donna’s son, Jacob.  I especially love that Rian Johnson isn’t afraid to take such bold risks.  We saw this during Star Wars: The Last Jedi and we saw it again in Knives Out.  Even though the film doesn’t turn the genre upside down, it’s a delightful update.  What especially helps is Daniel Craig taking on a role as a private investigator from the south.  It’s a nice change of pace from seeing Craig every few years in Bond.  Honestly, I would put his work here in a similar place to what he did in Logan Lucky.  He can certainly surprise us every now and then!

4K UHD / BLU-RAY / DVD / DIGITAL SPECIAL FEATURES

  • Audio Commentary by Writer-Director Rian Johnson, Director of Photography Steve Yedlin, and Actor Noah Segan
  • In-Theatre Commentary by Rian Johnson
  • Deleted Scene: “Bicycling Accident” (with Optional Audio Commentary by Rian Johnson)
  • Deleted Scene: “Don’t Do Anything Rash” (with Optional Audio Commentary by Rian Johnson)
  • “Making a Murder” Eight-Part Documentary
  • “Rian Johnson: Planning the Perfect Murder” Featurette
  • Writer-Director and Cast Q&A
  • Marketing Gallery
  • “Meet the Thrombeys” Viral Ads

DIRECTOR/SCREENWRITER:  Rian Johnson
CAST: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, LaKeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Noah Segan, Edi Patterson, Riki Lindhome, and Christopher Plummer

Knives Out is now available on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and Digital.

Danielle Solzman

Danielle Solzman is native of Louisville, KY, and holds a BA in Public Relations from Northern Kentucky University and a MA in Media Communications from Webster University. She roots for her beloved Kentucky Wildcats, St. Louis Cardinals, Indianapolis Colts, and Boston Celtics. Living less than a mile away from Wrigley Field in Chicago, she is an active reader (sports/entertainment/history/biographies/select fiction) and involved with the Chicago improv scene. She also sees many movies and reviews them. She has previously written for Redbird Rants, Wildcat Blue Nation, and Hidden Remote/Flicksided. From April 2016 through May 2017, her film reviews can be found on Creators.