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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery
(Netflix/Lionsgate)
By Lucas Allen
Daniel Craig has finally traded in his Walther PPK in 2021 with his final James Bond blockbuster, “No Time to Die.” Fortunately, he has already found a new franchise character to call his own, as Southern-fried detective Benoit Blanc, beginning with the 2019 hit “Knives Out.” After a three-year wait, the long-awaited follow-up “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” makes its way to the screen, the streaming screen on Netflix. Writer/director Rian Johnson returns to craft yet another complex mystery of murder and intrigue that would make Agathe Christie happy.
Tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites some of his closest friends to spend a weekend at his private Greek island by delivering to them some ingenious puzzle boxes. The guest list included fashion designer Birdy Jay (Kate Hudson) with her assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick), Bron’s scientific advisor Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), political candidate Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), and social media influencer Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) with his girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline). Detective Benoit Blanc (Craig) happens to be invited under mysterious circumstances as does Bron’s ex-partner Andi (Janelle Monae). Andi’s presence soon brings some heaviness to the weekend getaway because of her past legal issues with the billionaire.
The purpose of the weekend visit is to have Bron’s guests take part in a murder mystery to solve his “murder.” However, an actual murder takes place during an after-dinner party when one of the guests unexpectedly drops dead. Now, Blanc is in a race against time to solve this murder before the killer strikes again.
Anyone worried that this film will retread anything from the previous film can rest assured this movie makes the effort to differentiate it in terms of plot, characters and location. Putting Blanc in an exotic location with a different set of characters makes for a refreshing viewing experience. Interestingly enough, it doesn’t retread the first film’s Agathe Christie-style storytelling, but goes for a different story structure, including letting the actual murder happen near the halfway point. Johnson is quite good at subverting expectations from his viewers and give them different experiences in each of his films.
Much like the first film, the production design is exquisite and perfectly matches this movie’s tone. The aesthetic of the “glass onion” nicely represents this mystery’s many layers. As far as the new characters go, they’re not as eclectic as the previous film’s cast, but mainly there to provide commentary and satire on the rich and belligerent. It’s fun, but “The Menu” did a better job of satirizing those looking to get rich quick and suffer some comeuppance as a result.
Without spoiling what goes on in the movie, once the murder happens, the movie starts getting more twisty with each scene. It becomes more of a perspective from a new character and Blanc’s involvement is basically minimal at best. Consequently, once revelations come to light, it leads to a final scene that has the movie going off the rails though strangely satisfying. The best way to put it is that while the first film was more of a simple mystery, this one has a lot to be taken in during the first viewing.
Though we’ll miss him as the blond Bond, Craig’s return as Blanc is as fun as ever with the actor reveling in the brilliant absurdity of his character. Think of his character with the personality of Foghorn Leghorn and the swagger of Roger Moore’s Bond. Norton easily earns his character’s timely charm and disgust as the movie’s main villain, while Monae wonderfully plays the film’s most pivotal role that deserves some awards notice. Bautista, Hudson, and Hahn highlight the rest of the cast, but again, the first film’s cast were far more memorable. It’s worth noting there are surprise celebrity cameos scattered throughout including the final screen appearances of late legends Angela Lansbury and Stephen Sondheim in a hilarious scene with Blanc.
Fans of the first “Knives Out” will undoubtedly enjoy a “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” despite the sequel’s controversial move to streaming. If anything, it’ll have us begging for more Blanc and his eccentric ways with another all-star cast of suspects. A good suggestion to keep things fresh is give Blanc a nemesis, or his own Moriarty.
HE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.25 Stars (Out of Four)
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for strong language, some violence, sexual material, and drug content)
