Knives Out (2025) is written & directed by Rian Johnson. It stars Ana De Armas, Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, LaKeith Stanfield, Christopher Plummer, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Riki Lindhome, Edi Patterson, Frank Oz, K Callan, and M. Emmet Walsh. The film follows the estranged Thrombeys as they gather to celebrate the 85th birthday of wealthy author and family patriarch, Harlan (Plummer). When Harlan is found dead the next morning of an apparent suicide, the family immediately begins to bicker over his vast inheritance. However, the situation is further complicated by the arrival of famous detective Benoit Blanc (Craig), who received a mysterious letter informing him that Harlan’s death was likely a murder. Although certain that the culprit is a family member, Blanc soon realizes that each of them has a reasonable motive for committing the crime. To catch the killer, Blanc teams up with Harlan’s beloved nurse, Marta Cabrera (De Armas), whom he believes he can trust due to a condition that makes her vomit every time she lies. When it’s revealed that Harlan left his vast fortune to Marta, the Thrombeys’ behavior turns more desperate, proving that the killer shouldn’t be Blanc’s only concern. 

After a decade and a half of watching Craig play James Bond exclusively, it was easy to forget about his other skills as a performer. His portrayal of Benoit Blanc is a far cry from the suave charisma of 007, yet Craig nails this role, proving he has as much range as any leading man in Hollywood. The only fundamental similarity between the two characters is that they’re the best at what they do. The character even displays several traditionally feminine, softer traits that are a breath of fresh air compared to the ultra-masculine 007 character. It also helps that Blanc feels like a truly original character on the page. It’s a lot of fun watching such an eccentric person use his odd personality to see details other people can’t or won’t. He’s an odd duck, but his quirks are fun and memorable. For example, I have a lot of fun with the moments when the character narrates his investigation in the style of a classic mystery novel, uncovering truths that a more grounded view of reality often hides. 

What makes Craig even more impressive is that the supporting cast of A-list actors all give dynamite performances as well. He doesn’t stand out by default, which is a tricky thing to achieve within an ensemble like this. Ana De Armas as Marta is arguably the film’s lead character, receiving noticeably more focus than Blanc. In fact, most of the film is told from her perspective. As a more traditional kind of lead for this genre, she’s given some specific quirks that not only make her unique but inform the story’s murder-mystery premise in fresh and compelling ways.

Referring to each of the other performances would take an eternity, but believe me when I say they all nail their various roles. There’s one scene in particular where the bulk of the Thrombeys scream and bicker after discovering they’ve been cut out of Harlan’s will, and it’s almost overwhelmingly funny. It’s incredible that the script simultaneously makes us despise these people on a moral level, whether they’re the killer or not, but also makes them so undeniably entertaining that they’re kind of a joy to watch. 

The ultimate killer reveal is effective and satisfying. However, my problem is that some of the film’s early visual hints about their identity are extremely obvious if you’re versed in the genre. Most viewers won’t catch these hints, so it makes sense they’re featured. Either way, this doesn’t ruin anything in a massive way. This reveal effectively highlights the film’s central theme of entitlement, how people will attempt to take what others have earned, specifically because they’ve convinced themselves it’s what they deserve.

Overall, this is an impressive effort from director Rian Johnson that cements its place among the better murder-mystery films of the 2020s. It features an intriguing mystery, fun dialogue, and multiple memorable characters/performances. I personally would’ve liked a bit more dramatic punch to the third act as a whole, but that doesn’t mean it falls flat. Compelling murder mysteries are tough to write, but Johnson seems to be a natural in the genre. B+