“I suspect foul play, I have eliminated no suspects.”

            Just when you thought the whodunnit genre may have all but died out, a man with a creative vision has chosen to bring it back to life in exhilarating fashion. To take the rage poured upon his previous project by a certain crowd of viewers and disperse it into a long-developed passion project to let go of it all. That man is Rian Johnson, his improperly scorned film being the divisive Star Wars: The Last Jedi and his passion project is the newly released ensemble Knives Out.

            The film follows the Thrombey family, a high-class and expansive group of people that includes eldest daughter Linda (Curtis), a real estate mogul, her husband Richard (Johnson) and their son Hugh, better known as Ransom (Evans); Walter, the head of a publishing company, his wife Donna (Riki Lindhome) and their son Jacob (Jaeden Martell); facial care specialist Joni (Collette) and her daughter Meg (Katherine Langford).

            The large group of eccentric and volatile family members have all gathered to celebrate the 85th birthday of their patriarch and successful mystery novelist Harlan (Plummer), only for him to be found dead the next morning, his throat slit in what initially appears to be suicide. They are kept gathered by Detective Lieutenant Elliot (Stanfield), Trooper Wagner (Segan) and acclaimed private detective Benoit Blanc (Craig).

            Johnson is no stranger to the murder mystery genre, making his debut with 2005’s Brick, but he finds a new and fascinating angle with Knives Out as he takes the classic tropes of the genre, from a dozen twists to countless secrets and cover-ups, and bolsters them with some of the most original surprises the genre has ever seen.

            One would think after many years and extensive works in the genre, new plot angles or twists would be hard to come by. Not only has the writer/director found a unique twist for the similar setup, he finds ways to develop intriguing characters all with plenty of motive to commit the crime and flip the script on its head with the bonkers reveal of just who the real culprit is.

            The story also does marvels to focus not just on Craig’s Blanc but rather Armas’ Marta Cabrera, the nurse and caretaker to Harlan who also holds many of his secrets. Seen as both a part of the family and an outsider, Marta acts as a perfect character for audiences to latch onto as the viewers meet the outrageous family members.

            We learn whose bizarre and outspoken personalities we can forgive as they only want the best for their own families while also learning who, of all those suspected, is worthy of rooting for. We also get to see who is putting on a false face for the detectives, and therefore the viewer, and just why Blanc has truly eliminated no suspects.

            In addition to delivering a compelling and twisty mystery, the film also held plenty of pointed dialogue and smart comedy to keep those not as captivated by its secrets entertained. One of the best aspects of the film, especially its humor, comes in the form of Evans’ smug-grinning and profanity-spewing Ransom.

            General audiences are so used to seeing the Captain America star in his clean-cut Marvel persona that for those not aware of his diversity from “dirtier” roles in 2008’s Street Kings and 2013’s Snowpiercer, this may come as both a shock and treasure. From telling each individual family member to “eat shit” to laughing at certain revelations surrounding Harlan’s death, this is as far from Cap as he can get and he plays it to absolute perfection.

            While Evans shines as the true comedic mastermind in the film, the rest of the glowing ensemble cast deliver in their own individual ways. Shannon gloriously plays the son afraid to lose out on the large inheritance of his father, Curtis is equal parts funny as the strong-willed daughter to Harlan and powerful as someone who has just unexpectedly lost her dad.

            In no surprising manner, however, Craig’s light shines the brightest as the quizzical, monologue-delivering in a Foghorn Leghorn-drawl detective Blanc. Despite his celebrity status as a detective, Johnson and Craig set Blanc apart from Agatha Christie’s iconic Hercule Poirot in that despite his intelligence at reading people and discovering clues, many things are slipped by him in manners that don’t feel as ridiculous as The Pink Panther’s Clouseau, but will frequently register a chuckle or wide-eyed stare from nary a moviegoer.

            Unusual for any film, namely one that holds many plot twists, part of the success for the movie really comes in its marketing. While seemingly giving away key plot points and hiding them amidst out-of-context quotes, digital trickery and unused moments, it did well to keep the twisty and well-constructed truth concealed and never gave away too much of its humor.

            From his stylish direction to his intelligent script and a brilliant ensemble that threatens to pull out the film from underneath them all, Johnson has crafted a masterpiece in the whodunnit genre that allows the writer/director to release his frustrations in a healthy manner, namely through Martell’s alt-right trolling Jacob, and deliver one of the most exhilarating installments the genre will ever see.