Rian Johnson is one of the most sought-after directors in Hollywood. His credits include the neo-noir mystery Brick, time-traveling sci-fi movie Looper, blockbuster Star Wars: The Last Jedi, and several episodes of the hit series Breaking Bad. This Thanksgiving, his fifth feature film, Knives Out, hits theaters. The premise sees the wealthy patriarch of a dysfunctional family killed at his birthday party, leading everyone to become a suspect.
The first Knives Out trailer was recently released and it let us in on plenty of little details. Johnson has kept a lot about the movie close to the vest, so every little bit that we found out was well worth the wait. We've selected 10 of the things we've learned from this trailer.
The All-Star Cast
One of the few things we knew about Knives Out was all of the casting news that came out. Hearing the names involved is one thing, getting to see these actors in their roles is an entirely different animal. This is a movie that boasts one of the best lineups in recent memory.
Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Don Johnson, Michael Shannon, Lakeith Stanfield, Katherine Langford, Toni Collette, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Christopher Plummer round out an insanely talented group of actors. Regardless of what happens in the plot, the trailer makes it clear we'll enjoy seeing these guys interact on screen.
The Investigation Gets Hostile
It's almost a given in a "whodunit" movie, but the trailer for Knives Out makes it abundantly clear. It's going to be a hostile investigation. Lead detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) lets the entire family know that they can't leave the home until the investigation is over. That's when people get less than friendly.
Joni Robinson (Toni Collette) is first to give him attitude when asking why they can't leave. The real treat comes when Walt Thrombey (Michael Shannon) gets questioned. It's only a glimpse, but we can tell that he's lashing out at the idea of someone in the family murdering Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer).
The Family Turns On Each Other
Probably stemming from how hostile the family gets during the investigation, they also turn on each other. We first see it when Detective Blanc is seemingly scolding them for twisting the knife in each other's back. That's an indication that they might be throwing one another under the bus.
We also see bits of it in the next part of the trailer. Ransom Thrombey (Chris Evans) wins a war of words with the family. They all sit around yelling at each other, but he sits in the middle of the room and just runs them all down in the smuggest possible manner.
There Are Important Secondary Characters
With a cast as loaded as Knives Out can boast, you'd imagine there isn't room for anyone else. However, this trailer indicates that some key pieces of the film come from actors who aren't getting top billing. We don't know much about her, but there's a very elderly woman sitting with the family at one point. Could she be Harlan's wife?
A bigger moment sees a mysterious man standing on a porch. He looks pretty menacing but not much else is known about him or the role he plays. This man aggressively turns around and terrifies Donna (Riki Lindhome) to the point where she drops all of her groceries. It'll be interesting to see who he is.
Multiple Dead Bodies
In a murder mystery like this, there will obviously be a dead body involved. In one of the most surprising bits of the trailer, we see that Harlan isn't the only body found. Marta (Ana de Armas) busts out her phone to take a picture of a body she discovers.
We aren't sure who this woman is, but she has seemingly been dead for quite some time. A large spider crawls on her face as Marta takes a photo. There's also a few hints of a body on the ground as it gets injected with something from a syringe. Though details are still slim, we have to wonder if this means a larger crime is at hand.
Not Much Cohesion From Detectives
When casting news first came out, it was rumored that Daniel Craig and Lakeith Stanfield would be playing two detectives. While that's true, they don't seem to be partners. Stanfield plays Det. Elliot, but he has no scenes in the trailer where he's seemingly working with Craig's Det. Blanc.
Instead, Elliot is often seen near Det. Trooper Wagner (Noah Segan). Blanc comes across as much more of a loner. Though that's kind of standard for the genre, it does come as something of a shock. It'll be interesting to see how this affects the investigation. The relationship between the detectives could be crucial.
The Setting
The board game Clue comes to mind when most people think about a murder mystery. There is a Victorian feel that is associated with this kind of story. When it was first revealed that Knives Out was a modern telling of a murder mystery, we weren't sure what to expect.
Thankfully, the trailer lets us know that it will still feel like the kind of "whodunit" we all love. Everything from the clothes to the mansion has the feeling of something right out of the past. There's a good chance that a man like Harlan left his home feeling that way and it makes for the perfect setting for this film.
There's No Clear Murder Weapon
With a title like Knives Out, it's easy to think that the murder weapon in this story would be a knife. But it seems more complex than that. The title could just be a reference to the family stabbing each other in the back. The trailer hints at several potential murder weapons.
There are the obvious knives, but a lot more. The trailer shows us some medication and pills that could signal some type of overdose. There's a shot of a coffee mug spilling, possibly indicating a poisoned drink. A molotov cocktail is even thrown in one clip. Any of these items could be used to kill someone.
Everyone Is A Suspect
Coming into a movie like this, you get the sense that most of the characters would be suspects in the murder. However, this trailer makes it clear that every single character is, from the son of the fallen to his nurse to the youngest children in the cast.
In fact, it's one of Det. Blanc's best lines in the trailer: "I suspect foul play. I have eliminated no suspects." As he says it, the camera focuses on some of the youngest and oldest members of the family. It shows off the range of suspects at large and should make for one of the toughest cases to crack in cinema history.
Chris Evans Is Having A Blast
The most talked-about thing from this trailer was Chris Evans. He plays Ransom Thrombey, the arrogant grandson of Harlan, and he looks like he's having the time of his life. Evans has long made it clear that he was ready to move on from his iconic role as Captain America and try new things. This should be right up his alley.
Evans steals the show in the trailer with a profanity-laced series of insults directed at pretty much every member of his family. Ransom doesn't seem overly fussed with the investigation because he is the kind of guy with zero cares in the world. We want to see this movie, even if it's just to watch Evans play a role we aren't used to from him.