Review: In ‘Knives Out,’ a whodunit for the Trump era

Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” unravels not just a good old-fashioned murder mystery but the very fabric of the whodunit, pulling at loose threads until it has intricately, devilishly woven together something new and exceedingly delightful.

For all the detective tales that dot television screens, the Agatha Christie-styled whodunit has gone curiously absent from movie theaters. The nostalgia-driven “Murder on Orient Express” (2017), popular as it was, didn’t do much to dispel the idea that the genre has essentially moved into retirement, content to sit out its days in a warm puffy armchair, occasionally dusting itself off for a remake.

But Johnson has since his 2005 neo-noir debut “Brick” shown a rare cunning for enlivening old genres with densely plotted deconstruction. He makes very clever movies (“Looper,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”) that sometimes, like in the madcap caper “The Brothers Bloom,” verge on showy overelaboration, of being too much.

This image released by Lionsgate shows Katherine Langford, from left, Toni Collette, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Riki Lindholm and Jaeden Lieberher in a scene from "Knives Out." (Claire FolgerLionsgate via AP)

But in the whodunit, too much is usually a good thing. Give us all the movie stars, plot twists and murder weapons you can find. When done well, there is almost nothing better. And “Knives Out,” while it takes a little while to find its stride, sticks the landing, right up to its doozy of a last shot. The whodunit turns out not only to still have a few moves left but to be downright acrobatic.

The film begins like many before it: with a dead body that needs accounting for. Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), a bestselling mystery writer, is found with his throat cut in a small upstairs room in his sprawling Victorian mansion. Production designer David Crank deserves much credit for the film’s fabulously ornate and much-paneled setting — a Clue board come to life and a home that could rival the modernist abode of “Parasite” for movie house of the year.

Thrombey is extremely wealthy with an expansive family of spoon-fed, entitled eccentrics that would likely mix well with the dynasty of HBO’s “Succession.” And as much intrigue as there is about Harlan’s death, for his children there’s even more about his inheritance. There’s his relator daughter Linda (Jamie Lee Curtis) and her cheating husband Richard (Don Johnson), a vocal Trump supporter; his son Walt (a sweater-wearing Michael Shannon) who runs his father’s publishing house and is married to Joni (Toni Collette); and his grandson Ransom (Chris Evans), the arrogant black sheep of the family.

This image released by Lionsgate shows Lakeith Stanfield, left, and Daniel Craig, right, in a scene from "Knives Out." (Claire FolgerLionsgate via AP)

There are others, too, most notably Harlan’s trusted caregiver Marta (Ana de Armas). The Thrombeys casually refer to her as “the help” and, in a running gag, are all over the map when it comes to her native South American country. A deeper political dimension slowly takes shape as the family’s cavalier indifference to Marta plays a role in the movie’s unspooling mysteries. Juggling themes of class privilege, immigration and ethnocentricity, “Knives Out” is a whodunit for the Trump era.

Some mysteries first submerge themselves in set-up, the crime in question and the entrance of its central detective. Johnson is too restless for such an approach. He favors flashbacks, by the boat load, to go along with elaborate plot mechanics of reversals and perspective switcheroos. That gives “Knives Out” a somewhat clunky and imperfectly paced first act, something Johnson makes up for with the payoff of his finale. But for a movie with so many fine actors having so much fun, we get surprisingly little of the Thrombeys as a whole.

Instead, our detective calls almost immediately. Enter Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), a flamboyant Louisiana investigator of such renown that he’s already been profiled in the New Yorker as “the last of the gentleman sleuths.” Even with such immaculate set dressing all around him (the mystery writer’s house is decorated throughout with murder weapons, including a throne of knives), Craig still manages to chew plenty of scenery with his heavily accented Southern-style Poirot. One calls him “Foghorn Leghorn,” another “CSI: KFC.” He’s accompanied by another detective (an underused Lakeith Stanfield) but he quickly makes Marta his sidekick; she has a useful aversion to lies, throwing up every time she tells one.

This image released by Lionsgate shows Jamie Lee Curtis, from left, Christopher Plummer, Don Johnson and Michael Shannon in a scene from "Knives Out." (Claire FolgerLionsgate via AP)

There isn’t much that isn’t knowing in Johnson’s dialogue. He delights in playing by the genre’s rules and remaking them at once. There are winking references here to “Hamilton” and “Baby Driver,” and “Knives Out” more than once risks being overwhelmed by self-satisfaction.

But “Knives Out,” in the end, believes earnestly in the whodunit, it just wants to turn it inside out. To say more about that would spoil the fun. But keep an eye here, and elsewhere, on de Armas. The “Blade Runner 2049” actress (soon to be seen in the next James Bond film, also with Craig) isn’t the biggest star in a film awash with A-listers. But with neither cloak nor dagger, she seizes “Knives Out.” It’s hers.

“Knives Out,” a Lionsgate release, is rated PG-13 by the Motion Picture Association of America for thematic content, some disturbing images and strong language. Running time: 126 minutes. Three and a half stars out of four.

This image released by Lionsgate shows Ana de Armas in a scene from "Knives Out." (Claire FolgerLionsgate via AP)

MPAA Definition of PG-13: Parents strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13.

Follow AP Film Writer Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP

This image released by Lionsgate shows Ana de Armas, left, and Daniel Craig in a scene from "Knives Out." (Claire FolgerLionsgate via AP)

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. (AP) — If the American Film Institute Awards stands for anything, it’s that everyone in the room — from Leonardo DiCaprio and Ryan Coogler to Timothée Chalamet and Ariana Grande — leaves feeling like a winner.

That spirit was on full display Friday as the AFI Awards gathered its 2026 honorees for an invitation-only luncheon in Beverly Hills, where the institute once again celebrated the collaborative nature of film and television by honoring creative teams — in front of and behind the camera.

Inside the ballroom, there were no acceptance speeches in the traditional sense and no suspense over envelopes. Instead, AFI’s ceremony unfolded as a series of thoughtfully written tributes: eloquent rationales for each honored film and television program, followed by brief clips designed to place the year’s work within a broader cultural and artistic context.

AFI President Bob Gazzale spoke in front of star-filled room, ensuring there were no losers with only shared recognition.

The room reflected that mood. Filmmaker Steven Spielberg was spotted chatting with Coogler, whose wife and “Sinners" producer, Zinzi Coogler, stood beside him. Meanwhile, Michael B. Jordan worked the room, trading hugs and handshakes with fellow honorees and guests including "Bugonia" star Jesse Plemons and “Task” actor Mark Ruffalo. Filmmakers James Cameron and Guillermo del Toro greeted each other.

Nearby, DiCaprio stood side by side with Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and actors Benicio del Toro and Edward James Olmos. Chase Infiniti looked on from her table, gazing toward her “One Battle After Another” co-stars before the program kicked off.

On the red carpet, with “Death by Lightning” actor Nick Offerman beside him, George Clooney shared laughs with a photographer, adding to the easygoing tone that carried throughout the afternoon. After the event, Infiniti and Jordan reunited for a hug and a brief catch-up, a quiet moment that underscored the camaraderie in the room.

Films honored include “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” “Bugonia,” “Frankenstein,” “Hamnet,” “Jay Kelly,” “Marty Supreme,” “One Battle After Another," “Sinners,” “Train Dreams” and “Wicked: For Good.”

Television shows recognized were “Adolescence,” “Andor,” “Death by Lightning,” “The Diplomat,” “The Lowdown,” “The Pitt,” “Severance,” “The Studio" and “Task.”

Closing the ceremony was Carol Burnett, who delivered AFI’s annual benediction, celebrating the honorees’ achievements while reflecting on her own lifelong love of cinema and television.

“I’ve never lost the deep respect and love that I have for all the stories we tell through cinema and television and by all of those behind and in front of the camera,” Burnett said. “Creative collaboration has always remained at the heart of our work, and AFI brings us all together. The world is a better place for having heard your voices.”

The luncheon also featured AFI’s signature March of Time video montage, a sweeping look at cinematic and television milestones from decades past, situating this year’s honorees within the evolving history of the medium.

Actor Michael B. Jordan arrives at the AFI Awards at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Ariana Grande arrives at the AFI Awards at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Actor Chase Infiniti arrives at the AFI Awards at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Actor Rhea Seehorn arrives at the AFI Awards on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Actors Laura Dern, from left, George Clooney and Nick Offerman pose together at the AFI Awards at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Actors Ethan Hawke, left, and Joel Edgerton pose together at the AFI Awards on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Director Ryan Coogler, left, and his wife Zinzi Evans pose together at the AFI Awards on Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos from left, and actors Leonardo DiCaprio, Edward James Olmos and Benicio del Toro pose for a photo at the AFI Awards at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

Actors George Clooney, left, and Nick Offerman pose together at the AFI Awards at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)