Rian Johnson’s Agatha Christie-inspired whodunnit “Knives Out” just made its world premiere at the Toronto Film Festival, and fest-goers are eating up this tale of rich people gone murderously insane. Opening November 27 from Lionsgate, “Knives Out” is written and directed by Johnson, last seen behind the camera on “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” marking a return to original form. The film boasts an embarrassingly rich top-drawer cast, including Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, and Christopher Plummer.
IndieWire critic David Ehrlich similarly gushed over the film in his review. “Rian Johnson’s ‘Knives Out’ — a crackling, devious, and hugely satisfying old-school whodunnit with a modern twist — wants you to know that it takes place in the world of today. In fact, it wants you to know that it wants you to know. Hardly a minute goes by without some reference to the here and now of it all. When legendary crime novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead the morning after his 85th birthday, it’s as if the past dies with him and the present comes rushing in to replace it, eager to claim the inheritance to which it always felt entitled.”
Below, IndieWire has rounded up hot takes on the film out of TIFF.
KNIVES OUT is a diabolical, hilarious, and massively entertaining whodunnit that updates the musty genre for the modern world and all of its MAGA assholes.
see it with the biggest crowd you can find. here’s my #tiff19 review: https://t.co/SQumxnFZ6q pic.twitter.com/hSTsJBg4Me
— david ehrlich (@davidehrlich) September 8, 2019
KNIVES OUT: Come for the grand cast and the all-you-can-eat-the-rich buffet; stay for a classical whodunit worthy of John Dickson Carr in its hilarity and sheer ingenuity of construction. Goodness, what a delight. #TIFF2019
— Justin Chang (@JustinCChang) September 8, 2019
KNIVES OUT is a lot of fun and I think my MVP is Toni Collette, who’s essentially playing John Early playing Gwyneth Paltrow
— Kyle Buchanan (@kylebuchanan) September 8, 2019
With the KNIVES OUT premiere underway, think I’m finally cleared to gush that it’s the best damn film I’ve seen all year. (Throw in last year, too.) Not just the crackerjack mystery I’d hoped for, but also deeply cathartic in ways I’d never have anticipated. Final shot is pure 🔪
— ɱıƙɛ ɖ’ąŋɠɛƖơ (@gemko) September 7, 2019
Knives Out contains the line “I read a tweet about a New Yorker article about you” so it’s automatically the year’s funniest movie.
— kateyrich (@kateyrich) September 8, 2019
KNIVES OUT is an absolute blast, and Daniel Craig’s Foghorn Leghorn Poirot is a delight to watch, but its not-so-secret star is Ana de Armas
— David Sims (@davidlsims) September 8, 2019
#KnivesOut is flat-out awesome in every way. The funniest film I have seen this year – clever-as-hell writing & glorious performances (Daniel Craig steals the film), this murder-mystery send-up just killed it here at #TIFF19 pic.twitter.com/6Nq3kiXxpX
— Erik Davis (@ErikDavis) September 8, 2019
KNIVES OUT is such fun!! absolutely perfect cast, every punchline lands, just a lovely freewheeling caper with a twisty story that morphs into something new every ten minutes. loved it!!!! #TIFF19
— Emma Stefansky (@stefabsky) September 8, 2019
I was huffing and puffing about a mile behind the plot of KNIVES OUT, and was elated when it was finally time for the movie to come back to me with the reveal. The most entertaining magic trick you’ll ever see. #TIFF2019
— Scott Tobias (@scott_tobias) September 8, 2019
KNIVES OUT: I’m giddy. This is one of the most entertaining movies I’ve seen in years. Hilarious, clever as hell, and loaded with great performances. People are gonna love it. #TIFF19
— Chris Evangelista @ TIFF (@cevangelista413) September 8, 2019
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