Knives Out revived the comedy mystery genre in 2019 and quickly gained both audience and critical acclaim even though it lost the Academy Award for best picture at the Oscars that year.
Despite the movie not taking home the big award, fans demanded a sequel and are finally getting it with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, which will have a limited theatrical release starting on November 23 and then move to Netflix, where it will exclusively stream in December. The first installment in the franchise is still a fan favorite though, and it sparked a barrage of memes that summed up the plot twists and characters that made the movie so memorable.
Meg's Mistake
Meg seemed like the only person besides Marta and the detective with some genuine morality, but that quickly faded when she chose to stand by her family, who were all openly terrible people.
Meg's discussion to try and sway Marta's decision proved to be a big mistake since it showed that she didn't care about school, only the money she felt she was owed, making her just as greedy as the others. This changed the movie's flow because it became clear that Marta had no allies in the family.
A Benoit Blanc Gem
Benoit Blanc had a way with words in Knives Out, especially when he was giving his monologue about donuts and how they are hollow inside, which has been noted as one of the most underrated movie monologues by Reddit.
This scene showed the detective's intelligence, even when it seemed he was going overboard, and the case was cut and dry, making him unnecessary to the story beyond some comic relief. This meme perfectly captures the chaotic nature of Benoit but also how those who are seen as nonsensical can be the only person in the room who see through the smoke in mirrors put in place by others.
A Spoiler Without A Spoiler
Many elements of this film don't seem to make sense when they are put out of context, but the combination of these parts makes for a unique movie that didn't rely on a book or previous film to get attention.
The absurdity of the movie is something people found endearing while watching it and helped keep viewers guessing which plot points were a vital clue versus what was a red herring thrown in to keep them off the trail. This was especially prevalent with the grandmother, who seemed to play no fundamental role in the movie until the end when more pieces started coming together.
A Change In Plans
2020 changed the world forever, and in the case of Knives Out, Marta changed the plans of everyone in the family who stood to gain from the death of Harlan. The movie highlights that even the best-laid plans can be thrown off track, and no one should consider their goals set in stone until they are complete and have no chance to change.
Much like the year 2020, no one in Harlan's family saw Marta as a threat; she was just another part of the house that would be there and gone once Harlan was, but this clearly didn't work out for them.
Predictable But Still Good
As one of the best mystery comedy films in recent history, Knives Out does have a level of predictability to it, but that is part of the movie's charm. Many viewers noted that they figured out who the movie's culprit was before it was revealed, but what they didn't get right was the methods.
The twists and turns of the film had even the most seasoned mystery fans on the edge of their seat, testing their theories. Even if someone guessed every element of the movie, the characters and script made the film worth multiple watches.
What's In A Name
The title of a movie can play a significant role in the plot, or it can just be something catchy that will get the attention of moviegoers and make them want to see what a movie with a ridiculous name could entail. Knives Out seemed like a cut-and-dry title for a murder mystery comedy with a cast known for their dramatic acting skills, but it had a much deeper meaning.
As Benoit Blanc says, the family has their metaphorical knives out, ready to feast upon whatever the will left to them and anyone who got in their way; this line made audiences perk up at the acknowledgment of the title but also other deeper meaning it held in summing up the family and how cruel and greedy they proved to be.
The Sweater That Broke The Internet
Ransom seemed like the movie's hero, the one family member who would swoop in and save Marta from the family he had separated himself from long before. Still, in one of the greatest movie plot twists of all time, Ransom proves his knitwear is his only redeeming quality.
At the same time, it was easy to fall for Ransom's charm, partially because he was played by Chris Evans, who moviegoers usually see in the hero role. While some viewers were wrapped up in the potential for Ransom to be a good person, others saw him without rose-colored glasses and for what he was; a killer.
The Confusing Draw
From the marketing to the actual film itself, it seems like Knives Out is one of those movies that doesn't have a plot that makes any sense but keeps people watching for several reasons, including the excellent acting and the satisfaction that comes with seeming a mystery solved over two hours, give or take a few minutes.
The movie's compelling nature kept fans watching until the end when the actual plot came to light and audiences realized it all made sense once it was laid out without Ransom's lie and Marta's desire to keep the police off her back. This gave the movie a unique format that is hard to replicate.
The Switch
The plan Ransom put in place was nearly foolproof until Blanc came in and showed all the cracks in the plot that Ransom couldn't for, one of those being Marta's abilities as a nurse. For most of the movie, Marta thinks she switched the medication that Harlan needed nightly, causing her to try and stop the detective from solving the case.
But this movie showed that no one could be trusted, not even the characters who were protagonists, as their self-doubt caused them to stress more than they needed to and draw out the case. The switch seems like a simple mistake that could easily be explained, but Marta's personal life and Harlan's advice keep her from seeing that and causes the wild goose chase she and Benoit go on for the better part of the film.
The Writing
Even the best-cast movies suffer from bad writing, but Knives Out has both great casting and writing that helped earn the film $300 million at the box office. Even though there were doubts about the writer, Rian Johnson proved any doubts about his ability to rally after The Last Jedi wrong.
Clearly this wasn't an issue since it was so successful that there is a Knives Out sequel set to release around Christmas. This meme shows that some assumptions aren't always correct.
