‘Knives Out‘, written and directed by Rian Johson is a murder mystery starring Daniel Craig as a private investigator. The rest of the ensemble cast includes Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Christopher Plummer, Jamie Lee Curtis, and ‘13 Reasons Why‘ star Katherine Langford. ‘Knives Out’ is regarded as one of the best movies of 2019.
Rian Johson, who is known for his unique directing style in ‘Breaking Bad’, ‘Looper’, ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’, and the neo-noir film ‘Brick’, did wonders with the mystery-thriller ‘Knives Out‘. The film not only kept the audience at the edge of their seats but also earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. But, if you are confused about the ending, we’ve got you covered.
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Plot Of ‘Knives Out‘
‘Knives Out‘ is no extraordinary murder mystery, in fact, it shares almost the same plot as other movies of the genre ending with a somewhat predictable conclusion. But, the execution was perfect. It begins with the death of the patriarch of the family, Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer), who is a wealthy mystery novelist, and the questionable involvement of the family members with motives such as covering a secret affair to being cut off from the will. There were several events that led to the apparent suicide of Harlan.
Mr. Thrombey was being given his nighttime dose of medication by his nurse Marta (Ana de Armas), and accidentally the vials got switched when the medication was knocked over. After injecting, Marta realized she interchangeably gave him the wrong dosage of morphine, lethal enough to kill him. Strangely the antidote was missing from the medicine bag and Harlan refused to call an ambulance.
Knowing that she would be accused of his death, resulting in her mother being deported, Harlan instructs her to cover up the scandal. And to save her life Harlan took his. Enters detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), till the first half of the movie, follows the routine, unable to find a breakthrough in the case.
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‘Knives Out’ Ending: Who Is The Real Killer?
If Harlan’s death is ruled as a suicide, how can there be a killer? This is where ‘Knives Out‘ gets tricky. Remember the missing antidote? That turned out to be the key to the unnecessary suicide of Harlan, later revealed in the last few minutes of the film. Ransom Hugh Drysdale (Chris Evans), Harlan’s grandson, got into a heated argument over the disclosure of the will during Harlan’s birthday celebration.
Learning Martha inherits all, Hugh cooks up a plan to frame her for the murder, by switching the vials and stealing the antidote. But fortunately, when the vials fall down, they get placed in their original position, meaning Harlan was safe, and slitting his throat was totally unnecessary. Ultimately, it was Hugh who murdered his grandfather over a disagreement on will.
After confessing to his crime, he attacks Martha with a knife, only to learn that it is a fake one. It was a knife that took one’s life and saved another. How else can a mystery novelist’s death be honored, if not by the involvement of a private investigator, a series of family dramas, a perfect cleanup, and an unrelated murder? Harlan Thrombey’s death was no less than any of his published mystery novels.
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