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13 Whodunnit Callouts And References in 'Knives Out'

Spot that sweater.

13 Whodunnit Callouts And References in 'Knives Out'

August 09, 2021

There’s a very specific song in this film that’s all about creeping around and getting killed by heroin. Here are 13 references and Easter eggs in the movie that made everyone go bonkers over Chris Evan’s sweater.

*Spoilers ahead, obviously.*

13

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES Harlan Thrombey CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE YOU'RE AND THE DETECTIVE YOUR WHO MURDERCA KILLED HARLOWE THROMBEY? BY EDWARD PACMARD The name of the character who dies a mysterious death is a callout to the 1981 Choose Your Own Adventure mystery, Who Killed Harlowe Thrombey? Knives Out CRACKED.COM — Source: New Rockstars Video

12

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES Sleuth The film starts with detective Benoit Blanc having recently solved a case involving a tennis player. Johnson explained: At the beginning of Sleuth, the novel that he's dictating is Death by Double Faults, and he's describing how the killer paced along the lines of the tennis court and threw the body into the clay. Knives Out CRACKED.COM — Source: EW

11

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES Stephen Sondheim At one point Blanc sings a song from Follies, the Broadway musical composed by Sondheim. Laurence Olivier's character in Sleuth was also based on Sondheim, so the reference was a must for director Rian Johnson. Knives Out CRACKED.COM — Source: Film School Rejects

10

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES Joseph Gordon-Levitt's cameo Director Rian Johnson and Gordon-Levitt almost always work together, so Johnson snuck him in as the narrator of a true-crime story in Marta's apartment. Knives Out CRACKED.COM — Source: EW

9

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES Sundown When Marta and Ransom are in the diner, the Gordon Lightfoot song Sundown is playing in the background, with lyrics referring to how both these characters crept around after sundown. Lightfoot wrote the song about Cathy Smith who he dated and who gave John Belushi a fatal shot of heroin. Knives Out CRACKED.COM — Source: New Rockstars Video, The New York Times

8

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES The Ricky Jay photo Ricky Jay died during production of the film and was replaced by M. Emmett Walsh. To pay tribute to Jay, a black-and-white photo was added as a cameo. Knives Out CRACKED.COM — Source: Film School Rejects

7

Clue EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES While the 1985 parody film shares the same basic plot, Johnson wanted to stay clear of the arch parody in his own movie while paying an obvious homage to the classic whodunnit. Knives Out CRACKED.COM — Source: Bustle

6

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES A portrait foreshadows a plot point The trick window wall in the attic has a portrait of a child marking the spot where some managed to crawl through without getting notice. Knives Out CRACKED.COM — Source: New Rockstars Video

5

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot While the entire movie is a homage to Christie's mystery novels, Benoit Blanc plays as a parody to Christie's fictional Belgian detective. Said Rian Johnson: Benoit Blanc has some of the elements of Poirot, in that he's a bit self-inflated, but there's a warmth to him which shines through with Daniel . Knives Out CRACKED.COM — Source: Bustle

4

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES Sherlock Holmes The dogs in the film show aggression to those estranged and are calm around those they know. This is a reference to a 1937 Sherlock Holmes film Silver Blaze in which Holmes comments that the dog's silence meant that the culprit was someone they knew well. Knives Out CRACKED.COM — Source: New Rockstars Video

3

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES The portrait Christopher Plummer's character Harlan Thrombey has a glorious portrait watching over the inside of the house, and it subtly changes by the end of the film. Knives Out CRACKED.COM — Source: EW

2

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES Jolly Jack O'HNA the Sailor HMS puppet... ...from Sleuth The puppet that can be seen in the beginning of the film is another reference to the 1972 British mystery thriller Sleuth. Knives Out CRACKED.COM — Source: Film School Rejects

1

EASTER EGGSTRA MEANINGS AND REFERENCES Many of the names were based on '70s musicians This was to help Johnson remember them when he wrote the story. Joni is Joni Mitchell, and her ex-husband is Neil, Neil Young. Richard and Linda are Richard and Linda Thompson. Walt and Donna are Walter Becker and Donald Fagen from Steely Dan. Knives Out CRACKED.COM — Source: Film School Rejects

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