Knives Out was one of 2019’s biggest hits. It had a stellar showing at the box office, and proved massively popular with both fans and critics. So when you get tasked with making the first of two (planned, fingers crossed for more) sequels, what do you do? Apparently, if you’re Rian Johnson, you put together an arguably even more star-studded cast, write an equally entertaining story, and make an overall movie that is even a notch above the original. And voilà, we have Glass Onion: A Knives Mystery. Must be nice to be that talented, huh?
Daniel Craig returns as detective Benoit Blanc to unravel another set of lies, secrets, mystery, and murder. Blanc hasn’t had a case in far too long, thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic (the pandemic-setting is the only major creative miss for the movie). Blanc has grown beyond bored, yearning for a new case, something to engage his mind. His wishes come true when he receives a mysterious box with an invitation to a murder mystery party thrown by billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton).
Also receiving the invitation are Bron’s loyal friends – “The Disruptors,” they call themselves (gag): Connecticut governor Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), model and fashion designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) and her assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick), Twitch star Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) and his girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline), scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr) who works for Bron’s company, and lastly, Andi Brand (Janelle Monáe), Miles’ former business partner who, by all accounts, is no longer a member of the group.
The mysteries begin when Bron speak privately to Blanc, telling him he never sent him a box. But he’s nonetheless thrilled to have him there. Having such a renowned detective present at his murder mystery party gives it a sense of street cred the egomaniac simply can’t pass up. Additionally, Blanc convinces Bron his inclusion may not be such a pleasant surprise.
You see, every one of Bron’s friends has reason to see him dead. Bron bankrolled all of their ventures, so as his reputation goes, so goes their’s. Bron is currently dealing with a few potential controversies that he’s pushing off onto his friends. Take the blame, and their successes become failures. Let the truth come out and they lose their financial backer. Blanc’s point of view is that him showing up to Bron’s private Greek island is anything but coincidental. It creates a fun web of uncertainty, as each of Bron’s guests has equal reason to protect him and wish him dead. It doesn’t take long for the murderous hijinks to ensue, and Glass Onion is off to the races on another riotously fun murder-mystery adventure.
Like its predecessor, Glass Onion boasts an incredible cast who take Johnson’s whip-smart script to another level. As great as Craig (and well, everyone) is, it’s Hudson’s Birdie who steals the show. She’s an absolute riot as the ditzy-though-maybe-a-tad-smarter-than-she-looks model and designer. She’s responsible for several of the movie’s biggest laughs, and manages to find some depth that you wouldn’t expect to be there based on her character’s introduction.
But while Hudson is my MVP, every single character has their share of moments to shine. I would have liked to see Kathryn Hahn – legitimately one of the funniest people on the planet – get more to do. But with a cast this stacked, somebody was going to get the short end of the stick. Though to be fair, the short end of this stick is still pretty long.
With an A+ cast on board, how about the story they have to work with? While I think the overall story in Knives Out is better, I prefer the way in which Glass Onion peels back its proverbial layers; it’s more creative and fun. I could go on and on about how well this worked (and how wrong it could have gone if handled poorly), but there’s no fun in ruining the surprise. The ultimate reveal is also a little tighter in Knives Out as well. But the big moment in Glass Onion is still great, unwinding the final pieces with such vigor and panache that you can’t help but get lost in the moment. But there are some specific elements Glass Onion does better than its predecessor.
Glass Onion is overall funnier, with a higher joke clip that has very few misses (maybe none?). This doesn’t automatically make it better, but it gives it a different vibe, something that felt necessary as a way to clearly distinguish the two. But what Glass Onion does significantly better is give you a chance to solve the mystery along with Blanc and the other characters. Even in rewatching Knives Out, there aren’t a ton of clues as to who did it and why. Glass Onion is different.
There are several small moments that can clue you in to who the culprit is. The movie doesn’t give it away, by any means, but there’s just enough for audiences to pick up on, if they’re paying attention. There are of course red herrings to throw you off the scent, but that’s part of the fun of playing movie detective. You need to know what to focus on and what to ignore.
I think that part, along with the brighter, lighter, bigger production set up are ultimately puts Glass Onion just a notch above Knives Out. But in any event, no matter which you prefer, Rian Johnson is now 2-2 in the Knives Out/Benoit Blanc series. His current deal only promises us one more, but if Knives Out 3 is once again on this level, I think fans will be clamoring for more.
Score: 94/100
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