What are the finest films similar to the best movies like Knives Out? Many comparable films influenced Rian Johnson’s extremely successful mystery picture, which fans should check out.
Rian Johnson crafted a unique film that is also one of the year’s most entertaining films in a year when comic book blockbusters, remakes, and sequels swept the box office. Knives Out is based on classic whodunit murder mysteries and tells the storey of an affluent family whose dad dies at a family gathering.
Know about the 20 best movies like Knives Out
The film proved to be a true crowd-pleaser, thanks to an all-star cast, a brilliant script, and a lot of wonderful humour. Though it feels like a one-of-a-kind picture that wonderfully defies genre assumptions, there are a few more fantastic films that embody the mystery’s fascination.
Colin McCormick updated this page on October 25th, 2021: With the arrival of the fall season, moviegoers are looking for films that are appropriate for this time of year.
Knives Out has unexpectedly become a must-see fall film while also delivering a gripping murder mystery storey. While there aren’t many films that capture the season’s distinct feel and wonderful knitwear as well as Knives Out, there are a few excellent options for fans of the Rian Johnson comedy, especially with many sequels on the way.
1. The Dragon Tattooed Girl (2011)
Though he is most known for his role as James Bond, Daniel Craig has also appeared in a number of fascinating ventures outside of the Bond franchise. Fans who enjoyed witnessing him solve murders as Benoit Blanc in Knives Out may appreciate the version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo as well.
Craig portrays a journalist hired by the patriarch of a wealthy family to investigate the murder of his niece decades previously. Christopher Plummer also plays the patriarch in this film, which is another Knives Out tie-in. Fans should be aware, though, that this is a more darker mystery plot.
2. Mystery Team (2009)
When filming Knives Out, Rian Johnson certainly drew a lot of inspiration from Agatha Christie’s novels. Similarly, Mystery Team appears to be motivated by Hardy Boys mysteries, but adds an R-rated twist to those more wholesome themes.
The film depicts a group of three friends who, as a result of their childhood fascination with solving neighbourhood murders, have become outcasts in high school. However, when the young men are recruited to solve a murder, they find themselves in over their heads. It’s a dark comedy that’s both funny and odd, and it’s one that more people should see.
3. The Bloom Brothers (2008)
Rian Johnson has directed large-scale genre films such as Star Wars: The Last Jedi, yet he tends to prefer smaller mystery stories. Johnson’s second feature picture, The Brothers Bloom, starring Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody as two con artist brothers who decide to take on one more risky venture.
The film is another another example of Johnson’s ability to pay respect to a genre while simultaneously experimenting with its conventions. As a result, we have a truly entertaining escapade that is boosted by its amusing characters.
4. Death Penalty Murder (1976)
Knives Out undoubtedly plays with the murder mystery premise in amusing and imaginative ways, but it never crosses the line into parody. Murder by Death, on the other hand, is a fantastic choice for fans searching for a full-fledged comedy in the genre.
The plot is based on a conventional dinner party murder mystery, but the guests include some of the world’s most famous detectives. When a mystery does arise, it’s a lot of fun to see these different sleuth characters duke it out to solve the case.
5. Sherlock Holmes (2009)
Benoit Blanc could very well become one of the greatest fictional detectives of all time, thanks to the success of Knives Out and its planned sequels. In that category, however, no character can compete with Sherlock Holmes.
While several versions of Holmes’ exploits have been made, the character was given the big-budget treatment with Robert Downey Jr. in the lead role. It’s a slick and entertaining period action film with some intriguing mystery aspects tossed in for good measure. The coupling of Downey Jr. as Holmes and Jude Law as Watson, however, is the film’s highlight.
6. The Good Guys (2016)
Rian Johnson has done an excellent job of producing a picture that fits into the murder mystery genre while also challenging its norms in surprising ways. Shane Black’s amusing crime comedy The Nice Guys is another film that pulls off a similar tactic.
Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe act as two low-life private investigators who partner up to investigate a missing-person case. Black is clearly a lover of the hard-boiled detective genre, and his enthusiasm provides him with a unique viewpoint on how to bend the norms of those films.
7. The Royal Tenenbaums(2001)
The dysfunctional family at the centre of Knives Out is one of the best features of the film. The Thrombeys are an affluent and clever family that, when they don’t get what they want, transform into children.
Despite the fact that Wes Anderson’s The Royal Tenenbaums does not revolve on a murder case, the titular family feels eerily similar to the Trombeys. The Tenenbaums are likewise a group of talented and wealthy individuals that congregate in one large dysfunctional event when their personal problems are exposed.
8. Detective (1972)
While there are a number of films that are comparable to Knives Out in many ways, there are a few that were directly inspired by the film. Several of these sources of inspiration have been mentioned by Rian Johnson, including Sleuth.
Laurence Olivier plays a famous detective novelist who invites his wife’s boyfriend (Michael Caine) to his home, where the two men engage in a deadly cat-and-mouse game. Johnson has admitted to stealing the setting of a remote and large estate for his own movie.
9. Trap of Death (1982)
Something about people who are involved in the creative process appears to make them compelling characters in a murder case. Deathtrap is a 1982 film directed by Sidney Lumet that stars Michael Caine as a struggling playwright who plots to murder and steal the work of a more talented up-and-coming writer (Christopher Reeves).
The film is yet another inventive and original take on the genre. Knives Out is also amusing in a dark sense, which is one of the qualities that makes it such an entertaining movie.
10. Whether you’re prepared or not (2019)
Knives Out manages to be both a highly entertaining murder mystery and a thought-provoking statement on those who have and those who have not. A lot of 2019 films, like the horror comedy Ready or Not, used this topic.
Samara Weaving stars in the film as a young woman who is marrying into a family who acquired their fortune through board games. On her wedding night, however, she is caught in a deadly game of hide-and-seek. It’s a wild, hilarious, and gory escapade that’s well worth your time.
11. The brick (2005)
Johnson’s excursion into the mystery genre with Knives Out was not his first. His feature directorial debut, Brick, was an underappreciated mystery noir. Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays a high school student who is looking into the disappearance of his ex-girlfriend.
The film is presented as an old-style detective picture, despite the fact that it is set in a modern high school. The stylised style keeps the picture from appearing gimmicky and gives it a distinct and appealing feel. The central mystery, like all good thrillers, keeps you guessing throughout.
12. Shriek (1996)
Horror films frequently employ the “whodunit” mystery in their plots, with a group of targeted teenagers attempting to figure out who the culprit is while they are murdered one by one. Scream follows in the footsteps of Scream, with a Ghostface assassin stalking the protagonists. The film, on the other hand, brilliantly employs horror tropes.
Characters in this film have seen all of the regular slasher flicks and are well-versed in all of the clichés. The film does an excellent job of playing with the audience’s assumptions in order to keep them guessing until the killer is exposed in an effective manner.
13. At The El Royale, Things Aren’t Looking Up (2018)
Knives Out is a lot of fun because you get to watch all these big actors sharing the screen and playing characters with their own secrets. Bad Times at the El Royale, another underappreciated classic, has a similar structure. Strangers that arrive on the titular motel are played by Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm, and Chris Hemsworth.
The film gradually reveals what each of these characters is hiding beneath the surface, and how their separate paths begin to converge.
14. Personality (2003)
Identity, like Bad Times at the El Royale, involves a bunch of strangers who end up sharing a hotel room on a rainy night. Soon, the visitors are being picked out one by one as the others struggle to figure out who is the murderer.
The film features a stellar cast that includes John Cusack, Amanda Peet, and Ray Liotta. While some may be disappointed by the final reveal, the film maintains an effective dark and scary tone that keeps you fascinated.
15. Green denotes danger (1946)
Green for Danger is an earlier murder mystery that fits right in with the type of films Johnson would have been inspired by. Alastair Sim plays a detective who is tasked with investigating a group of doctors after a death during surgery is judged a homicide.
Sim plays an odd investigator who brings a lot of levity to the murder inquiry, similar to Daniel Craig’s Southern cop in Knives Out. The film gradually reveals layers of the mystery until the ultimate, rewarding reveal that was right in front of your eyes the entire time.
16. Evening of Games (2018)
Knives Out isn’t lacking on comedy, despite the fact that it deals with an alleged murder. Game Night is another entertaining mystery comedy that combines comedy and tension.
Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams act as a couple who throw a gaming night for their pals. However, when their murder mystery turns out to be true, they are thrust into a dangerous situation.
This witty and entertaining storey is infused with a lot of energy thanks to the great ensemble. The chuckles only grow bigger as the stakes climb and things become more crazy.
17. The Orient Express Murders (2017)
By Johnson’s own admission, Agatha Christie has had a significant and evident impact on Knives Out. Murder on the Orient Express is one of the most famous mystery novels written by the legendary author.
There are several versions of this storey worth seeing, the most current being Kenneth Branagh’s 2017 remake. Branagh plays Hercule Poirot, a famous and quirky investigator who investigates the murder of a passenger on a luxury train. An exhilarating journey is created by the all-star cast, the gripping mystery, and Branagh’s entertaining performance.
18. Bang Bang Kiss Kiss Kiss (2005)
The whodunit genre and hard-boiled detective stories have a lot in common. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang follows a similar mystery structure while breaking genre clichés, much like Knives Out does with its own genre.
Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer star as an odd couple who are tasked with investigating the death of a young woman, which quickly escalates into a broader conspiracy. Shane Black’s witty writing combines irreverent comedy with a sophisticated and interesting mystery as well as a fun buddy action adventure.
19. Gosford Park is a park in Sydney, Australia (2001)
While the premise of a murder at a party in a luxury English country home sounds hackneyed, it becomes far more exciting in the hands of a brilliant filmmaker like Robert Altman. Michael Gambon, Helen Mirren, and Clive Owen, among others, bring a wealth of talent to the familiar yet compelling subject.
The film is more than just a normal mystery; it’s also a look at socioeconomic inequalities and who has power in a household like this. Despite the plot’s lethal nature, it is a witty, amusing, and charming storey.
20. ‘Clue’ (1985)
Making a movie out of a board game may seem unlikely, but Clue shown that it can be done brilliantly. The film follows the plot of the traditional game, with characters such as Colonel Mustard and Miss Scarlet attending a mansion party where the host is murdered and the guests must figure out who killed him.
The film has a lot of fun with its premise and cast of amusing characters, lead by Tim Curry’s outstanding portrayal as the butler. The film has a fast-paced, joke-a-minute pace that makes it a lot of fun to watch.
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