Daniel Craig and Rian Johnson reunite for another wild mystery in Netflix’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Intrepid detective Benoit Blanc’s (Craig) latest adventure takes him to a lavish private estate on a Greek island, but how and why he came to be there is only the first of many puzzles. Blanc soon meets a distinctly disparate group of friends gathering at the invitation of billionaire Miles Bron (Ed Norton) for their yearly reunion.
Among those on the guest list are Miles’ former business partner Andi Brand (Janelle Monae), current Connecticut governor Claire Debella (Kathryn Han), cutting-edge scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), fashion designer/former model Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) and her conscientious assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick). Finally, we have influencer Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) and his sidekick girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline). The most compelling murder mysteries are those in which each character harbors secrets, lies, and motivations that contribute to the plot. So when someone turns up dead, everyone is a suspect.
Like the first film, I want to keep my review as brief as possible so audiences can enjoy the movie as much as possible. The sequel has a story that takes place in the midst of a pandemic. Now before you think that Rian Johnson is trying to push an agenda, he’s not, and he quickly humorously manages the plot arc.
Since everybody is experiencing the monotony of teleworking and cannot interact with people as they used to due to the redundancy of teleworking. In particular, Benoit Blanc is bored because the number of cases for him to investigate has decreased considerably between one lockdown and another. He organizes a series of games based on his passion for puzzles and riddles each year to bring his closest friends together. Then, one day, he receives an invitation from an eccentric tycoon, Miles Bron, who is known for throwing themed bashes for his friends.
There is a new gathering scheduled for this weekend, and the theme is murder, and this time Miles will hold it on his private island in Greece. Naturally, a murder occurs, and Blanc’s presence becomes even more apparent than expected.
That’s all you need to know about Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. The acting in the film is top-notch, and the cast is having a blast. Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, and Kate Hudson get most of the one-liners in the movie and deliver them with a sharp wit. While Leslie Odom Jr. and Janelle Monae ooze of Black Excellence. The film’s big reveal did surprise me, and I hope audiences have as much fun as I did.
Rian Johnson received a lot of unnecessary flack for rewriting the rules of Star Wars canon. For this sequel, though, he sticks to the original format that made the first so successful with a few updates. Thankfully those changes provide enough charm to sustain this franchise for years to come.
Final Grade: A-
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will have a limited one-week theatrical release from November 23 to 29, 2022. It will be released on Netflix on December 23, 2022
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