Adopting the “Final Girl” into the Whodunit Genre
By now, I would hope that most filmgoers have gone and seen this masterful joyride. Rian Johnson’s Knives Out is arguably one of the most well-written, aesthetically creative, and intriguing films of 2019 — and maybe even the decade. This funny, artistic, and smart take on a “whodunit” film is a much-needed update to the genre….which honestly hasn’t fostered too many promising films in recent years. Not only does the film boast a crafty plot, but it also pays a lot of attention to the character development of the members of its strong ensemble cast — especially our female heroine, Marta (Ana de Armas). Seeing how this character navigates through the obstacles thrown at her, as well as seeing her come out on the side of victory at the end of the film, I consider this to be a creative attempt for a whodunit film to adopt the narrative convention of the “final girl” — a trope usually found in the horror genre.
*Spoilers ahead*
I feel that describing this film only as a “murder mystery” would probably be just enough information to give the curious viewer a taste of what they can expect while retaining its sense of mystery. Naming some of the members of the all-star cast probably wouldn’t hurt either (Christopher Plummer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Chris Evans, Daniel Craig, Michael Shannon, among many other very talented actors). Granted, nearly all of these characters are extremely unlikable, but that is precisely what makes them so enjoyable to watch. These individuals make up the members of an extremely dysfunctional, materialistic, and moderately racist family. Marta comes into the story as the caretaker for the head of the family, Harlan Thrombey (Plummer). She is the timid, skeptical daughter of an undocumented immigrant who battles both the ignorant musing of the family and their attempts to throw her under the bus after Harlan is found dead in his room with his throat slit. Marta is named as the heir to Harlan’s fortune, and the family becomes hellbent on proving that she is to blame for the death and shouldn’t receive their inheritance. From this point on, we see Marta trying to navigate through the investigation into her boss’s death while rebuffing the attacks hurled at her by this greedy mob of vultures.
As Rafael Sarmiento points out in his review for Incluvie, the secret behind the murder is revealed fairly early in the film — so the story then becomes more about sussing out the motives these characters have for their actions. As more and more is revealed and we get a look at how each family members’ actions have led to this high stakes situation, we come to see that this family acts as one big monster in pursuit of Marta’s demise. Combine that with using her ethnicity, intelligence, timid manor, and unfortunate penchant for vomiting when lying as actual strengths she uses to defeat this monster — and boom! You’ve got a final girl that comes out literally on top with the monsters staring up, defeated, from below.
This ending is completely satisfying, especially when you take into consideration how the film utilizes a positive approach to diversity while getting there. It allows Marta’s character to works against the stereotypes the family has about undocumented immigrants coming to the U.S. and being successful. The film is very aware of the choice to make the lead a Latina female with a good heart who grows to be stronger throughout.
So my advice? See this film right away! It’s fun, puts a unique twist on a murder mystery story, mixes up genre conventions, is beautifully shot and acted…and oh yeah, has Chris Evans in this sweater.
What more could you ask for?
