The Amazing Dialog of “Knives Out”

The following commentary contains only minor spoilers for the movie “Knives Out”.

I recently purchased and rewatched “Knives Out”, a fictional movie that examines the suspicious death of murder-mystery writer Harlan Thrombey. 

I first watched “Knives Out” with my dad when it was released in theaters, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. 

The movie adapts the murder-mystery genre in interesting ways. If you enjoy Sherlock Holmes or any similar stories, I would highly recommend seeing “Knives Out”. 

Understanding the twists and turns of the story make rewatching “Knives Out” a unique experience compared to the surprises that accompany watching the film for the first time. 

The movie’s dialog, written by Rian Johnson, is one of its many strengths. 

Let’s examine three of my favorite pieces of dialog from the film.

1.    News report

A news report plays on TV in the background of a dramatic scene. The reporter concludes his report on Harlan Thromey’s death with a catchy ending.   

“This is a story so compelling, it was as if he had written the story himself.”

As someone who has written many news reports, including some for video, I greatly appreciate how this line captures the essence of the news story and what makes it so compelling.

2.    Interviewing Great Nana

Great Nana, Harlan Thrombey’s mother, is an elderly woman who says very little throughout the movie. She is depicted as a woman who has experienced cognitive decline, and other members of her family clearly recognize her apparent diminished mental capacity. 

Great Nana is so old that no one in the film even knows her age.

Midway through the movie, after private investigator Benoit Blanc interviewed all other members of the Thrombey family, he asks Great Nana what she observed the night of her son’s death.

Blanc displays an incredible level of respect, care, and effort during his attempt to interview Great Nana. His speech also provides insight into what motivates him and how he thinks about his work. 

Blanc speaks to her throughout the entire scene, as she sits silently. The following passage has become one of my favorite monologues.

“Good morning, Mrs. Thromby.

Why is grief the provenance of youth? I don’t know, but I’d imagine that age deepens all feelings, including grief.

This was a long walk to offering condolences for the loss of your son, and asking you if it isn’t presumptuous of me not to think too harshly of your family — if I am, as I suspect, the first to console you.

They’re young, aren’t they?

One thing I assume of age is weariness. Damned if I don’t get more tired every day, tired of what I do, following arcs likes lobbed rocks, the inevitability of truth.

But the complexity in the gray lie not in the truth, but what you do with the truth once you have it.

I think you have something you want to tell me. I think you are very perceptive and very capable of telling me what you saw the night of your son’s party.

<short pause>

But I’ll happily wait. I’m in no rush. In fact, I find it quite pleasant sitting here with you.”

Blanc's statement that, "the complexity in the gray lie not in the truth, but what you do with the truth once you have it," is a wonderful line. It's made even better by its role in the monologue Blanc delivers to Great Nana. 

3.    The Great Reveal

Benoit Blanc delivers another great monologue as he prepares to share his explanation for Harlan Thrombey’s death. The dialog displays Blanc’s commitment to finding the truth and his use of metaphors to explain his thought process.

The speech is also a moment of humorous comic relief during a dramatic point in the movie.

“I spoke in the car about the hole at the center of this doughnut, and what you and Harlan did that fateful night seems at first glance to fill that hole perfectly. A doughnut hole in a doughnut’s hole.

But we must look a little closer, and when we do, we see the doughnut hole has a hole in its center. It is not a doughnut hole, but a smaller doughnut, with its own hole.

And our doughnut is not a hole at all!” 

If you in any way enjoy the murder mystery genre, do yourself a favor and buy “Knives Out”. The DVDs are currently available in stores. They are a bit pricey compared to your average movie. I purchased my copy from Dollar General for about $20.  

But in my opinion, the movie’s plot, characters, and great writing definitely make it worth the price.