Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Rian Johnson brings to audiences “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery”, another thrilling instalment of his Oscar-nominated “Knives Out” franchise. Moving away from the gothic manors of Boston, Massachusetts, this much anticipated sequel takes place on a secluded island, owned by an eccentric billionaire in sunny Greece. Johnson reunites with Daniel Craig for the sequel, with the James Bond actor reprising his role as southern detective Benoit Blanc who is yet again tasked to unsolved a complex web of lies and deceit. The film brings together a star-studded cast that each deliver bold and lively performances.

Billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites five of his closest friends to spend the weekend on his secluded island in Greece. Their weekend will consist of taking part in a murder mystery game, trying to find out who ‘killed’ Miles. However, the unexpected arrival of world-famous detective Benoit Blanc throws the weekend off course, throwing a spanner in the works of Miles’ elaborate plan. Although, when one of the guests suddenly dies, suspicions grow, and Benoit Blanc begins an investigation that will test friendships and uncover a twisted web of murder and deception.

The film’s colourful costumes perfectly reflect the lively personalities of the characters. Edward Norton plays eccentric billionaire Miles Bron, a character who can be easily likened to Elon Musk. Kathryn Hahn portrays a governor running for senate, with her campaign funded by Bron and Leslie Odom Jr. plays a scientist who works for Miles’ tech company. Kate Hudson is Birdie Jay, a supermodel-turned-fashion designer, and Jessica Henwick plays her assistant Peg. Dave Bautista plays Twitch streamer and men’s rights activist Duke Cody, with Madelyn Cline playing his girlfriend and assistant. Everyone delivers unique, outgoing performances that make “Glass Onion” all the more entertaining. Kate Hudson and Janelle Monáe are the standouts of the film, Hudson delivers a hilarious performance full of charisma and Monáe gives a performance that exudes confidence and is complex and stimulating. Daniel Craig delivers another thoroughly entertaining performance as Benoit Blanc, bringing the brilliant character back to the big screen.

Rian Johnson once again brings audiences a thrilling murder mystery, with likeable characters and an engaging plot, while Johnson pens a script that elevates every character and every scene, full of hilarious one-liners that stick with you long after the credits roll. Cinematographer, and frequent Rian Johnson collaborator, Steve Yedlin crafts clean, visually pleasing cinematography that makes “Glass Onion” look nice on top of being entertaining. However, this is a film that relies a lot on the shock factor that comes from the multiple reveals and twists throughout the 149-minute flick, so unfortunately, while “Glass Onion” may be great on a first-time watch, once you know the twists and reveals of the plot, it suddenly becomes a lot less enjoyable.

The film feels totally different from it’s Boston-set predecessor, both films have their own strengths and weaknesses and the vast difference between the two makes them hard to compare. They’re each good in their own ways, however it feels nothing can top the first film with its sharp humour and hilarious family quarrels, and a brilliant performance from Chris Evans. However, “Glass Onion” solidifies the Johnson’s creation as one of Hollywood’s most promising and charming franchises that never fails to entertain. The sequel also does something different than the one that came before it. It includes cameos from a whole host of Hollywood icons including Dame Angela Lansbury, Ethan Hawke, and Stephen Sondheim to name a few.

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is a thrilling sequel from Rian Johnson and Netflix. Lead by brilliant performances from the entire cast, and featuring lush visuals from Steve Yeldin, the film lands itself in the better half of 2022 releases, and like its predecessor lands itself swiftly in the awards conversation for this year. Unexpected reveals and shocking twists flip audience’s expectations on their heads and combined with Johnson’s stellar direction, the film is by far one of the strongest sequels released in recent years.