Movies similar to Knives Out: The Definitive List of 20 Films

Movies similar to Knives Out greatly impact how people view diversity, whether they realize it or not. Twenty official film trailers have been put in this blog post for the user’s convenience.

This article provides a synopsis of the film Knives Out. It includes the storyline, character cast information, gross profit, and budget.

20 Similar Movies to Knives Out (2019) 

If you like films with ideas and narrations similar to Knives Out, you should check out these additional films. They feature exciting adventures and mysterious characters.

John Wick (2014)

Movie NameJohn Wick (2014)
ProducerBasil Iwanyk, David Leitch, Eva Longoria, Michael Witherill
DirectorChad Stahelski 
Release Date24th Oct 2014
Total Budget $20-30 million
Gross Profit $86 million

American action thriller movie John Wick, written and directed by Derek Kolstad in 2014, is a work of cinema. Keanu Reeves portrays the part of John Wick, a well-known hitman who comes out of retirement to take justice on an individual who killed his puppy, the last gift that his recently dead wife gave him.   

In addition, Alfie Allen, Willem Dafoe, Ian McShane, Bridget Moynahan, Michael Nyqvist, Adrianne Palicki, Dean Winters, and Ian McShane star in the movie. With the release of three sequels (John Wick: Chapter 2 (2017), John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019), and John Wick: Chapter 4 (2023)), John Wick established a successful empire.

John Wick (2014)

The Girl with Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Movie NameThe Girl with Dragon Tattoo (2011)
ProducerScott Rudin, Ole Sondberg, Soren Staermose, Cean Chaffin 
DirectorDavid Fincher
Release Date12th December 2011
Total Budget $90 million
Gross Profit $239.3 million

Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s 2005 novel inspired the 2011 mystery-thriller film The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo. Steven Zaillian wrote the screenplay, which David Fincher directed. A huge success both critically and commercially, it was praised for Fincher’s directing and the performances of Craig and Mara. 

It follows journalist Mikael Blomkvist’s search to discover what happened to an affluent family girl who vanished forty years ago, starring Daniel Craig as Blomkvist or Rooney Mara as Lisbeth Salander. He enlists the assistance of computer hacker Salander.

The Girl with Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Movie NameSherlock Holmes (2009)
ProducerLionel Wigram, Joel Silver, Dan Lin, Susan Downey
DirectorGuy Ritchie 
Release Date25th December 2009
Total Budget $90 million
Gross Profit $524 million

Sherlock Holmes is a 2009 mystery action film starring Robert Downey Jr. as the character of the same name created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The film was directed by Guy Ritchie and produced by Joel Silver, Lionel Wigram, Dan Lin, and Susan Downey.

The story by Wigram or Johnson served as the basis for the screenplay written by Michael Robert Johnson, Anthony Peckham, and Simon Kinberg. Not only does Jude Law play Dr. John Watson, but Downey Jr. becomes Sherlock Holmes.

The 1890s movie centers on the crazy investigator Holmes and his buddy Watson attempting to stop a mysticist’s plan to take over Britain in reportedly mysterious ways. Irene Adler, a past friend of Holmes, is played by Rachel McAdams, while Lord Henry Blackwood, the antagonist, is portrayed by Mark Strong.

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

The Nice Guys (2016)

Movie NameThe Nice Guys (2016)
ProducerJoel Silver
DirectorShane Black
Release Date11th May 2011
Total Budget $50 million
Gross Profit $62.8 million

The Nice Guys is a 2016 Shane Black who contributed to the screenplay with Anthony Bagarozzi and is the director of this new American genre companion action and comedy picture. Angourie Rice, Matt Bomer, Margaret Qualley, Keith David, and Kim Basinger have supporting roles in the movie, which stars Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling in the main roles. 

The film, which is set in 1977 Los Angeles, centers on the partnership of a hardened enforcer for hiring Jackson Healy (Crowe) and private investigator Holland March (Gosling) as they look into the disappearance of a teenage girl (Qualley).

The Nice Guys (2016)

Sleuth (1972)

Movie NameSleuth (1972)
ProducerMorton Gottlieb 
DirectorJoseph L. Mankiewicz
Release Date10th December 1972
Total Budget $3.5 million
Gross Profit $5,750,000 

Joseph L. Mankiewicz directed the thriller-mystery film Sleuth in 1972; it stars Michael Caine or Laurence Olivier. Written by author Anthony Shaffer, inspired by his Tony Award-winning play from 1970. Nominations for the Academy Prize were made for Olivier and Caine’s roles. 

This marked Mankiewicz’s final film production. The majority of critics’ reviews of the movie were favorable. “A man who loves games and theater invites his wife’s lover to come and meet him, setting up a match of brains with potentially deadly output,” the storyline of the film states.

Sleuth (1972)

Jason Bourne (2016)

Movie NameJason Bourne (2016)
ProducerJeffrey M. Weiner, Paul Greengrass, Ben Smith, Matt Damon, Gregory Goodman 
DirectorPaul Greengrass
Release Date11th July 2016
Total Budget $120 million 
Gross Profit $415.5 million

The 2016 American action-thriller film Jason Bourne was written and directed by Paul Greengrass and stars Christopher Rouse. It is the fifth film in the Bourne film series. The primary character, CIA agent Jason Bourne, is played by Matt Damon in the sequel.

Along with Julia Stiles, who plays Nicky Parsons again, the picture also stars Tommy Lee Jones, Alicia Vikander, Vincent Cassel, Riz Ahmed, Ato Essandoh, and Scott Shepherd. In the movie Jason Bourney, CIA director Robert Dewey (Jones) gives Bourne an assignment to find Heather Lee (Vikander), the head of cyber-security, as he is outrunning murder squads and trying to find out the truth about his father. 

Jason Bourne (2016)

Deathtrap (1982)

Movie NameDeathtrap (1982)
ProducerBurtt Harris
DirectorSidney Lumet
Release Date19th Mar 1982
Total Budget $10 million
Gross Profit $19 million

Based on Ira Levin’s 1978 play of the same name, Deathtrap is an American black comedic thriller film from 1982. With Michael Caine, Dyan Cannon, and Christopher Reeve in the lead roles, Sidney Lumet directed the film based on a script by Levin and Jay Presson Allen.

Reviewers noted that the movie’s narrative was identical to Michael Caine’s 1972 picture Sleuth but generally gave it mainly positive reviews.

The movie tells the story of a well-known screenwriter who hasn’t produced success until recently. The writer informs his wife that if the student hasn’t told others about his play, he could kill the student and take ownership of the manuscript. This happens shortly after the student gives him the written work of a potential play.

Deathtrap (1982)

Bad Times At The EI Royale (2018)

Movie NameBad Times At The EI Royale (2018)
ProducerJeremy Latcham, Drew Goddard
DirectorDrew Goddard
Release Date22nd September 2018
Total Budget $32 million
Gross Profit $31.9 million

Drew Goddard wrote, directed, and produced the 2018 American, a new genre-linked thriller film, Bad Times at the El Royale. Alongside Jeff Bridges, Dakota Johnson, Cynthia Erivo, Jon Hamm, Lewis Pullman, Cailee Spaeny, and Chris Hemsworth, the entire cast stars in it.

The story revolves around six individuals with dark private secrets who come to the El Royale, a hotel near the California–Nevada boundary, and one employee who finally crosses paths with them on an awful night in the late 1960s. The state borders and other visual components serve as symbols for the concepts of good and wrong as the movie examines topics of morality, religion, and salvation.

Bad Times At The EI Royale (2018)

Green For Danger (1946)

Movie NameGreen For Danger (1946)
ProducerSidney Gilliat, Frank Launder
DirectorSidney Gilliat
Release Date7th Dec 1946
Total Budget $1 million or £202,100
Gross Profit £175,800

Based on Christianna Brand’s 1944 mystery novel of the identical name, Green for Danger is a 1946 thriller film from the UK. Sidney Gilliat was the director, and the cast included Sally Gray, Rosamund John, Trevor Howard, Leo Genn, and Alastair Sim. 

Pinewood Studios in England served as the shooting location for the movie. Anaesthetists’ gas bottles are colored-coded, as referenced in the title. In the movie, a mysterious Scotland Yard inspector shows up to inquire about the death of the nurse who claimed that a recent operative death was a murder.

Green For Danger (1946)

Game Night (2018)

Movie NameGame Night (2018)
ProducerJohn Davis, John Fox, Jason Bateman, James Garavente
DirectorJohn Francis Delay, Jonathan Goldstein
Release Date23rd Feb 2018
Total Budget $37 million
Gross Profit $117.7 million

John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein are the directors, and Mark Perez is the writer of the 2018 American action-comedy film Games Night. It focuses on a group of friends whose game night becomes an actual mystery after one of them gets kidnapped and stars Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams.

Kyle Chandler, Michael C. Hall, Lamorne Morris, Jesse Plemons, Kyle Bunbury, Billy Magnussen, and Sharon Horgan are among the supporting cast members in the movie. It was a critical and economic success with a global box office total of $117 million, and it is praised for its creativity, humor, screenplay, and acting.

Game Night (2018)

Fast & Furious (2018)

Movie NameFast & Furious (2018)
ProducerNeal H. Moritz, Michael Fottrell, Vin Diesel
DirectorJustin Lin
Release Date12th Mar 2009
Total Budget $85 million
Gross Profit $360.4 million

The 2009 action movie Fast & Furious was written and directed by Chris Morgan and Justin Lin. Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Paul Walker, and Vin Diesel are the main actors.  In the movie, Dominic Toretto (Diesel) and FBI officer Brian O’Conner (Walker) are compelled to cooperate to capture drug kingpin Arturo Braga (John Ortiz) and get revenge for the death of Toretto’s girlfriend, Letty Ortiz (Rodriguez). 

The film’s narrative drew criticism and awards for its action scenes and for bringing back the original teamwork.

Fast & Furious (2018)

Prisoners (2013)

Movie NamePrisoners (2013)
ProducerKira Davis, Broderick Johnson, Andrew A. Kosove, Adam Kolbrenner
DirectorDenis Villeneuve
Release Date30th Aug 2013
Total Budget $46 million
Gross Profit $122.1 million

American thriller film Prisoners, written and directed by Denis Villeneuve, was released in 2013. Alongside Hugh Jackman, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, Terrence Howard, Melissa Leo, and Maria Bello, the movie’s ensemble cast includes Jake Gyllenhaal.

The movie focuses on the police’s hunt for the kidnapper after two young girls disappear in Pennsylvania. One daughter’s father steps in on his own after the police arrest and then releases the young criminal. 

Prisoners (2013)

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Movie NameThe Hateful Eight (2015)
ProducerRichard N. Gladstein, Stacey Sher, Shannon McIntosh
DirectorQuentin Tarantino
Release Date7th Dec 2015
Total Budget $44-62 million
Gross Profit $156.5 million

Quentin Tarantino wrote and directed the 2015 American Western mystery thriller The Hateful Eight. Kurt Russell, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Walton Goggins, Tim Roth, Michael Madsen, Demián Bichir, Bruce Dern, and Samuel L. Jackson are among the eight fearful strangers who take shelter in a stagecoach stop after the American Civil War. 

Though opinions were divided over the film’s presentation of racial relations and the severe treatment of Leigh’s character, the screenplay, directing, acting, photography, and score were all praised.  

The Hateful Eight (2015)

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Movie NameMurder on the Orient Express (2017)
ProducerRidley Scott, Mark Gordon, Simon Kinberg, Michael Schaefer, Judy Hofflund, Kenneth Branagh   
DirectorKenneth Branagh
Release Date2nd Nov, 2017
Total Budget $55 million 
Gross Profit $352.5 million

The 2017 mystery film Murder on the Orient Express, based on Agatha Christie’s 1934 novel of the identical name, was co-produced and directed by Kenneth Branagh from a script. With Branagh playing Hercule Poirot, the picture stars a group of actors that includes Tom Bateman, Daisy Ridley, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, and Leslie Odom Jr.

Set in the 1930s, the story follows famous investigator Poirot as he investigates a murder aboard the luxurious Orient Express train. Critics gave the movie mixed reviews, praising the cast’s talents and production values but criticizing the narrative or its repetition of earlier versions. Over $351 million was grossed globally by the film.

Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

Gone Girl (2014)

Movie NameGone Girl (2014)
ProducerArnon Milcahn, Joshua Donen, Cean Chaffin, Reese Witherspoon
DirectorDavid Fincher 
Release Date26th Sep 2014
Total Budget $61 million
Gross Profit $369.3 million

Based on Gillian Flynn’s 2012 novel of the exact name, Gone Girl is a psychological thriller published in 2014 and directed by David Fincher. Ben Affleck, Rosamund Pike, Tyler Perry, Neil Patrick Harris, and Carrie Coon—who is making her film debut—are among the cast members.

The main suspect in the film is Nick Dunne (Affleck), who goes missing suddenly in Missouri with his wife Amy (Pike). After receiving high praise from reviewers for her representation, Pike was nominated for an Academy, BAFTA, Golden Globe, and Screen Actors Guild Awards for Best Actress.

Gone Girl (2014)

Inception (2010)

Movie NameInception (2010)
ProducerEmma Thomas, Christopher Nolan 
DirectorChristopher Nolan 
Release Date8th July 2010
Total Budget $160 million
Gross Profit $839 million 

Author and director Christopher Nolan and his wife, Emma Thomas, worked on the 2010 science fiction action movie The Inception. Leonardo DiCaprio is a professional robber in the movie who collects data by entering his victims’ minds. 

In exchange for implanting the other person’s notion into the target’s brain, he can have his criminal record removed. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Ken Watanabe, Elliot Page, Marion Cotillard, Tom Hardy, Tom Berenger, Cillian Murphy, Michael Caine, and Dileep Rao are among the group of cast members.

Inception (2010)

Murder Mystery (2019)

Movie NameMurder Mystery (2019)
ProducerAdam Sandler, Allen Convert, Tripp Vinson, James D. Stern, A.J. Dix, James Vanderbilt
DirectorKyle Newacheck
Release Date14th June 2019

Murder Mystery is an American comedy-mystery film from 2019 written and directed by James Vanderbilt and Kyle Newacheck. The film’s main stars are Adam Sandler, Luke Evans, and Jennifer Aniston. Critics gave the movie mixed reviews when Netflix released it on June 14, 2019.

The film story is briefly explained as “To bring back their marriage, a New York police officer and his wife take a trip to Europe; however, they return home only to find themselves falsely accused of the old billionaire’s death and forced into hiding.”

Murder Mystery (2019)

Death on the Nile (2022)

Movie NameDeath on the Nile (2022)
ProducerRidley Scott, Kevin J. Walsh, Kenneth Branagh, Judy Hofflund
DirectorKenneth Branagh 
Release Date9th Feb 2022
Total Budget $90-100 million
Gross Profit $137.3 million

Death on the Nile is a 2022 mystery film directed by Kenneth Branagh from the screenplay by Michael Green, based on the 1937 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie and the second big screen adaptation of Christie’s novel, following the 1978 film. 

Judy Hofflund, Kevin J. Walsh, Ridley Scott, and Kenneth Branagh produced it. The film features actors including Annette Bening, Russell Brand, Ali Fazal, Dawn French, Gal Gadot, Armie Hammer, Rose Leslie, Emma Mackey, Sophie Okonedo, Jennifer Saunders, and Letitia Wright. 

Branagh and Tom Bateman continue their roles as Hercule Poirot and Bouc. According to the synopsis, Hercule Poirot is tasked with investigating the murder of a young heiress while on holiday on the Nile.

Death on the Nile (2022)

The Last of Sheila 1973

Movie NameThe Last of Sheila 1973
ProducerHerbert Ross
DirectorHerbert Ross 
Release Date14th June 1973
Total Budget $2 million
Gross Profit $2,200,000

Herbert Ross, Anthony Perkins, and Stephen Sondheim wrote the script for the 1973 American Whodunit mystery thriller The Last of Sheila. Raquel Welch, Ian McShane, James Mason, Dyan Cannon, Joan Hackett, and Richard Benjamin were among the actors who appeared.

The movie was released to favorable reviews and has steadily grown in popularity. Alexander Edwards went on to novelize Perkin and Sondheim’s work.

According to the film story, Sheila’s rich husband invites a circle of friends to enjoy a week on his yacht, participating in a scavenger hunt mystery game a year after a hit-and-run driver kills Sheila. The game proves to be dangerous and all too real.

The Last of Sheila 1973

The Maze Runner (2014)

Movie NameThe Maze Runner (2014)
ProducerEllen Goldsmith-vein, Marty Bowen, Wyck Godfrey, Lee Stollman 
DirectorWes Ball 
Release Date19th September 2014
Total Budget $34 million
Gross Profit $348.3 million

Drawing inspiration from James Dashner’s 2009 novel of the same name, Wes Ball’s 2014 American gloomy science fiction film The Maze Runner marks his debut as a director. The movie stars Patricia Clarkson, Will Poulter, Ki Hong Lee, Dylan O’Brien, Kaya Scodelario, Aml Ameen, and Thomas Brodie-Sangster.

 The tale centers on sixteen-year-old Thomas (played by O’Brien), who wakes up in a rusty elevator and does not remember who he is. He discovers that he or many other boys have been brought to the center of a complex maze and have been attempting to escape the constantly changing labyrinth while also establishing a functional society in an area they call the Glade.

The Maze Runner (2014)

About Knives Out (2019)

Rian Johnson is the writer and director of the 2019 American mystery film Knives Out. As famous private investigator Benoit Blanc, played by Danian Crage, a group of eleven actors are sent to inquire about the death of best-selling author Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer).

After the authorities determine that Harlan’s death was a suicide, Blanc believes that something happened and looks into several hints and suspected false alarms to determine the real cause of death. Johnson and Ram Bergman, a longtime partner, produced Knives Out. 

Lionsgate handled the movie’s commercial distribution, while financing came from MRC and a multimillion-dollar tax benefit from the state of Massachusetts.

Movie NameKnives Out (2019)
GenresDrama, crime, comedy, mystery, thriller, action
First Release 7th September 2019
Director Rian Johnson
Producer Ram Bergman, Rian Johnson
EditorBob Ducsay

Knives Out (2019) Plot

The novelist Harlan Thrombey’s family is present at his estate in Massachusetts for his 85th birthday celebration. The following morning, Fran, his housekeeper, discovers Harlan dead due to cut-throat. While investigator Benoit Blanc is hired to inquire about Harlan’s death, the police suspect he took suicide. 

With Harlan’s tight relationships with his family, Blanc discovers other family members may have had murderous intentions.

Harlan’s Death Causes

Marta Cabrera, Harlan’s nurse, feels she gave him an excessive amount of morphine after the party, although Blanc is unaware of this. After being unable to locate the overdose treatment, Harlan prohibited Marta from calling for assistance. 

To spare Marta’s undocumented family from deportation, he used his talents in murderous plans to create a complex story to clear Marta from the overdose. Marta was given specific instructions by Harlan to create a defense before he cut his own throat.

Truth Hiding by Marta

Marta answers questions honestly but not entirely because she is unable to lie. She agrees to help Blanc with her inquiry after hiding revealing evidence. The Thrombeys feel shocked and angry when they learn of Harlan’s intentions and discover that Marta is only one beneficiary. 

While helping Marta escape from the family, Harlan’s grandson Ransom tricks her into telling him the truth. He offers to assist in return for a share of her inheritance. With no success, Marta is threatened and convinced to give up the fortune by the remaining Thrombeys.

Ransom Caught by the Blanc

A portion of Harlan’s toxicological report is included in a note intended for blackmail that Marta gets. When she and Ransom arrive at the medical examiner’s workplace, they discover it has been set on fire. An email offering to meet the blackmailer is sent to Marta.

During a short automobile search, Ransom is taken into custody by Blanc and the police. Marta discovers Fran, the blackmailer, smoking at the meeting. Marta phones an ambulance and starts CPR. Despite Ransom’s earlier claims against her, she opens up to Blanc and says she killed Harlan, eliminating the legacy according to the slayer rule.

Harlan’s Slaying True Reason

Marta discovers Fran’s copy of the whole toxicology report back at the estate, revealing that Harlan had only minute levels of morphine in his blood. Blanc shares his deductions, which include the idea that when Harlan told Ransom what his will was, Ransom switched Harlan’s medications to make sure Marta would unintentionally kill him and make him unable to receive the wealth. 

When Marta saw the fake label, she realized that she had accidentally given Harlan the wrong medication and only then believed that she had poisoned him.

Ransom Intention

Ransom hired Blanc under the pretense of exposing Marta because the death was officially ruled a suicide. Fran gave Ransom the blackmail note after observing him playing with the crime scene. Ransom destroyed the medical examiner’s office to remove any proof of Marta’s innocence after realizing that, despite Marta’s belief in the reverse, she was not to blame for Harlan’s death. 

Marta was then sent the blackmail letter. Next, with the intention of Marta being discovered in possession of Fran’s body, he overdosed Fran on morphine.

Capturing of Real Criminals

When the hospital calls, Marta tells them that Fran is alive and that she will hold Ransom accountable. Ransom dismisses the idea that his lawyers will assist him in getting away from charges of attempting to kill and arson.

Then, after lying about Fran’s death, Marta throws up on him. As the police capture their chat and Ransom realizes he has admitted to the killing, he harms Marta with an object from Harlan’s collection—which happens to be a foldable stage knife. The authorities capture him.

Complete Observation

Observing a drop of blood on Marta’s shoe, Blanc informs her that he had early suspicions that she was involved in Harlan’s demise. Blanc notes that Marta’s innocence won out because she rejected Ransom’s attempts to implicate her by making moral decisions. 

Marta’s good nursing skills had correctly prescribed him ketorolac; therefore, he would have survived if Harlan had not stopped her from calling the doctors. Instead of allowing the lady Marta, believed to be blackmailing her, to die, she made an effort to save Fran. Marta, standing on the balcony of her new estate, sees the heartbroken Thrombeys gathering outside as Ransom is brought into arrest.

Knives Out (2019) Plot

Knives Out (2019) Movie Cast

Cast Character 
Chris Evans Hugh Ransom Drysdale, Linda, and Richard’s son
Daniel CraigBenoit Blanc, a private detective
Jamie Lee CurtisLinda Drysdale, Harlan’s eldest daughter
Ana de Armas Marta Cabrera, Harlan’s nurse
Don Johnson Richard Drysdale, Linda’s Husband
Michael ShannonWalt Thrombey, Harlon’s youngest son
Lakeith StanfieldAs Detective Lieutenant Elliott
Toni ColletteJoni Thrombey, the widow of Harlan’s deceased son Neil
Katherine LangfordMeg Thrombey, Joni’s daughter
Frank Oz Alan Steven, Harlan’s counsel 
Jaeden Martell Jacob Thrombey, Walt’s Son
Edi PattersonFran, Harlon’s housekeeper
Riki LindhomeDonna Thrombey, Walt’s wife
Noah SeganTrooper Wagner, a police officer 
K Chalan Wanetta ‘Great Nana’ Thrombey, Harlon’s mother
Marlene ForteMrs. Cabrera, Marta’s mother 
Christopher Plummer Harlan Thrombey, best-selling crime novelist
Kerry Frances Sally, Alan’s assistance
M. Emmet Walsh Mr. Proofroc, a security guard

Box office Performance

In the US and Canada, Knives Out grossed $165.4 million. It brings in $311.4 million globally after grossing $146 million, ranking it the 29th highest-grossing movie of 2019. It was released globally in 3,391 theaters after earning $2 million from early screenings in North America.

Movie Name Knives Out (2019)
Release Date7th Sep, 2019
Total Budget$40 million
Box Office$311.9 million

Conclusion

In summary, films like Knives Out provide an exciting cinematic experience. The best action film combines several subgenres. This page provides a list of 20 similar movies for your convenience.

While experiencing the thrilling thrill that “knives out” has come to symbolize, viewers can discover the many elements of the action film.

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