When Does "Knives Out" (2019) Take Place?
"Knives Out" is a comedy crime film written by Rian Johnson that released November 27th, 2019. So when is "Knives Out" set?
It takes place in the year:
We know this because Richard Drysdale says, " 'Immigrants. We get the job done.' " and then, 'From "Hamilton".' and, finally, "I saw it at The Public.", certainly referring to the musical "Hamilton" (2015) which opened at The Public Theater in Manhattan on February 17th, 2015 AD and moved to a Broadway theater in July of 2015 AD in the real world. So it must be after February of 2015 AD.
2018 AD
We know this because Richard Drysdale says, " 'Immigrants. We get the job done.' " and then, 'From "Hamilton".' and, finally, "I saw it at The Public.", certainly referring to the musical "Hamilton" (2015) which opened at The Public Theater in Manhattan on February 17th, 2015 AD and moved to a Broadway theater in July of 2015 AD in the real world. So it must be after February of 2015 AD.
Furthermore, Joni Thrombey says, "They're putting children in cages!" after saying, ..."look around you, the streets are literally flooded with Nazis." in a political debate with Richard Drysdale. In the real world, "putting children in cages" or 'Putting kids in cages' became a common statement in June of 2018 AD when news broke that real-world United States of America President Donald Trump had expanded the narrow definition of human-trafficking alerts to effect a near total zero tolerance for illegal immigration policy that included indiscriminate separation of immigrant children from their families from May of 2017 AD to June of 2018 AD. So it is probably after June of 2018 AD.
More specifically, when Marta Cabrera opens the mysterious envelope she receives about three-quarters through the story, it contains a copy of the "Toxicology Report" on "Patient Name THROMBEY, HARLAN" dated for "11–17–18" representing November 17th, 2018 AD. In the next scene Hugh Ransom Drysdale holds the same paper and almost all details can be seen much more clearly. So it must be mid November of 2018 AD. As later dialogue makes clear, Thrombey dies on "November 8th" and this report is made as a result.
(HOWEVER, another copy of the "Toxicology Report" hidden until just before the climax is dated for "09/27/2018" representing September 27th, 2018 AD. As is the copy we see planted on Fran, later, in a flashback. Presumably, this is a production mistake.)
Additionally, the movie starts with a prologue that must happen a week earlier on November 8th, 2018 AD. Early in the tale Detective Lieutenant Elliot speaks into his iPhone smartphone's microphone, ..."discussing the events that took place the night of his demise, one week ago: November 8th." Furthermore, the main action begins with a title card reading "ONE WEEK after Harlan Thrombey's demise" confirming this. Numerous flashbacks of varying lengths over the course of the whole film return to this setting.
