Knives Out (2019) — Riley Cross Reviews

For your Night In

You know the drill: you lock the apartment door, switch on the porch light just to make sure the pizza guy doesn’t steal your lasagna, and settle in for a night of total stagnation. Usually, that means doom-scrolling through streaming services until your eyes cross and you pass out on the couch in your sweatpants. But if you want a movie night that feels like a treat without requiring a shower afterward, I highly recommend this one.

I spent six years behind the Blockbuster counter where I judged people for buying premium popcorn, so I know a diamond in the rough when I see one. I remember watching the trailers and thinking this was just "another rich white guy murder mystery," which is a terrible mistake on my part. Instead, you get a vibrant, witty, high-octane family gathering that feels like someone finally added emojis to a script from the 1930s.

It’s the kind of movie that balances the pompous attitudes of a wealthy heir with genuine curiosity, all while looking gorgeous. There is a satisfying moment when the detective gathers the family to tear apart their stories, and the atmosphere is thick enough to cut with a knife—or serve with the lasagna you just ordered. The linchpin of the whole thing is Daniel Craig, formerly the cool guy in *Casino Royale*, who investigates a murder while looking like he’s attending a neglected family barbecue.

It moves at a clip that skips the boring exposition, so you never have to wait five minutes for the audience to catch up. It’s the perfect film for when you want to use your brain a little bit, but you also want to drink wine straight from the bottle like the plot demands. It’s not a punishing genre piece; it’s a relaxing roller coaster.

Bottom line: If you want a weekend night in that is smart, funny, and keeps you awake without demanding too many limbs, this is the absolute best choice.