Between a gritty thriller and two cozy whodunits, the similarities are easier to spot than a red herring.
Chris Sasaguay
January 14, 2023
Collider
“You will be investigating thieves, misers, bullies, the most detestable collection of people you will ever meet. My family.” Should the detective take the case, this lies it all out. It’s a warning, though more importantly, it’s an invitation to investigate. Christopher Plummer could deliver the dialogue in either two of the murder mysteries he acts in. Both have him play the elder patriarch to a clan of scumbags. Among the Vangers or Thrombeys, some family members are worse than others. Should you pay a visit to any residence, it would make for a distressing time all around. The David Fincher adaptation of Stieg Larsson’s novel, bleak and intense, couldn’t be more different from Rian Johnson‘s satirical, colorful Knives Out movies. What they share in common, is where The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) turns into a dark cousin in crime.
The Fincher Analyst 
Rian Johnson’s work is way too smug to be mentioned in the same breath as Fincher. Fincher is many things, but his films are not smug. Johnson is always out to prove how smart he is. His early work is way more enjoyable, but everything he has done post Looper has annoyed me in one way or another. As a filmmaker Fincher is a million miles in the opposite direction from Johnson. Fincher’s work is about getting meat hooks into you and trying to pull flesh off. He is looking for as many ways to push the audience.
LikeLike