Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Is a Silly, Absurd and Downright Fun Sequel: Review

The post Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Is a Silly, Absurd and Downright Fun Sequel: Review appeared first on Consequence.

This review was part of our coverage of the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival.

The Pitch: Famous Southern detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), whom we first met in the 2019 flick Knives Out, is in a pandemic-induced funk when he receives an invitation from eccentric billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) to his next big case in Greece.

There, on a remote island, Bron’s closest friends and “disrupters” congregate for a murder mystery party at his Glass Onion house — a spot so lavish even the Mona Lisa is there, on loan from the Louvre. There’s former model-turned-fashion-designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), controversial social media star Duke Cody (Dave Bautista), brilliant scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), right-wing politician Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), and Bron’s spurned former partner, Cassandra Brand (Janelle Monáe).

What begins as a game quickly turns deadly, and it’s up to Blanc — and audiences — to solve the case. If this all sounds familiar that’s because it is: director and writer Rian Johnson was inspired by director Herbert Ross’s 1973 movie The Last of Sheila.

Twisting Tropes: Just like in Knives Out, Johnson is intent on turning every whodunnit trope on its head in Glass Onion, all while injecting the film with satirical social commentary. Each character is crafted as a parody of some current issue: Birdie can’t help herself from tweeting racist things, Duke is walking toxic masculinity, Claire is the quintessential high-powered politician with a hidden agenda, and even Bron is a name-dropping billionaire whose lifestyle is a slap in the face to anyone without.

Of course, it doesn’t hurt that each actor embodies their roles and carefully crafted idiosyncrasies like a Clue board come to life. (And yes, there are definitely Clue references in this movie.) It’s an all-star ensemble to rival that of the first film, and each character is uniquely conceived and intriguing on their own.

Together, this friend group is what Bron calls his “disrupters,” although under the surface they all owe something to their billionaire buddy. Few of the characters are likeable, although some, like the onion analogy the movie so fondly embraces, become entirely more relatable as you peel back those layers. Money, the cost of wealth, the price of keeping it and what people will do when their comfort is challenged round out the complex themes, all of which this movie so deftly handles with comedy rather than condescension.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix)

The Return of a Legend: Naturally, the return of Det. Blanc centers all of the action. This time around Craig is even more comfortable in Blanc’s skin, and the movie doesn’t waste this opportunity to delve even deeper into the fan-favorite character. In the opening scenes, we’re introduced to Blanc’s home life: We see how much he misses being in the sleuthing game, plus there’s insight into who some of his celebrity friends might be (the number of cameos in this film could easily be a drinking game).

The detective’s presence does more than guide the overarching mystery or add comedic relief, although he certainly does both in this film. He is also the stranger in this new friend group, the outsider who anchors their stories and whose naturally inquisitive nature allows for context that never feels like exposition.

Sometimes Bigger is Better: The original Knives Out was an extravagant and star-studded affair, sure. But this sequel is basically Knives Out on steroids. The set is lavish, the effects are top-notch and the props and costume choices are glorious. There’s glass everywhere (which must have caused a logistics nightmare in filming), and so many background details that you immediately want to go back and see what you may have missed.

It’s not just the physical elements that feel bigger and bolder either. There is mystery after mystery, puzzle after puzzle, reveal after reveal. You won’t see every twist coming, but even when you are a step ahead of Blanc, the film’s full-speed-ahead approach is still so entertaining and fun that the two-hour-and-19-minute runtime rushes by.

The Verdict: Movies like Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery are the reason to do any sequel in the first place. It manages to get bigger and bolder while still giving us a fun and glossy new mystery to dig into, and it’s all backed up by smart and funny writing and a truly stellar cast. Although it’s hard to discuss the film without giving away too many spoilers, a fellow TIFF attendee said it best: This is the kind of film where you’re jealous of everyone who gets to experience it for the first time.

If you can, it’s also the kind of film you want to see on the big screen rather than wait for the Netflix release. That’s the best way to appreciate the small details and finely crafted nuances in all their glory: This isn’t just a film, it’s a movie event. And after the masses have taken it in, absorbed it and enjoyed it as such, there’s no doubt they’ll be clamoring for a third film asap. Luckily, Netflix has already delivered — a third installment will be on the way soon enough.

Where to Watch: Glass Onion had its world premiere at TIFF on Sept. 10th. It is scheduled to premiere in select cinemas in November and debut on Netflix beginning Dec. 23rd.

Trailer:

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Is a Silly, Absurd and Downright Fun Sequel: Review
Amber Dowling

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