An immensely engaging whodunnit, Knives Out offers a unique take on the classical murder mystery genre and keeps its viewers strapped tightly to their seats. Set in countryside America, the movie revolves around the suicide or alleged murder of Harlan Thrombey, a famous writer of crime fiction, and his money-grubbing family, eager to inherit his fortune after his death. Apart from being the primary setting where the plot unfolds, the Thrombey residence is also the cause of rising tempers as the family deems it as their inherent ‘birthright’ to inherit. Looking closely shows how the family’s so-called ‘ancestral home’ becomes the perfect narrative tool to reveal the fate of the people who inhabit it.
The Plot Thickens
Unlike a typical murder mystery, director Rian Johnson cleverly plays with the audience’s expectations and misdirects them to deliver a refreshing plot with twists throughout the film. Detective Benoit Blanc, a private investigator is hired anonymously, to look into the case of Harlan Thrombey’s suicide to confirm his ‘manner of death’. During his questioning, the personality of Thrombey’s family members is quickly unraveled as that of a swindling upper-class American family consisting of ‘self-made overachievers’, which is a stark contrast to Harlan’s kind-hearted, caregiving nurse Marta Cabrera. While the audience starts to rack their brains on the question “Who did it?”, with the flip of a coin the movie switches genre from a murder mystery to a cat and mouse chase, by revealing the killer. As the plot thickens and the detective is found wondering what fills the hole in the middle of this donut of a mystery, the audience sits at the edge of their seats waiting for the mystery to unravel.
The Thrombey’s Residence
Much of the mystery plays itself out in the Thrombey residence, an opulent villa built in the Queen Anne style of architecture from the Victorian era, along with some eclectic details. This style is typically characterized by its asymmetrical facade, massive volumes, and patterned brickwork, all of which are evident in the home’s exterior. In terms of elements, these buildings have large gabled roofs, dormer windows, towers, and a front porch. Lying in the middle of the woods the house appears to be relatively detached from civilization, perfect for Harlan’s solitary writing but symbolizing a disconnect between him and his family members. It portrays an aging Harlan who is found seeking companionship in his nurse, who becomes his friend and confidant in his loneliness, while his family cares for him only as long as he provides for them. The house is also used as a symbol for portraying the Thrombey’s detachment from moral principles since being well provided for by their father, they confine and isolate themselves from the harsh realities of the outside world.
Stepping Indoors
The interior of the residence was designed to appear like it was straight out of a game of Cluedo, furnished with hidden doorways, trick windows, and creaky stairs. The cops describe how Harlan ‘practically lived in a clue board’, as the idea of a game being afoot is evidently mentioned by various characters in the film. Even after his death, Harlan guides Marta through a game that she is not playing to ‘beat’ anyone. The darkly painted interiors add to the narrative by creating an environment of tension in the house. Rooms are filled with patterned carpets, wallpapers, antiques, statutes, and tons of Harlan’s books, calling out to his extravagant life which is now destined to be occupied by his family, who are eager to cling to their father’s glory.
The library of the house is significant to the storyline. It is the location where the suspects are interrogated with literal daggers pointing towards them. As each character flashes back into their pasts, the audience stays in the library analyzing the plot from afar. The sculpture with a ring of daggers is placed right behind the suspects, creating a halo around their heads. This is cleverly used to drop hints about the identity of the killer based on the location of their seat. As revealed later the sculpture turns out to be a mere facade like the seemingly ulterior motives of Thrombey’s family.
Another important setting in the movie is Harlan’s study, the scene of the crime. As Harlan is seen drowning in a pool of blood, it is interesting to notice how the entire study is painted red which helps accentuate the horrendous suicide. The study is brimming with books, calling out how the writer of crime fiction has become a victim in the very center of his mysteries. The location of Harlan’s room and study are also symbolic in denoting a power dynamic between him and the rest of his family, where he lives on top of the hierarchy.
Stitching Together Locations of The Shoot
The residence itself has been shot in three independent locations, adding a layer of wonder of how the movie seamlessly flows between different geographical locations to depict the same space. The exteriors were shot at a private house in Massachusetts, while most of the interiors were shot in the Ames Mansion at Massachusetts’ Borderland State Park. Some of the movie’s most crucial locations were even shot on a soundstage and would not have fit into the layout of the house shown as the exterior of the mansion. This imperceptible change in locations of the film also brings to focus how careful architectural analysis can weave together unrelated spaces into a single space.
Since its inception cinema has been tied to architecture and vice versa. Architecture enables storytelling in films, while they offer a unique perception of space that is capable of defying the restrictions of reality. All in all, Knives Out is an excellent example of how spatial elements of architecture can enhance the depth of narratives. The movie shows how the use of spaces can create a sense of foreboding, which acts perfectly for creating an enigma around both the story, and its profound characters.
Citations for websites:
Kermode, M. (2019). Knives Out review – a deliciously entertaining whodunnit. [online] the Guardian. Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/dec/01/knives-out-review-rian-johnson-superior-whodunnit-agatha-christie. [Accessed 30 November 2024]
The Wrap (2019). How ‘Knives Out’ Turned Three Locations Into a Single Mansion of Murder. [online] Available at: https://www.thewrap.com/how-knives-out-turned-three-locations-into-a-single-mansion-of-murder/.[Accessed 1 December 2024]
Kevin Slane (2019). The story behind the Massachusetts mansion in ‘Knives Out’ – The Boston Globe. [online] BostonGlobe.com. Available at: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2019/12/01/lifestyle/story-behind-massachusetts-mansion-knives-out/.[Accessed 1 December 2024]
House Beautiful. (2019). How Knives Out’s Set Decorator Created the Perfect Mystery House. [online] Available at: https://www.housebeautiful.com/design-inspiration/a30143056/knives-out-set/.[Accessed 1 December 2024]
www.phmc.state.pa.us. (2015). Queen Anne Style 1880 – 1910 | PHMC > Pennsylvania Architectural Field Guide. [online] Available at: https://www.phmc.state.pa.us/portal/communities/architecture/styles/queen-anne.html.[Accessed 1 December 2024]
Romullo Baratto (2017). How Architecture Speaks Through Cinema. [online] ArchDaily. Available at: https://www.archdaily.com/872754/how-architecture-speaks-through-cinema.[Accessed 2 December 2024]
Citations for YouTube videos:
The Closer Look (2020). How To Do A Plot Twist – Knives Out. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/eRhW6RgSm3E?si=kxF4CYCQ7Q8Q41fx [Accessed 1 Dec. 2024].
Simple (2022). Knives Out: A Complex Film about Simple Things. [online] YouTube. Available at: https://youtu.be/fOX7gOlb8xM?si=48L5xJCD0zl7jXoy [Accessed 1 Dec. 2024].
Vanity Fair (2024). – YouTube. [online] Available at: https://youtu.be/69GjaVWeGQM?si=bCsjTliY0wRBayeh [Accessed 1 Dec. 2024].
