Knives Out

Knives Out is a 2019 American mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson. Daniel Craig leads an eleven-actor ensemble cast as Benoit Blanc, famed private detective summoned to investigate the death of bestselling author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). Although police rule Harlan's case a suicide, Blanc suspects foul play and examines a host of clues and deceptive red herrings to ascertain his true manner of death. Johnson produced Knives Out with longtime collaborator Ram Bergman. Lionsgate managed the film's commercial distribution, and funding was sourced through MRC and a multimillion-dollar tax subsidy from the Massachusetts state government. Johnson conceived Knives Out in the mid-2000s. Seeking to modernize the whodunit films of the mid-twentieth century, the director was inspired by his interest in big-screen movie adaptations of Agatha Christie's stories. Johnson then shifted his attention to creation of his 2017 film Star Wars: The Last Jedi, halting further progress on Knives Out. Development resumed the following year when Johnson wrote the screenplay in six or seven months. He devised a framework of tonal shifts to escalate tension between the characters, and informed elements of the story with his experience coping with intense culture war backlash to The Last Jedi. Principal photography began in October 2018 on a $40 million budget and wrapped that December. Shooting took place on location in suburban Boston. Nathan Johnson composed the film's classical score, which drew on an eclectic array of his and Rian's favorite symphonic movie scores. Knives Out has been read as work that investigates class warfare, wealth inequality, immigration, and race in contemporary American society. Knives Out premiered at the 44th Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2019, and was distributed to American theaters on November 27 to major critical and commercial success. It was chosen as one of the year's top films by the National Board of Review and the American Film Institute, and finished the theatrical run grossing $312.9 million at the global box office. Critics distinguished the film's plot and actors for praise, though some aspects of the writing and performance drew criticism. Knives Out was nominated for multiple awards, among them three Golden Globes, a BAFTA, and an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Knives Out is the first entry of a franchise that includes two more films—Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) and Wake Up Dead Man, set for release in 2025.

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Hugh Drysdale? Ransom. Call me Ransom, it's my middle name. Only the help calls me Hugh.

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Okay. Uh, this is Trooper Wagner. I'm Lieutenant Elliott. We just wanna ask a few questions.

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Excuse me?

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Sir? We're officers of the law! You gonna run me in? I don't feel like talking. I'm distraught. Hey, Benny, you wanna ask this guy some questions? All right, what is this? What's this arrangement? Mr. Drysdale.

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CSI KFC?

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Hey, Frannie, how about a glass of cold milk? Hey, asshole. Not her name, not her job. Hey, Meg. How's the SJW degree coming? - Trust fund prick. - All right, guys. Hey. Hey. Everyone... I'm just gonna be in the other room, setting up. Be ready in 10 minutes.

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Funny, Ransom, you skipped the funeral, but you're early for the will reading.

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Okay, people grieve in different ways. Let's not... You know what? It's funny you're here at all. Why are you even bothering? That's what I'm asking myself. What's that supposed to mean? He knows what it's supposed to mean. Wait... Walt, what?

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Jacob was in that bathroom the night of the party. Oh, that's where you were all night? What the hell were you doing in the bathroom all night? - Nothing. - Swatting Syrian refugees? No, I was not. Alt-right troll. Liberal snowflake. I don't know what any of that means. It means your son's a little creep. Oh! My son's a creep? Guys, just... Walt, he was in the bathroom. Yeah, he was in the bathroom. Joylessly masturbating to pictures of dead deer. You know what, Richard? You wanna go? You bet, skippy, let's go. You wanna go? Come on! You better watch out, man. - Walt, stop it right now! - Son of a bitch! - Stop it! Just stop! - Stop it! Let go! Let go, Richard! I have been waiting for this my whole life! - Stop it, right now! - Donna, I can handle myself! - Stop it! - I can handle it. Oh, my God. We gotta do this more often. Hey!

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Jacob. We know where this is going. You were in the bathroom next to Harlan's office, where he had the fight with Ransom. Now, you heard something. Spill it.

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I just heard two things.

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...my will.

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"My will."

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And then there was more yelling.

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And then I heard Ransom say...

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"I'm warning you."

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Ransom... What's that mean? I think it means our father finally came to his senses and cut this worthless little brat out of his will. So I guess you're gonna have to sell the Beemer and give your notice at the country club, and kick whatever fashion drug you're on. Because if you think that after all the bridges you've burned, after all the shit you said, after everything that you put this family through for the last 10 years, that any of us are gonna support you that any of us are gonna give you, like Dad liked to say, "a single red dime..." you're nuts!

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Wow.

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Son...

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Father. Did Harlan tell you he was gonna cut you out of the will?

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