Anthony's Film Review - Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

The thrills and humor of Knives Out continue in an all-new comedy murder mystery...

Knives Out back in 2019 took me by surprise, by presenting a modern and unconventional take on the murder mystery. Writer and director Rian Johnson has shown us that stories of a specific genre do not have to follow all the rules and conventions of the genre. They just have to adhere to the core defining characteristics of the genre. Once that's taken care of, then you can have fun with everything else. That includes British actor Daniel Craig delivering an amusing performance as Benoit Blanc, a detective who is essentially a Sherlock Holmes or Hercule Poirot from the Southern United States.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery features Benoit Blanc on another case with a new cast of characters. Before I go further into that, it's worth noting the unusual distribution plan for this movie. Glass Onion is a Netflix-produced film available for streaming on Netflix starting December 23, 2022. However, it was also available as a limited theatrical release for one week starting November 23, 2022. I saw this movie on that first day and I am here to tell you about it before the Netflix streaming premiere date.

The beginning of Glass Onion is a lot like the opening of the classic Agatha Christie mystery And Then There Were None, where various characters receive an invitation from the same mysterious individual to come to an isolated island. Here, billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) sends out the invitations, not as direct conventional letters but as cards hidden within complex mechanical wooden boxes that are opened by solving their attached puzzles. The invitees, most of whom know each other, include tech entrepreneur Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), politician and climate change activist Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), fashion designer and socialite Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), Birdie's friend Peg (Jessica Henwick), macho social media influencer Duke Cody (Dave Bautista), Duke's girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline), and the cold-faced and mysterious Andi Brand (Janelle Monae). So you have these colorful characters plus Benoit Blanc coming to a Greek island to play a fun simulated murder mystery game for the weekend. What could possibly go wrong?

Yep, you guessed it: an actual murder occurs. Keep in mind that it actually takes a while until the film reaches that dramatic turning point. In the meantime, there are plenty of scenes depicting various moments with the characters, all intended to provide a suspenseful setup for the audience. We are left with potential motives for murder among the island invitees, based on their connections to Miles Bron and each other. Anyone who enjoys mystery stories by trying to crack the case themselves before the sleuth protagonist does will have a field day with this one.

But let's remember. This isn't a Holmes or Poirot mystery. It's a Blanc mystery, meaning the story does not unfold according to the traditional chronological mystery plot structure: investigate, witness another murder, repeat the first two elements a few times, and finally tell the full story with everyone in the same room. Like Knives Out, Glass Onion deviates from this. However, the manner of deviation is not a repeat of Knives Out. The way Glass Onion's mystery unfolds involves something even more unconventional, which I won't mention, but I will say that it's more brilliant and creative than the conventional mystery. It definitely reveals more and more, like peeking the layers of an onion one by one.

I shall also provide a few quick spoiler-free comments about the resolution of Glass Onion. It also doesn't rehash the ending of Knives Out or follow the familiar mystery formula. The way Glass Onion ends is strikingly out of left field. I did find myself wondering if this ending is appropriate for this kind of story. Ultimately, once it was all over, I did nod in approval and felt that it was still satisfactory. I'm not saying this to discourage anyone from seeing Glass Onion, which is still an entertaining film. Still, you can be the judge.

Let's talk about Daniel Craig for a moment. Previously, he played Benoit Blanc while still playing James Bond, the reason his performance as Blanc in Knives Out was so amusing. But now that he completed his final Bond film and bade farewell to that role, he is free to really sink into Blanc's shoes and define another memorable on-screen character. He continues to embody Blanc's Southern humor and charm along with the keen intellect that would make Sir Arthur Conan Doyle proud. After two movies, I am so looking forward to seeing more Knives Out mysteries with Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc.

But let's not forget the supporting cast. They all play their roles well without being a tiny bit unconvincing. Still, I save my highest praise for one cast member: Janelle Monae. She practically steals the show here. Yes, she is cold and emotionally distant from the start, but like with all of the other characters, just wait until you discover more about who this person is. Basically, if Daniel Craig gets nominated for acting awards for this movie, Janelle Monae should also be recognized the same way.

As I've hinted above, what we have here is a blossoming film franchise, introduced by Knives Out and propelled further with Glass Onion. The latter is no doubt as good as the former, so there should be no worries about a disappointing sequel. Is Glass Onion better than Knives Out? Possibly. A couple of times, I was somewhat tempted to make that claim. In the end, it's an 8 out of 10 on my rating scale, like Knives Out. Glass Onion is another refreshing new take on the murder mystery, one that brings a centuries-old genre into the 21st century with great results.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, visit the Internet Movie Database.

In addition, check out my review of Knives Out.