The following excerpts are from an investigative filing by The Roarbots investigative team regarding the release of Knives Out on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, and DVD on February 25, 2020, from Lionsgate.

Exhibit A: The Origin

Knives Out, a medium-budget murder mystery, appears inexplicably out of nowhere as Rian Johnson’s follow-up to the billion-dollar juggernaut Star Wars: the Last Jedi. Johnson writes the screenplay and directs the feature. The film was released in U.S. theaters on November 27, 2019.

Exhibit B: The Substance

The movie stars a veritable murderer’s row of talent, including Daniel Craig, Christopher Plummer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, Lakeith Stanfield, Toni Collette, Don Johnson, and Ana de Armas (among others). The plot is described in official press materials as follows:

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.

Exhibit C: The Reception

Knives Out is considered to be what those on the street call a “slow burn.” Initial audiences took a chance on seeing an unheralded movie that is neither a reboot nor a sequel. Odd.

Word of mouth spreads to ensure the film continues to remain in theaters as more and more audiences discover the quirky whodunnit is a brilliant masterwork of the genre. Acclaim spreads and the film and Rian Johnson would go on to be nominated for numerous achievements, including three Golden Globes, three Critics Choice Awards, a BAFTA, and an Academy Award, winning several other accolades.

Knives Out finishes its theatrical run by earning over $300 million on a $40 million budget. All indications point to it being a stunning success.

Final Analysis: The Blu-ray

Investigators witnessed Knives Out firsthand during its theatrical release, but further analysis of the Blu-ray and its special features confirm our initial suspicions that the movie is simultaneously smart, thrilling, and funny – a veritable “holy trinity” of the genre.

Johnson’s ability to make the zig-zagging story seem like a “popcorn flick” to viewers speaks to his level of mastery. Making something this complex seem effortless can only be the work of a brilliant mastermind. Special features on the Blu-ray, such as the director’s commentary and numerous “making of” featurettes, highlight just how methodical the planning, scripting, casting, and production were despite the ease and enjoyment of audiences.

Clues dispersed throughout the Blu-ray reveal unique behind-the-scenes stories and deleted scenes previously only privy to those involved in the production. Independent sleuths will enjoy watching and rewatching the movie to pick out hidden details and gain insights into casting, costuming, scripting, and more. Unlike other Blu-rays, Knives Out packs in a lot of bonus information that is actually worthy of one’s time.

Overall, our investigation has found that Knives Out is worthy of all the praise it has received. The film is worth watching… and definitely worth owning.

Note: It is rumored that Rian Johnson will be making another movie starring Daniel Craig’s character from the film, Benoit Blanc. Until then, we can only recommend watching Knives Out multiple times to learn all you can to be ready when the mastermind strikes again!

Case Closed.

(Disclaimer: I received a review copy of the Blu-ray. All investigations opinions are my own.)