I was invited out to see this movie in theaters before it released on Netflix, and while I was excited, there was one problem: I hadn't seen the original.

Maybe my review might change depending on how this does as a spiritual successor to the original, but as for me, I loved my time with this mystery/comedy.

The comedy wasn't perfect, but what I think set it apart from most other big-screen movies that I've seen is that the comedy and mystery aspects are completely separated. The characters (who shine in this ensemble) get off some amazing one-liners, but none of them detract from any of the seeds planted for the big middle twist and final murderer reveal.

While not something I was incredibly emotionally invested in, I was definitely intellectually invested, from the mysteries of the setting to each of the character's backstories. Due to the care taken with that, each big turning point in the feature felt well earned by the end of the runtime.

This is also a movie where a lot is revealed by the end to clarify the answers of the overarching mystery. While it could have gone very terribly, I'm now much more interested in a re-watch than most movies that try something similar. It was such a dramatic shift to the status-quo that I was simply impressed they were able to keep me from figuring it out until that time came around.

I wish all the best for Johnson, Craig and the team going into a future film, and I'm 'ecstatic' to watch Knives Out at my earliest convenience.