Knives Out: Screenplay

by Dustin Shawn Staples

The circumstances surrounding the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey are mysterious, but there's one thing that renowned Detective Benoit Blanc knows for sure -- everyone in the wildly dysfunctional Thrombey family is a suspect. Now, Blanc must sift through a web of lies and red herrings to uncover the truth.

Paperback

Published October 21, 2020

Reviews

[sweetchillisauce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Obviously I didn’t read this but my 2021 reading challege is already doomed and I liked the movie so much that I felt like I needed to write a goodreads review. here’s my review of the movie: it was really really good. I haven’t watched a movie that I enjoyed this much in a very long time. it was fun and quick paced (but not too action packed which often bores me) AND very original, just full of surprises in the best way. Just delightful

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

The movie was SO GOOD! I've watched it twice within two months. I love how they used Daniel Craig here (let's go, James Bond fans!!) and gave him a weird southern accent or something.

[Alaa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mystery/Crime fantastic

[Joella · Rating 5 out of 5]

good plot twist also chris evans content so you know

[ᗯᗩᒍEᕼᗩ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I watched the film Knives Out first, then read the novel by Dustin Shawn Staplels, which is based on the original screenplay. What I really appreciated was how the novel wasn't just a rehash of the film, but offered a deeper understanding of the characters, their backgrounds, and their motivations.
The film is fantastic in terms of direction and visual suspense, but the novel added an inner dimension to the story, especially through its dialogue and detailed descriptions of thoughts and feelings. I felt like I was experiencing every moment more intimately, as if I had stepped inside the characters' minds.
I loved how the novel maintained the same pacing and suspense as the film, while simultaneously giving me space to reflect on the symbols and meanings that might be fleeting on screen. Marta, for example, was more impactful in the text, and Benoît Blanc's philosophical spirit emerged more clearly.
The connection between the novel and the film was so seamless that I felt each complemented the other: the film presents the image, and the novel explains what lies behind it.
My overall rating: 4/5 for both works.
A complete experience of mystery, intelligence, and well-crafted storytelling. I recommend it to anyone who loves detective stories that respect the mind of both the reader and the viewer.

[Kym Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

“So - oh wow, yeah, not complex at all. This’ll be quick. I Harlan Thrombey, being of sound mind and body yada yada, my assets both liquid and otherwise I leave in their entirety to Marta Cabrera. My entire ownership of Blood Like Wine publishing I leave in its entirety to Marta Cabrera. The copyright of its catalog likewise I leave in its entirety to Marta Cabrera.”

4.5 this screenplay is phenomenal ! here r my fav parts of it

- every family member thinks marta is from a different place none of them say the same place there’s ecuador, paraguay, brazil, and uruguay
- at least 3 of the most senior members of the family tell marta they were outvoted for wanting her at the funeral! ur all lying!
- rian johnson has very specific instructions about the flashbacks changing with each person who tells the story and the fact that there’s a different person over harlan’s shoulders every time he blows out the candles is so fun !
- the will reading is almost bare bones on paper and putting it side by side with the actual scene is insane to comprehend
- the mug part is not written?!?!!!!?

[Elisa_miki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so I don't know about the book... but I LOVED the movie so it deserves a review!