How To Do A Plot Twist - Knives Out

Summary

This video analyzes Rian Johnson’s evolution as a filmmaker, specifically focusing on how he mastered the art of subverting expectations in his film *Knives Out*. The video contrasts *Knives Out* with *The Last Jedi*, illustrating how Johnson learned from his mistakes in the latter and applied valuable storytelling lessons in the former. By examining the mechanics of subversion, foreshadowing, and promise-keeping, the video demonstrates how *Knives Out* successfully uses twists to enhance the narrative. It emphasizes how Johnson's growth as a director has led to a stronger, more rewarding film that captures audiences' attention through clever subversion.

Takeaways

• 🎬 Knives Out is presented as a masterclass in subverting expectations — a flip that improves the story rather than just shocking the audience.
• 🧭 Rian Johnson redeemed himself between The Last Jedi and Knives Out by learning how to use subversion correctly.
• ✅ The speaker proposes three core rules for a successful subversion: it must enhance the story going forward, have strong verisimilitude with prior story logic, and keep the promises made to the audience.
• 🔁 Knives Out’s central subversion flips the film’s genre mid-story (from whodunit to a ‘how will she get away with it’), which raises stakes and audience investment.
• 🔍 Johnson weaponizes genre tropes — making the murder-mystery conventions themselves the antagonists — so the audience expects detection and is more engaged when those expectations are subverted.
• 🧩 Verisimilitude (internal logic) matters more than mere foreshadowing: a twist works if it fits the established character logic and world, even without heavy hints.
• ⚠️ The Last Jedi’s problematic twists are attributed to breaking verisimilitude and betraying promises (e.g., Luke’s treatment of the lightsaber and Rey’s parentage reveal).
• 💡 Effective foreshadowing places clues in a specific order: give one clear clue early and then drip-feed corroborating details so the twist is obvious in hindsight but hard to predict.
• 🐕 A concrete example from Knives Out: the dogs’ behavior is the first planted clue that, when recontextualized, points to Ransom as the murderer.
• 🎯 The ‘plot-twist sweet spot’ is when clues make the twist possible to deduce in hindsight but not obvious beforehand — cathartic and satisfying for the audience.
• 📌 Keeping narrative promises is crucial: breaking a built-up mystery for a mundane payoff frustrates the audience, whereas Knives Out appears to honor and cleverly resolve its promises.
• 🧠 Writers should strive to learn from mistakes: Johnson’s progression is used as a model for how creators can improve craft by studying what went wrong and applying those lessons.
• 🎧 The script includes a sponsorship plug recommending Audible and the books Save the Cat / Save the Cat Writes a Novel as resources for writers.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video transcript?

The video analyzes how Rian Johnson successfully uses subverted expectations in 'Knives Out' after previously failing to do so in 'The Last Jedi', exploring how he learned from his mistakes to enhance his storytelling.

How does the creator describe Rian Johnson’s handling of subverted expectations in 'The Last Jedi'?

Johnson’s subversions in 'The Last Jedi' are described as intentionally divisive and poorly executed, as they compromise the story’s integrity rather than enhancing it, leading to audience frustration.

What are the three core rules for effective subversion of expectations mentioned in the script?

The three rules are: 1) The subversion must enhance the story going forward, 2) It must have strong verisimilitude with the story’s established logic, and 3) It must keep the promises made to the audience.

How does 'Knives Out' exemplify subversion that enhances the story?

‘Knives Out’ shifts from a traditional 'whodunit' mystery to a 'how will she get away with it' story after revealing the killer early, transforming genre tropes into narrative tension and increasing audience investment.

What is meant by 'verisimilitude' in the context of storytelling, according to the script?

Verisimilitude means that plot developments and twists should make logical sense within the story’s established world and character logic, even if they are unexpected or shocking.

Why does the video argue that Luke throwing away his lightsaber in 'The Last Jedi' fails as a subversion?

It fails because the action contradicts Luke’s established character and emotional history, breaking the story’s internal logic and lacking verisimilitude.

What example from 'Game of Thrones' is used to illustrate a subversion with strong verisimilitude?

Ned Stark’s death is cited as a great example because, although shocking and lacking foreshadowing, it makes complete sense given the characters’ motivations and the story’s political logic.

How does Rian Johnson effectively use foreshadowing in 'Knives Out'?

He presents clues in a carefully chosen order—such as the dogs barking at 3 AM and later reacting negatively only to Ransom—so the audience realizes the twist was well-supported once it’s revealed.

What key mistake did Rian Johnson make in 'The Last Jedi' regarding audience promises?

He broke major narrative promises, such as making Rey’s mysterious parentage meaningless, which led to disappointment because it negated audience expectations without offering a satisfying alternative.

How does 'Knives Out' demonstrate that Johnson learned from his past mistakes about narrative promises?

In 'Knives Out', Johnson initially seems to abandon the central mystery but ultimately fulfills all narrative promises by bringing the subplots together in a satisfying climax where the true killer is revealed.

What is the overall lesson the video suggests writers should learn from Rian Johnson’s evolution?

Writers should aim to create subversions that serve the story, maintain internal logic, and honor the audience’s expectations, transforming surprises into meaningful narrative enhancements rather than cheap shocks.

What role does foreshadowing order play in the effectiveness of a twist, according to the analysis?

The order of clues influences how easily the audience can predict the twist, allowing a story to remain unpredictable while still feeling inevitable in hindsight, enhancing emotional payoff.

What does the creator praise most about Rian Johnson’s storytelling in 'Knives Out'?

He praises Johnson’s ability to 'weaponize' genre tropes—turning the conventions of a murder mystery into obstacles for the protagonist, creating a fresh and engaging narrative dynamic.