‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ (2022) | Movie Review

Benoit Blanc is back in a new whodunnit, this time on an immaculate and dreamlike island where friends have gathered for a murder mystery dinner put on by their wealthy familiar (Edward Norton). When the game turns into reality, Benoit will have to use every skill in his arsenal to determine the motive, and the killer, before time runs out.

Full disclosure: I was invited and attended the LA premiere of Glass Onion by Netflix, and feel it’s important to put that into my review for perspective. These premieres are big and exciting, and nobody is going in without feeling some sort of dopamine from the incredible experience. Does that color the viewing experience of the movie? Of course! What’s important, is to recognize this and calibrate your thoughts with that in mind. If you want to check out the whirlwind of that 48 hr mind-blowing adventure, check it out below the review.

Rian Johnson is a master of writing, and he again shows that with Glass Onion. I loved the original Knives Out, and after hearing two more films were on the way after Netflix acquired the rights, I was very excited. This story is completely separate from the original, with a new cast, new location, and new mystery that differentiates Knives Out from Glass Onion. The cast here was equally fantastic in their roles, the standouts for me being Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Edward Norton, and of course our lead Daniel Craig. Craig’s foghorn leghorn impression continues to delight and engages audiences to follow every word of his deductions, I loved every minute he was on screen. Janelle Monáe has to walk a tightrope with her nuanced role and does so with grace and the ability to ground the ridiculousness into reality.

The humor and tone of Glass Onion are much more relaxed than Knives Out, but still as suspenseful and reflective of the times we’re currently in. The genius of Rian Johnson’s stories in this universe is how they reflect our own echo chambers either on social media or with our families. The parallels are both biting and hilarious and executed masterfully by the cast. Where I feel the film loses some momentum is in its third act. I couldn’t quite get behind some of the characters and how they came to be resolved. Maybe after another viewing, I can find the missing pieces that I couldn’t with the first, but how they resolved the mystery could be undone if you were to pull too hard on the threads.

Overall, this is a very well-written, well-acted, and well-directed film with lots of humor and suspense throughout. See it in theaters now because it won’t be back until December 23rd and only on Netflix. Having seen it with a crowd, I’d recommend it.