Knives Out (2019) (SPOILERS) “ If Agatha Christie were writing today, she’d have a character who’s an Internet troll. ” There’s a slew of ifs and buts in that assertion, but it tells you a lot about where Rian Johnson is coming from with Knives Out . As in, Christie might – I mean, who can really say? – but it’s fair to suggest she wouldn’t be angling her material the way Johnson does, who for all his pronouncement that “ This isn’t a message movie ” is very clearly making one. He probably warrants a hesitant pass on that statement, though, to the extent that Knives Out ’s commentary doesn’t ultimately overpower the whodunnit side of the plot. On the other hand, when Daniel Craig’s eccentrically accented sleuth Benoit Blanc is asked “ You’re not much of a detective, are you? ” the only fair response is vigorous agreement.