Knives Out is one of the most talked about murder mystery movies of the 2010s, but while its title has a typical-sounding whodunit name, its origins are actually tied to a song. The 2019 movie follows detective Benoit Blanc, who is hired to solve a murder case that was made to look like suicide. The celebrated detective is tasked with interrogating each of the murder suspect's family and understanding the way they interact with one another in their uniquely hateful and aggressive manner. What follows is two hours of double-crossing, plot twists, and a lot of knife play.
The film's title is alluded to throughout the movie, as the murder victim, murder mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey, takes his own life with a knife. Not only that, but the theatrical writer even has a throne made entirely of knives, and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is named after a Beatles song, Knives Out's title is based on a song too.
Rian Johnson Confirmed Knives Out Is Named After A Radiohead Song
Knives Out is taken from the Radiohead song of the same name, which can be found on their 2001 album Amnesiac. Johnson explained to Glass Onion is based on the Beatles song (especially given the band's history and the popularity of the song), the Knives Out's original influence is a little more subtle. While Radiohead is one of the most celebrated bands ever, "Knives Out" sounds like the perfect title for a murder mystery movie title.
Why Isn’t “Knives Out” Played In The Movie?
Although the Knives Out title is based on the Radiohead song of the same name, it isn't played at any point during the 2019 movie. This comes as a bigger surprise following Glass Onion, which plays the Beatles song when the title card appears. Not only that, but Miles Bron plays The Beatles' "Blackbird" on an acoustic guitar, and he has a sculpture of The Fool on the Hill (one of the many clues that foreshadowed Miles is the killer. However, there's one very simple reason why Johnson didn't use "Knives Out" in the movie. Johnson noted that he probably couldn't have afforded it (via LA Times).
Johnson said himself that he's just "a massive Radiohead fan, and I love that album and I love that song." He added that there isn't that much of a connection between the movie and the song either, as he just likes the "turn of phrase." While Glass Onion's title is very closely tied to the events of the film, there's no literal interpretation of "Knives Out" in the 2019 movie. And though there are a lot of knives in the film, it isn't exactly enough of a connection to play the slow-paced Radiohead song, which wouldn't remotely fit with the tone of the snappy crime movie.
