Archaically Modern: Rethinking the Detective Look in the Knives Out Film Series

Abstract

This article focuses on Rian Johnson’s murder mystery films Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022) to explore the chameleonic sartorial choices of their detective protagonist, Benoit Blanc played by Daniel Craig. While in the first film, Knives Out, Blanc displays a conservative look with relaxed tweed suits, in Glass Onion, he showcases a more flamboyant look, with a striped blue and white tan suit, beige linen safari-styled suits and Breton striped sweaters. In this article, I explore how costume designer Jenny Eagan playfully rethinks the detective look, drawing inspiration from films by Jacques Tati and Alfred Hitchcock, to address issues of capitalism, privilege and class combining humour and social commentary. Benoit Blanc’s attire, classic and yet bordering period fashion from the 1940s, presents a vintage dandy sensibility, taking the audience back to a past time. His look, I argue, not only deliberately helps differentiate Craig from his most famous role of James Bond, but also functions as a comforting tool for audiences in relating better with the masculinity of this down-to-earth detective. Despite presenting occasional camp features, Benoit Blanc performs a traditional, rational and intellectually reassuring masculine heroism.