8.1 | / 10 |
Users | 3.8 | |
Reviewer | 4.5 | |
Overall | 3.8 |
A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.
Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael ShannonDark humor | 100% |
Mystery | 62% |
Thriller | Insignificant |
Crime | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 1.85:1
Original aspect ratio: 1.85:1
English: Dolby Atmos
English: Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (48kHz, 24-bit)
French: Dolby Digital 5.1
Spanish: Dolby Digital 5.1
English, English SDH, French, Spanish
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
Digital copy
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region A (locked)
Movie | 4.5 | |
Video | 4.5 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 3.5 | |
Overall | 4.5 |
For any of you who are, like I am, still in recovery after having witnessed what I personally think was a disastrous turn by John Malkovich as Hercule Poirot in (again, in my estimation) a needless remake of The ABC Murders , take heart and remember these two words: Benoit Blanc. Blanc, portrayed by Golden Globe nominee Daniel Craig, is the private detective at the heart of Knives Out, an often fantastically entertaining film that attempts, and kind of surprisingly often succeeds, at reinventing the so- called “whodunit” genre. “Whodunit” may be a bit of a misnomer with regard to Knives Out, since the film rather artfully provides insight into how a world famous mystery writer named Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) has ended up dead, offering that reveal at least relatively early in what turns out to be a labyrinthine tale. The film begins, however, with Thrombey’s housekeeper Fran (Edi Patterson) discovering Thrombey’s body in an attic hideaway, where it appears at first glance that Thrombey has committed suicide. And in fact as the film progresses, two policemen, Lieutenant Elliott (Lakeith Stanfield) and a trooper named Wagner (Noah Segan), seem consigned to accepting that premise, despite the fact that the Thrombey family is rife with dysfunctions and there may be motives galore if, in fact, Thrombey had a little “help” in meeting his maker. That's where the aforementioned Benoit Blanc comes into the story, attached to the policemen as a Poirot-esque "consultant", listening in and finally taking over a new round of interviews with the family instigated when Blanc receives a mysterious envelope stuffed full of cash asking him to look into Thrombey's death.
Knives Out is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Lionsgate Films with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. The IMDb lists various Arri Alexa cameras as having been utilized, with a 2K DI. This is another digitally captured production that has obviously been tweaked to better resemble traditional film, and there's a kind of slightly mottled appearance to things as a result. The palette has also been toyed with at times, with an almost desaturated look in some of the outdoor material. With those potential "issues" mentioned, this transfer boasts really pleasing detail and fine detail levels throughout the presentation, offering great precise looks at the fine fabrics on outfits and especially the interiors of the Thrombey mansion. The mansion itself is almost a character in the piece, and the deeply burnished interior looks great, with only passing deficits in shadow detail in some of the darkest scenes. Fine detail on elements like the herringbone pattern on an overcoat Blanc wears or some of the ornate upholstery in the Thrombey home is typically very nicely resolved throughout.
Perhaps just a little surprisingly, at least given the fact that this film doesn't offer a ton of opportunity for (literally) over the top sound design elements, Knives Out features a Dolby Atmos track. The Atmos channels are sporadically engaged, typically for ambient environmental effects, but in two notable instances to clearly document some overhead "thumps" that are clues as the story progresses. Otherwise, surround activity is quite enjoyable, especially in the many outdoor scenes. Dialogue and score are presented cleanly and clearly, and I noticed no issues whatsoever with regard to distortion, dropouts or other damage.
- Teaser Trailer (1080p; 2:12)
- Theatrical Trailer (1080p; 2:35)
- Final Trailer (1080p; 1:08)
- Ode to the Murder Mystery (1080p; 1:43) is a fun "faux" trailer with Rian Johnson hosting.
- Thrombey Real Estate (1080p; 00:34)
- Blood Like Wine Publishing (1080p; 00:56)
- Flam (1080p; 00:34)
I am a huge Agatha Christie fan, and Knives Out delivered some of the same delirious fun that the best Christie mysteries do. The film kind of reminded me in a way of Gosford Park, in that while the central murder mystery keeps things clicking along at an agreeable pace, it's really the interpersonal relationships that give the film most of its color and interest. The cast is hugely enjoyable, and it might go without saying that a film with the word knives in its title benefits from some very sharp writing. Technical merits are solid, the supplementary package nicely full and fun, and Knives Out comes Highly recommended.
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