Rian Johnson knows his shit. Ever since Brick, the writer/director's brilliant neo-noir from 2005—and on through his conman caper The Brothers Bloom, his sci-fi action flick Looper, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, which somehow managed to both deconstruct all the Star Wars movies to date while also being the best Star Wars movie to date—Johnson has played with genre in ways few filmmakers can. Both a devotee of formula and a guy who can't resist ripping formulas apart, Johnson makes movies that're simultaneously comforting and surprising—offering a warm rush of the familiar, chased by the acidic sting of the new. They're fun, heartfelt, and jaw-droppingly smart—just about the best possible combination of things you want a movie to be. Knives Out, Johnson's phenomenally enjoyable riff on a murder-mystery whodunit, is no different.