Story Breakdown: Knives Out (2019)

Story Breakdown & Plot Points

Genre: Mystery, Comedy, Crime, Drama Logline: A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family. (IMDB) Theme: Family/Greed/Discrimination

Opening Image

Wealthy mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey dead, with his throat slit.

ACT I

SEQUENCE 01: STORYWORLD & INCITING INCIDENT

Setup

In the morning, Harlan’s caretaker Fran discovers wealthy mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey dead, with his throat slit.

Confrontation

The detectives believe Harlan Thrombey’s death was a suicide, and they take the family members’ statements to close the case.

Harlan’s family tells the detectives that Harlan Thrombey invited them to his Massachusetts mansion for his 85th birthday party before the day of his death.

Resolution

A private investigator Benoit Blanc suspects Harlan’s death wasn’t a suicide, and he reveals he paid to investigate Harlan’s death by an unknown person.

Inciting Incident 1: A private investigator Benoit Blanc suspects Harlan’s death wasn’t suicide.

SEQUENCE 02: PREDICAMENT & POINT OF NO RETURN

Setup

Blanc learns Harlan’s relationships with his greedy family:

• Harlan threatened to expose his son-in-law Richard for cheating on his wife, Harlan’s daughter Linda.
• Harlan cut off his daughter-in-law Joni’s allowance for stealing from him.
• Harlan fired his son Walt from his publishing company.
• Harlan had an altercation with his grandson Ransom.

Confrontation

Blanc investigates Harlan’s nurse Marta Cabrera (also a friend) and talks about Harlan’s family. Marta cannot lie without vomiting, so she gives true but incomplete answers when Blanc questions her. She reveals some of the intimate relationships with Harlan and his family.

Resolution

Unbeknown to Blanc, after the party, Marta served him an overdose of morphine by accident instead of his usual medication. She failed to find the antidote, leaving Harlan a few minutes to live.

Plot Point 1 (Break into Act 2): As Blanc suspected, Harlan’s death wasn’t a suicide. The cause of the death was an accidental overdose of morphine served by Marta. It’s unbeknown to Blanc.

ACT II

SEQUENCE 03: RAISING THE STAKES

Setup

Acknowledging that Marta’s mother is an illegal immigrant, Harlan prevents her from calling for help. Instead, Harlan gives her instructions to create a false alibi to save her family from scrutiny. Marta does as Harlan directs.

Confrontation

Harlan’s old mother saw Marta carrying out Harlan’s directions but mistook her for Ransom.

Even though Harlan’s family acts like they treat Marta equally, they behave with passive-aggressive discrimination against Marta.

Resolution

Blanc asks Marta to assist in the investigation, and she agrees.

Inciting Incident 2: Blanc asks Marta to assist in the investigation.

SEQUENCE 04: MIDPOINT

Setup

The next day, Blanc begins his investigation with Marta’s help. She conceals the evidence as they search the property.

Confrontation

The entire family get-together for Harlan’s will read, including Harlan’s grandson Ransom, who disrespectfully treats his family.

Harlan’s will read leaves everyone astonished because Harlan left everything to Marta.

The family confronts Marta (except Ransom).

Resolution

Ransom helps her escape the family’s wrath.

Midpoint (Major Plot Point): Harlan’s left his entire wealth to Marta.

SEQUENCE 05: SUBPLOT & RISING ACTION

Setup

Ransom tricks Marta into confessing about Harlan’s death and offers his help in exchange for a share of the inheritance.

Confrontation

The rest of the family tries to convince Marta to disclaim the inheritance.

Walt visits Marta and threatens to expose her mother’s immigration status. Marta rejects Walt.

Resolution

Marta discovers an anonymous blackmail letter with a partial photocopy of Harlan’s toxicology report.

Inciting Incident 3: Marta discovers an anonymous blackmail letter with a partial photocopy of Harlan’s toxicology report.

SEQUENCE 06: MAIN CULMINATION

Setup

With Ransom’s help, Marta drives to the medical examiner’s office, but the building getting destroyed by arson.

Confrontation

Marta receives an anonymous email proposing an assignation with the blackmailer.

Blanc and the police spot Marta and Ransom, and after a brief car chase, Ransom gets arrested.

Blanc reveals that Harlan’s mother saw Ransom climbing down from Harlan’s room the night he died.

Marta goes to the assignation and finds Fran drugged. Marta hesitates, realizing that Fran can link her to the crime, but performs CPR on Fran and calls 911.

Resolution

After the confession of Marta, Blanc reveals that Ransom has already informed the cops about her.

Plot Point 2 (Break into Act 3): Marta confesses to Blanc.

ACT III

SEQUENCE 07: NEW TENSION & TWIST

Setup

Back to the house, Marta finds a copy of the complete toxicology report hidden in Fran’s cannabis stash. Blanc reads it.

Blanc prevents Marta from confessing to the family that her error caused Harlan’s death.

Confrontation

Blanc concludes that Ransom had learned that Harlan was leaving everything to Marta.

Ransom swapped the contents of Harlan’s medication vials and took the antidote so Marta would kill Harlan with a morphine overdose, making her incompetent to claim the inheritance by the slayer rule.

Resolution

However, Marta served the correct medication, recognizing it by its viscosity without reading the label, and therefore she is innocent of Harlan’s death.

Blanc reveals Harlan killed himself by slit his own throat.

Climax: Blanc reveals that Harlan’s death was a suicide.

SEQUENCE 08: RESOLUTION

Setup

Blanc explains after the death reported a suicide, Ransom anonymously hired Blanc to expose Marta as a killer.

Confrontation

Fran knew Ransom was hiding evidence, so she sent him the blackmail note.

Ransom forwarded the note to Marta, knowing that Marta had unknowingly given Harlan the right medication but held herself guilty.

Ransom burned down the medical examiner’s office to erase the evidence to prove Marta’s innocence.

In the end, Ransom overdosed Fran with morphine and emailed her location to Marta, intending to frame Marta for Fran’s death.

Marta tricks Ransom into confessing by lying that Fran has survived. After he admits and vows revenge, Marta pukes on him, revealing that Fran has died, in fact.

Enraged, he stabs her with what turns out to be a retractable stage knife. The police arrest him, having recorded Ransom’s confession.

Resolution

Blanc explains to Marta that he knew she played a part in Harlan’s death, noting a small blood spot on one of her shoes.

Linda finds a note from Harlan revealing her husband’s adultery.

As Ransom has taken into custody, Marta watches the Thrombeys from the balcony of her mansion.

Resolution: Having recorded Ransom’s confession, the police arrest him.

Final Image

Marta sees the Thrombeys from the balcony of her mansion while drinking coffee. Her coffee mug reads, “My house, My rules.”

Knives Out (2019) — Plot Points

Setup:
In the morning, Harlan's caretaker Fran discovers wealthy mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey dead, with his throat slit.

Inciting Incident 1:
A private investigator Benoit Blanc suspects Harlan’s death wasn’t suicide.

Plot Point 1 (Break into Act 2):
As Blanc suspected, Harlan’s death wasn’t a suicide. The cause of the death was an accidental overdose of morphine served by Marta. It’s unbeknown to Blanc.

Inciting Incident 2:
Blanc asks Marta to assist in the investigation.

Midpoint (Major Plot Point):
Harlan's left his entire wealth to Marta.

Inciting Incident 3:
Marta discovers an anonymous blackmail letter with a partial photocopy of Harlan's toxicology report.

Plot Point 2 (Break into Act 3):
Marta confesses to Blanc.

Climax:
Blanc reveals that Harlan's death was a suicide.

Resolution:
Having recorded Ransom's confession, the police arrest him.

Ciao.

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