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- Knives Out was a successful whodunit with an exciting cast and captivating plot. As a sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was recently released in cinemas, presenting yet another enigmatic narrative. Daniel Craig has gone on to reprise his role as detective Benoit Blanc, alongside another ensemble cast. Knowing where the inspiration came from for such an intriguing plotline is always a bonus for fans, allowing them to understand the roots of a movie.
While Rian Johnson attempted to avoid any direct influence from other films while crafting his murder mystery masterpiece Knives Out, his love of certain films is still very evident in both the finished product and the interviews he did to promote it. As Johnson is set to make a return to whodunnits with the forthcoming sequel to Knives Out, there's no better time than the present to check out the movies that fostered his love of the genre.
Those films, many of which are either parodies, satires, or "deconstructions" (as is the case with Knives Out) of the mystery genre as a whole, are all available to stream online for those who need a quick fix before Knives Out 2 drops on Netflix.
UPDATE: 2022/12/10 By Ruby Brown
Knives Out was a successful whodunit with an exciting cast and captivating plot. As a sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was recently released in cinemas, presenting yet another enigmatic narrative. Daniel Craig has gone on to reprise his role as detective Benoit Blanc, alongside another ensemble cast. Knowing where the inspiration came from for such an intriguing plotline is always a bonus for fans, allowing them to understand the roots of a movie.
Deathtrap (1982)
Available To Rent On Amazon
Sidney Lumet's Deathtrap follows Sidney Bruhl, an aging playwright who plots to murder one of his students in order to steal their work and pass it off as his own.
A surprisingly progressive movie in ways that can't be revealed without spoiling one of its many twists, Deathtrap is a forgotten masterpiece of the murder mystery genre. And its set design, if Johnson (in an interview with The Atlantic) is to be believed, is "incredible."
Sleuth (2007)
Available To Rent On Google Play
Joseph L. Mankiewicz's 1972 film Sleuth is another great "house movie," as Johnson describes the subgenre of murder mysteries that take place within a few small locations (which includes Knives Out) in his interview with The Atlantic. A prop from Sleuth even appears in Knives Out!
Unfortunately, the original film isn't available to stream online, but Kenneth Branagh's 2007 remake (while inferior to the original) is the next best thing.
Gosford Park (2001)
Available To Rent On Apple TV+
Robert Altman's black comedy Gosford Park (which inspired TV's Downton Abbey) follows a group of wealthy British socialites who are thrust into a murder mystery while staying at an English country house.
According to his interview in The Atlantic, the film's use of class commentary is something that Johnson played into while making Knives Out. With many British murder mysteries that should be watched, Gosford Park is up as one of them.
The Last Of Sheila (1973)
Available To Rent On Microsoft Store
Frequently described as a predecessor to Knives Out (Rian Johnson himself introduced a screening of the film at TIFF), the satirical whodunnit The Last of Sheila is a winning blend of comedy, mystery, and commentary.
It follows a group of people who attend a party at movie producer Clinton Greene's mansion, during which Clinton's wife Sheila is killed in a hit-and-run. One year later, the partygoers reunite on a luxury cruise paid for by Clinton — who has a game for them to play that just might bring out the truth about his wife's death.
Evil Under The Sun (1982)
Available To Stream On Britbox
Evil Under the Sun is a must-watch for murder mystery fans. While often overlooked in favor of its contemporaries, the film is one of the best Agatha Christie movie adaptations.
It was written by Anthony Shaffer (the writer of Sleuth), directed by Guy Hamilton (the director of The Mirror Crack'd), and was clearly one of the films that brought about Johnson's love of a good old-fashioned whodunnit.
The Mirror Crack'd (1980)
Available To Stream On Britbox
The Mirror Crack'd is an underrated Agatha Christie adaptation that boasts such stars as Kim Novak, Elizabeth Taylor, and Angela Lansbury, who has many best movies and TV roles.
It follows Miss Marple as she attempts to figure out the truth behind the death of a woman whose poisoned cup was seemingly meant for another. Rian Johnson saw this film as an influence on Knives Out; actor Michael Shannon (who plays Harlan's son Walt) described it as his first exposure to Agatha Christie.
Murder On The Orient Express (1974)
Available To Stream On FuboTV
Perhaps the most enduring of Christie adaptations, Murder on the Orient Express combines an all-star cast with gorgeous set and costume designs in a way that inspired future murder mysteries such as Knives Out.
When a businessman is murdered on a train, Detective Hercule Poirot rushes to discover which of the passengers had a motive to kill him, in one of the best adaptations of Agatha Christie's work.
The 39 Steps (1935)
Available To Stream On HBO Max
Alfred Hitchcock's The 39 Steps follows an innocent man accused of the murder of a secret agent. As he attempts to unravel the conspiracy while running from the law, he meets a woman who is forced by circumstance to accompany him for the rest of the chase.
Johnson described the protagonist's situation in this film as similar to Marta's in Knives Out, and said that both "emotionally involve" the audience, keeping them "leaning forward to see how [the protagonists are] going to get out of a [dangerous] predicament."
Murder by Death (1976)
Available To Stream On FuboTV
While it's not as well-known as Clue, Murder by Death was one of Johnson's favorite movies as a kid, and its comedic tone carries over into Knives Out.
The film follows "the world's best detectives" (spoofs of famous detectives like Sam Spade and Miss Marple) as they try to figure out the mystery of why they've all been invited to dinner by a mysterious millionaire.
Clue (1985)
Available To Stream On FuboTV
The rare board game adaptation that actually works as a film (most of the time), Clue's use of rapid-fire humor, delivered by an eccentric cast of characters, made it into a cult classic.
Harlan Thrombey is described in Knives Out as "[living] in a Clue board", and the similar set design between both films shows it. Even if Johnson did try to avoid too much inspiration from any source while crafting Knives Out, it's clear a bit of Clue seeped in somewhere.