- In the whodunnit mystery film “Knives Out,” Daniel Craig’s verbose detective character Benoit Blanc has a habit of pontificating. While interrogating Ana de Armas about a potential murder.
- Knives Out is a great antidote to the Oscar contenders and family fare that dominate this time of year. It's a purely fun time at the movies thanks to its strong story and fantastic performances.
In an interview with ArcLight Cinemas, Knives Out writer/director Rian Johnson admits to structuring the film from the get-go. He prefers to write from an outline—the blueprint of the whole, keeping him from getting lost in the weeds. Knives Out retains a beating human heart into which daggers are regularly plunged Perhaps black-sheep Ransom (Chris Evans, oozing privilege) did it – he was heard arguing with his grandfather.
‘Knives Out’ is a mystery-comedy movie that presents a contemporary take on the whodunit genre. It is inspired by the works of Agatha Christie and has been warmly received for its intricate plot, engaging characters played by talented actors and amusing satire of a popular genre.
The movie follows a family whose members gather for a reunion cum birthday party of the family’s patriarch, the wealthy novelist, Harlan Thombrey. The next morning, when Thombrey is mysteriously found dead, the family members become top suspects in a murder investigation headed by a private investigator, Benoit Blanc. The character of Benoit Blanc played to perfection by Daniel Craig, has been inspired by Christie’s fictional detective, Hercule Poirot.
It was writer, director, and producer, Rian Johnson’s love for Agatha Christie that urged him to develop this project. Johnson is known for directing the 2017 Star Wars movie, ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi.’
Apart from Daniel Craig, this movie stars a bunch of exceptional A-listers including Chris Evans,Jamie Lee Curtis, Ana de Armas,Don Johnson, and Michael Shannon. The movie has been dubbed as a near-perfect murder mystery and is genuinely entertaining despite the outdated genre that it tries to satirize. Such a feat is rare due to the fact that both, mystery and satire are overcrowded genres and resultantly, have an extremely high bar for quality. If you enjoy whodunits and need more movies from that category that employs a lighthearted, satirical approach, you should definitely watch the following seven films. Many of them are available for streaming on Netflix, Amazon Prime, or Hulu.
7. Black Dynamite (2009)
‘Black Dynamite’ is one laugh-out-loud flick that you should see at all costs. To begin with, it features an African-American protagonist performing skilled martial arts stunts in a comic manner that is similar to the humor of Jackie Chan’s comedy movies. Moreover, it is a quality parody of the blaxploitation genre, a kind of movie that glorifies the African-American subculture and often romanticizes the ghetto.
The movie follows a former CIA agent, Black Dynamite who is skilled in martial arts. After Black Dynamite’s brother is murdered by a shady drug-dealing organization, he decides to clean the streets and wipe out a new drug from the market himself. It is scripted by and stars Michael Jai White as the titular protagonist.
6. The Nice Guys (2016)
‘The Nice Guys’ is a neo-noir black comedy movie that stars Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe in leading roles. Apart from a suspenseful subplot, the movie mainly serves as a parody of the buddy cop genre. It follows a couple of private detectives, Healy and March.
While investigating the case of a pornographic actress who reportedly committed suicide, the detective duo discovers a conspiracy of epic proportions. The movie was lauded by critics with particular praise going towards the chemistry between Gosling and Crowe. In fact, Gosling was even compared to Nicholas Cage for his role.
5. Manhattan Murder Mystery (1993)
‘Manhattan Murder Mystery’ is a comedy-mystery movie that is directed by the veteran filmmaker, Woody Allen. He developed the idea for this 1993 movie from an early draft of his 1997 romcom, ‘Annie Hall’ that was not satisfactory. It follows a married couple, Larry and Carol Lipton living in Manhattan whose neighbor’s wife dies mysteriously.
Carol decides to investigate the murder without the support of his husband. However, when her friend starts to help her, Larry gets jealous and joins Carol in the investigation. Woody Allen acted in ‘Manhattan Murder Mystery’ as well, playing the character of Larry Lipton. Diane Keaton, who was Allen’s ex at the time played the role of Carol Lipton. The movie was praised for the lead actors’ impeccable chemistry and performance apart from its gentle, escapist tone.
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4. Game Night (2018)
‘Game Night’ is an American mystery black comedy that was released last year. It satirizes the serious tone of mystery movies in its poster itself, thanks to the words, “this is not a game.” The movie follows a group of friends who participate in a couples’ game night every week. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams lead the cast as Max and Annie, a couple.
When Max’s brother hosts a murder mystery, the stakes get invariably raised when he gets kidnapped. As Max, Annie and their competitive couple-friends set out to solve the mystery and rescue Brooks, they discover something unknown about Brooks and the game. The movie received praise for its tight plotting that delivered genuinely shocking twists and turns and its ability to land silly humor at the same time.
3. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
A homage to neo-noir movies, ‘Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’ is a black comedy crime film that premiered in 2005. It is partially based on the novel, ‘Bodies Are Where You Find Them’ by Brett Halliday. It follows a thief who masquerades as an actor and becomes friends with a private investigator. However, his friendship leads to him getting sucked into a murder investigation in Hollywood that also draws in a struggling actress.
The movie received widespread critical acclaim and was noted for its decently sketched out characters and entertaining plot. Robert Downey Jr.’s performance was even dubbed as one of his most enjoyable ones.
2. Murder by Death (1976)
This 1976 comedy mystery is a parody of the whodunit genre and includes multiple references to popular mystery and whodunit stories. It follows five world-class detectives who are invited to a wealthy but mysterious man to play a murder mystery game with a $1 million reward for the winner. However, when the millionaire’s butler dies unexpectedly before the game can commence, the detectives and their associates are pushed into solving an actual mystery and face life-threatening danger while doing so.
The five detectives portrayed are satirical caricatures of famous, fictional detectives- providing an acclaimed allusion to the genre that the movie is a parody of. For instance, Milo Perrier and Jessica Marbles are caricatures of Agatha Christie’s characters, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple respectively. The movie was praised by critics for its smooth screenplay, background music, performances by its ensemble cast and hilariously re-watchable humor.
‘Murder by Death’ stars Peter Sellers as Inspector Sidney Wang (a caricature of Earl Derr Biggers’ Chinese detective, Charlie Chan), Maggie Smith as Dora Charleston and Truman Capote as the multi-millionaire, Lionel Twain. “By the time the world’s greatest detectives figure out whodunnit,” the movie’s poster warns, “…you could die laughing!”
1. A Shot in the Dark (1964)
If you love the pairing of comedy and mystery, you should have surely heard of Inspector Jacques Clouseau- the incompetent, absent-minded and chaotic police detective with a pronounced French accent. If not, the ‘Pink Panther’ film series is one franchise that you should get to bingeing right away.
The beloved character first appeared in the 1963 movie, ‘The Pink Panther’ in a supporting role. However, Peter Sellers’ rib-tickling performance in ‘The Pink Panther’ spurred a series of films and television series, starting with ‘A Shot in the Dark’ that focused on Jacques Clouseau. The 1964 film follows the detective as he is sent to investigate a murder whose biggest suspect is a woman named Maria Gambrelli. However, after Clouseau lets Maria free, thinking that she is innocent due to her beauty, several other people get murdered with Maria being the prime suspect in each case.
Knives Out Film Review
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We all love a good murder mystery. There is the shock of the crime, the thrill of the chase, and then the inevitable joy of identifying and ousting the killer. Murder mysteries are mostly detective stories, where it is up to the sleuth to solve the crime and restore normalcy. There have been different kinds of detectives, be it the dapper, cerebral sleuths who use their grey cells in seemingly civil settings to find the killer, or the rough-edged, actionable sleuths who stir things up, to see what rises to the surface. The difference between the two is most notable in locked room mysteries and hardboiled detective stories. ‘Knives Out’, with its classic whodunnit structure, falls in the former category.
Rian Johnson, who has helmed ‘Knives Out’, is no stranger to the tropes of detective fiction, and has shown that he is willing to play around with the genre, as is evident in ‘Brick’, Johnson’s high-school hardboiled detective story. With ‘Knives Out’, too, the director makes a return to his favored roots, telling a tale of a man who tries to reunite his troubled family for his birthday, only to end up being killed by one of them. A detective comes to investigate, and manages to open a can of worms, by way of family secrets and troubled interpersonal relationships.
Knives Out Filming Locations
Now, in any murder mystery, the spatial setting is equally important in the staging of the crime and the investigation that follows. Therefore, you might be wondering about where was ‘Knives Out’ filmed. We have got you covered in that regard. Read on.
Read More: Who is the “Killer” in ‘Knives Out’?
Boston and Medfield, Massachusetts
According to reports, we know that the principal shooting locations of ‘Knives Out’ include Boston, Massachusetts, where most of the movie was shot, as well as Medfield, Massachusetts. Some of the filming locations include Marlborough, Natick, Wellesley, Maynard, Waltham, and Canton. In Medfield, reports state that the historic Medfield State Hospital has been used as a filming location. Movie aficionados might recognize the place as the creepy facility which was depicted in Martin Scorsese‘s ‘Shutter Island‘.
Notably, reporters have remarked how Boston might not always attract high-profile shoots but regularly attracts and hosts smaller budget movies and television shows. From accumulated reports, it is easier to get a more specific idea about the filming locations for ‘Knives Out’.
Marlborough, Massachusetts
There’s an extended scene in the film in which two characters are supposed to meet at a specified location. Without revealing much, this location ends up catching fire and burning down. Those who have seen the film would know which scene I am talking about. This whole extended sequence has been shot at Registry of Motor Vehicles building, located on Maple Street in Marlborough. Funnily enough, several people along the Southborough line happened to be drawn to what looked like a fire. However, when they arrived at the building, they found out that shooting for a film was taking place.
The familiar building won’t be the only thing that catches the eyes of locals watching ‘Knives Out’ since many local firefighters also serve as extras for the movie. Dan Martin, the assistant location manager for the movie, stated that the property was selected specifically for its angle, the circular architecture and because it is vacant. Martin added that the crew loved the building’s availability and decided to film in and around it. Notably, while the Marlborough shoot was going on, ‘Knives Out’ happened to be filming under the name of ‘Morning Bell’.
Wellesley, Massachusetts
It is also clear that ‘Knives Out’ filmed in South Natick under the alias of ‘Morning Bell’. In Wellesley, the movie was filmed at Summit Road and Crown Ridge Road near Linden Square. Reportedly, the car chase scene was shot in Wellesley. Waltham and Maynard also managed to get a taste of the glitzy Hollywood in late 2018, when ‘Knives Out’ was filmed there.
Reports suggest that among the scenes shot in Waltham, was one where Chris Evans‘ character is frisked by an undercover cop before he is arrested and put in the back of a vehicle. Notably, the actor almost returns to his home turf for ‘Knives Out’, which is one of the reasons he was on board for the project in the first place. Evans comes from Sudbury, Massachusetts, which just happens to be 10 miles west of Waltham.
Knives Out Film Izle
Borderland State Park
Now to the filming location that probably brought you here. After all, you must be curious about the beautiful house that features so prominently in the film. Well, the historic mansion is actually located in the Borderland State Park, Easton. Most of the interior shots in the film were shot inside the mansion. Constructed by a branch of the Ames family in 1910, and acquired by the state in 1971, this 20-room mansion perfectly plays its part as the intimidating yet gorgeous house of Harlan Thrombey. A note of caution here: The exterior shots of the house is of some other mansion.
The film permit at Borderland State Park happens to be with Benedict White, LLC, as confirmed by the Department of Conservation and Recreation. Benedict White LLC listed Greg Chiodo as the contact person for the production. Chiodo confirmed to reporters that the filming crew that had been given access to the park’s historic mansion belonged to ‘Knives Out’.
Now that you have a fair idea of where several notable moments of ‘Knives Out’ were filmed, when are you booking your tickets to Massachusetts? In case, you live in the state or close to it, why not plan a weekend trip to the Borderland State Park.
Knives Out Filming Dates
Read More: Who is the “Killer” in ‘Knives Out’?