KNIVES OUT A Murder Mystery by Rian Johnson

1 KNIVES OUTA Murder Mystery byRian JohnsonSCREEN SCRIPTEXT. THROMBEY ESTATE MANOR HOUSE - DAWNThe grounds of a New England manor. Pre-dawn MANOR - PANTRY / LIVING ROOM / FOYER / HALLWAY - DAWNINSIDE THE MANORU nlit and still. Gothic with a theme of antique games,arcane puzzles and decorative floor: A drawing room, living room, kitchen. Thedetritus of a party. Stray champagne THROMBEY ESTATE - 2ND FLOOR - DAWNF ollow one housekeeper named FRAN carrying a tray of coffeeup a flight of floor: a hallway, doors all closed. The house hasnot woken up, and Fran steps lightly. Up a much narrowercreaky flight of steep THROMBEY ESTATE - 3RD FLOOR MASTER BEDROOM - DAWNT hird floor: the master bedroom Mr ThrombeyBut the bed is empty, unslept in.

2 A robe thrown across heads out onto the landing and UP an EVEN NARROWER halfflight of stairs, which leads to a single (cont'd)Mr Thrombey you up there? Mr ThrombeyI'm coming inINT. HARLAN THROMBEY'S STUDY - DAWNA cramped attic study, every shelf crammed with door swings open and Fran sees:HARLAN THROMBEY himself. 85 years old. Slung across awhite leather day slit. Drenched in blood. Very much 's tray slips out of her hands for a TO: Title card, on TO:INT. MARTA'S BEDROOM - MORNINGMARTA CABRERA wakes with a , modern, cramped. Marta, in her late twenties, takesa moment to catch her breath. Opens a SOUTH BOSTON HOUSING PROJECT - MORNINGA tiny window in a cheap apartment building opens, Marta'sface appears breathing : "ONE WEEK - after Harlan Thrombey's demise"INT.

3 CABRERA KITCHEN - MORNINGM arta sits in front of a laptop. Her MOM is at the tablewith her, her sister ALICE watches CSI on an iPad on thecounter top. Murder related dialog from the scroll through a jobs site, tired, eyes dead. Her momwatches, , turn that off it's almost over, what -they're finding out who didit and the wifi sucks in myroom so it doesn't play it'slike two minutes left whatthere isn't even anythingbad on it, it's just normaltv and they're just talkingok ok goddddd whatever please just turn it it off. Now. Alice. Off. They're talking about murderon it, your sister just hada friend she loves slit histhroat open she doesn't needto be hearing that right nowlet's be sensitive!

4 Standing yelling, Alice slams the iPad cover closed. Marta puts her head in her hand. Looks at her mom, wholooks back at her with protective sympathy. Marta startslaughing at the absurdity of it, but the laugh turns you can keep watching your showit's , I guessed who did it anyway. I'msorry hugs her sister. Marta's phone rings. WALT 's Harlan's son. answers()Hi, ()Uh face shifts in (cont'd)What?EXT. PRIVATE ROAD - LATE MORNINGA long narrow private road leading to the Thrombey 's shitty SUBCOMPACT car buzzes by, towards the THROMBEY ESTATE FRONT DRIVES everal cars, including a police cruiser with a fewuniformed officers by it. Marta pulls up. An officer eyesher, !

5 Excuse me ma'am. Are you withthe help?MEG, Thrombey's college aged granddaughter, trots ! Her name is Marta, she wasgranddad's nurse, she's with us. "The help?". the cop()It's ok, ()No. It's not ok. What thehell?They hug, and are both instantly crying. They very good. Alone, lots of just,thisthe crying()and not knowing what to do you need, you're part ofthis family FOYERT hrombey's eldest daughter Linda opens the door for you doing is 60ish, well put together, sharp and steely eyed. She dresses and speaks with just a little more sharpnessthan any situation she's in Linda. How are you?LINDAUeuh. The funeral helped. I guess. Just seeing him.

6 I thought youshould have been there. I was 's husband Richard walks in, on the phone. Same age asLinda, gruff and confident, will put his feet up (ON PHONE)I'm not the cop so I don't know. Alright fine, don't come, getarrested. Die up your own ass all up()He's not coming.(MORE) Marta()RICHARD (ON PHONE)(cont'd)Ransom. little shit. Missed thefuneral. STATE TROOPER WAGNER, fresh faced in his 30s, pokes his headin through a WAGNERE xcuse me, we're ready for you now,we'd like to see you one at a I'll go first. I'm assumingthis will all be wrapped up beforethe memorial WAGNERWe'll do our best ma' exits with Wagner, leaving Richard and How you doing LIBRARYM ystery and horror memorabilia scattered on the sits opposite three men: LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT, in his30s, in a working suit.

7 Very good at his job. The youngTrooper Wagner stands behind back behind both of them, almost blending into thebackground, is a slight man in a linen suit. Legs and armsfold sharply, like a paper crane. Silent, ELLIOTTWe are just going to reintroduceourselves as a formality, I'mDetective Lieutenant Elliott, andthis is Trooper Wagner. Now, I'mgoing to record, just makes at his phone()Alright, we're with Linda Drysdale,nee Thrombey, Harlan Thrombey'seldest daughter, in discussing theevents the night of his demise, oneweek ago, November WAGNERWe're sorry for your as chalk()Thank you that means a checks his ELLIOTTSo we understand that night thefamily had gathered to celebrate yourfather's eighty fifth ELLIOTTHow was that?

8 LINDAThe party? Pre my dad's death? Itwas LIVING ROOM - NIGHT OF THE PARTY - FLASHBACKW armly lit, classic rock playing, food laid out. Linda andRichard mingle happily with the rest of the family (whowe'll meet shortly.)LIEUTENANT ELLIOTT ( )Did anyone besides the family showface?LINDA ( )Uh. There was Fran, thehousekeeper. Marta, Harlan'scaregiver, good girl, hard worker. Family's from Ecuador. And Wanetta -Greatnana, Harlan's the snack table wearing a dozen coats, a woman who mightbe three hundred years old. She pounds down chips and diplike a ELLIOTT ( )wow()His mom? How old is she?LINDA ( )We have no ELLIOTT ( )Okay, Your son Ransom, was he thereas well?

9 ( )Yes but he left DRYSDALE, roguishly handsome in his early 30s,breezes out the side door, past , are you leaving?INT. LIBRARYThe strange man in the linen suit taps a piano key, as ifreminding to ask him ELLIOTTR ight, did all three of you show upat around the same time? , Richard came early to help thecaterers set raises a questioning finger to ask about the man butLIEUTENANT ELLIOTTOkay and you and your husband Richardwork for a real estate firm inBoston?LINDA sharp()It's my ELLIOTT checks notes()Sorry. built my business from the ELLIOTTJust like your dad. You two were veryclose?LINDAWe had our own secret way ofcommunicating. You had to find thatwith dad.

10 You had to find a game toplay with him. And if you did that,and played by his TO: Richard in the chair Linda was in, giving idolizes their dad, right?LIEUTENANT ELLIOTTI don't know, do they?RICHARDVery much not, don't know why I saidthat. But Linda LIVING ROOM - NIGHT OF THE PARTYH arlan Thrombey, surrounded by his family, Richard and Lindaflanking him, a birthday cake with candles. All ( )Harlan started with a rusty Smith-Corona, built himself into one of thebestselling Mystery writers of alltime. INT. LIBRARYLIEUTENANT ELLIOTTS eems like all his kids are self makes a "..sure" TO:WALT THROMBEY now sits in the questioning chair. Late 40s,softly obsequious in a sweater and loafers.