The Unexpected Subversiveness of Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" Anonymous 9th Grade

At its surface, Rian Johnson’s Knives Out (2019) is a simple movie about the murder – and subsequent investigation – of Harlan Thrombey, the elusive 85 year old writer responsible for some of the world’s best and best-selling mystery novels. While in decent health, Harlan had a few minor health troubles which necessitated a nurse (Ana de Armas’ Marta Cabrera) be on his estate for most of the time he spent awake – from sunrise to well past sundown, at which time the two would play board games together.

At first, the police and Harlan’s family thought that he had committed suicide. After all, his throat had been slit in a manner that suggested suicide. But after detective-whiz Benoit Blanc arrives on the scene, a bigger mystery is uncovered: was Harlan actually murdered? And if he was, who did it? Was it family? Or a stranger, like Marta?

This seems like such a simple story filled with interesting characters. But it is so much more than that. In reality, Knives Out is an incredibly subversive and layered film about liberal hypocrisy and the entitlement of the family of wealthy people.

Shortly after Harlan dies, a motif in the film begins to emerge. Whenever Marta interacts with members of the Thrombey family, they invariably say...