Having little knowledge of the plot beforehand, I coincidentally, inadvertently got a small bag of mini donuts from Chubby’s on North Avenue (Milwaukee fam, if you know you know) prior to seeing this. Having now seen Knives Out, I wish I’d waited until afterwards for the ultimate flex.

Anyway, banger alert incoming! This fuckin rocks! Everything technical is awesome, from the beautiful & elaborate production design to the shadowy, varied lighting. The music slapped, orchestral & grand in a score that’s likely at the top of my favs for the year, while the editing heightened tension effectively; a specific moment with Michael Shannon pounding his cane on the ground as he steps forward stands out. While I’ve seen better shot films this year, the camera was still on point with grand compositions & rotary movement to enhance the scope of the proceedings, complimented only by direction that crafted beautiful mise en scene in regards to the actors’ spatial relation to each other. Speaking of which, amazing acting across the board. It’s a lot of scenery chewing, but works for the material, & I couldn’t think of a weak link if I tried. The characters they embodied were all complex & had dynamic interplay with one another that had me laughing constantly but also consistently invested, sUbVErTiNg mY ExPEctATiOnS throughout (ree). The writing was mostly great, with consistent humor that worked in being driven by characters’ personalities & absurd situations, rather than by jokes & quips (we’ll get to those). It was unpredictable, & a truly wild ride that I could not have guessed the outcome to. A lot of reviews focus on the political gestures of the film, & I’d say it’s a mixed bag. On one hand, it can be clumsy, blatant, & cringe, with the worst lines of dialogues & attempts at humor boiling down to name dropping specific points/insults that are all too familiar in today’s climate. On the other hand, it succeeds at showing out of touch white people, conservatives & liberals alike, & how their well meaning gestures are a facade for their true devious intentions. At its worst, this feels like Jojo Rabbit, at its best, Get Out. Anyway, beautiful aesthetics, wonderful ensemble, & a twisty turny story make this one of my favorites of the year & an absolute must-see. GO WATCH IT!