Rian Johnson’s Knives Out is a masterclass. Not only because it keeps the audience thoroughly engaged throughout, but because it yanks the carpet from beneath us at the end. Let me explain.
Warning: Spoilers for the end of Knives Out.
Up until now, the audience firmly believes Marta is Harlan’s killer. All the evidence seems to point in her direction, so now it’s a game of waiting in dreadful anticipation until Blanc exposes her mistake. However, we haven’t seen the full picture. Yet.
Turns out, Ransom found out he wasn’t going to be a part of the will, so he decided to kill Harlan, and then frame Marta for doing so. He swapped the drugs, assuming that Marta would give Harlan the wrong one, thereby killing him.
But Marta’s been Harlan’s nurse for years. She knows, from instinct, which drug she’s administering and she gave Harlan the right drug. This means Harlan’s cause of death was actually suicide.
Ransom, however, didn’t know this yet.
He then went to the will reading in high spirits, knowing that none of the family was going to get the inheritance.
However, when Marta confesses to Ransom, he realises that she didn’t actually kill Harlan, and the toxicology report will only reinforce her innocence. He then burns the Medical Centre.
He then drugs Fran, and sets up a meeting with Marta, so the police will find Marta with Fran’s dying body. Before she passes, Fran utters three words: “You did this.”
In actual fact, Fran was saying “Hugh did this,” because Hugh is Ransom’s real name. And after getting news of Fran’s death, this makes Ransom responsible for Fran’s murder, and indirectly responsible for Harlan’s.
In for a penny.
In my opinion, this is easily one of the greatest plot twists in recent cinema. There were a few clues here and there, but nothing prepared me for that surprise at the end.
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