Knives Out By Rian Johnson

1027 Words3 Pages

“Knives Out” by Rian Johnson is a riveting movie that follows a famous private investigator who is hired anonymously to solve the murder of Harlan Thrombey, a mystery novel writer. The mystery film perfectly encapsulates the elements of detective fiction, immersing viewers in a tantalizing mystery film. Beyond the entertainment and comedic values, the film incorporates elements of detective fiction, particularly the whodunit structure, offers a diverse perspective while addressing social issues concerning Latinos, and explores trauma in crime fiction. A major characteristic of detective fiction highlighted in “Knives Out” is the whodunit structure. As discussed by Maida and Spornick, “the heart of the classical detective story is the puzzle—that …show more content…

Gwen Aviles, writing for NBC News, highlights the importance of the depiction of undocumented immigrants in the United States, further shedding light on the importance of Marta’s portrayal in the film and its overall importance in detective fiction. The documentation of this experience aligns with the standards of detective fiction, its evolution, and its exploration of broader social issues over the years. The "Knives Out” portrayal of the Latino immigrant experience brought forward two arguments through Marta’s interaction with the Thrombey family, showing different sides of the reaction to the portrayal in the film. On one hand, the portrayal of diverse perspectives mirrors real life, is welcomed, and is an integral aspect of detective fiction, especially in the modern day. It portrayed threats of deportation of Marta’s undocumented mother by the Thrombrey’s and ignorance and racism towards Marta with the guessing game from the Thrombrey’s about where she is from. As said by author Daniel Jose Older, "It acknowledged it as a reality and vulnerability of one of its characters, and an unfair advantage of others, and dealt with that, and kept it moving” …show more content…

On the other hand, the portrayal questions the intent behind the movie, the exploitation of immigrant stories, and the caricatures of Latinos on screen. Ryan Eller, executive director of Define American, states that “once someone sees a stereotypical immigration storyline, it enables them to see them as second-class citizens” (qtd, Aviles). This conversation highlights the multidimensional approach to diversity not only in “Knives Out” but in detective fiction. Additionally, its exploration of diverse perspectives adds another layer to the film, as does its further exploration of trauma in crime fiction. “Knives Out” delves into the intricacies of trauma, which is a recurring theme in crime fiction. As explored by Jaber in “The “Unclaimed Experience”: Trauma and Crime Fiction, “the relation between crime fiction and trauma manifests itself through many facets; crime fiction often tells the stories of traumatic events and traumatic experiences, yet it retains some unknown and mysterious aspects of trauma that resist telling” (Jaber 121). The film explores trauma in two ways: through the Thrombey family's betrayals and Marta’s moral dilemma (Fig. 1). The adage of the adage. Fig. 2: The Fig. 2: The

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