The morning after celebrating his 85th birthday, murder mystery author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) is found dead. Detective Benoir Blanc (Daniel Craig) is brought in to investigate. He brings in Harlan’s family and staff to question them to get to the bottom of what happened.

The room where Harlan was found seemed to suggest suicide, but Benoit suspect there is more to the story. Harlan had amassed quite the fortune from his books, so his family had plenty to gain from his demise. Each had their quarrels with Harlan before his death. Many of them had arguments directly with him the night before his death. It is a death worthy of something Harlan himself would have written in one of his books.

It is an investigation fraught with lies and stories that don’t quite line up. Just when Benoit thinks he has the mystery solved, more twists and turns come about that could upend his investigation.

Knives Out is a modern twist on the Clue movie from the 80s.

The cast is loaded with heavy hitters. Besides Christopher Plummer, the film stars Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, Michael Shannon, Edi Patterson, and Ana de Armas, among others. Each is perfectly suited for their roles. As one would expect, each of the family members feels they are entitled to their share of the family fortune, if not more. They are backstabbing, conniving people who only have their own best interest in mind. Individually, they serve their characters well. As an ensemble, they work beautifully together.

The story is as funny as it is clever. The family dynamics, the personalities of both the characters and the actors, and the overall story meld together into an absolutely entertaining film. The film takes itself just seriously enough that it isn’t quite as ridiculous as Clue, but not so seriously that it gets bogged down with trying to throw you off the trail just to keep you guessing. The script is excellently written with a cast who can back it up.

Knives Out is a murder mystery that will keep you guessing its smart, funny story. It is one of those films that goes by quickly, almost leaving you wanting more. If you’ve taken the kids to see Frozen II and are looking for something more adult, this will definitely fit the bill.