Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery - We'd Tell You Why This Sequel is Even Better, But They Might Kill Us
By Thom Ernst
Rating: A
The risk director Rian Johnson takes in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, his superb sequel to the sleeper hit, Knives Out, seems damn near irresponsible. It can even be angering.
But Johnson doesn't hold back on busting expectations before reframing them into something more interesting than anticipated. This is evident in his infamously divisive Star Wars: Episode VII—The Last Jedi, which critics took to while internet trolls tripped over themselves to discredit.
And so, Johnson takes a risk that, in the end, turns out not as irresponsible as initially thought. What would be irresponsible is for me to delve into specifics. After all, this is a mystery. It says so in the title.
Edward Norton as Miles, Madelyn Cline as Whiskey, and Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc
Perhaps I can better explain this with an anecdote:
Colleagues of mine sent me to see Clint Eastwood's academy award-winning film Million Dollar Baby. They couldn't heap enough praise on the film, and so were devastated when I told them I’d left the film early, digruntled at the 'lazy' use of boxing tropes.
This threw them into an indignant rant because (as far as they knew) I left at a crucial point that changed the story's entire trajectory. In essence, I missed the point of the movie. Truth is, I stayed for the entire film but recognized how exiting the theatre prematurely would leave someone with an entirely false perception of the movie. (Plus, I thought it fun to torment my colleagues).
I imagine a similar experience would happen were someone to step out of Glass Onion too soon. But, if you haven't seen Million Dollar Baby, this anecdote is useless. Sorry. It's the best I can do without giving too much of Glass Onion away.
The original Knives Out (2019), one of the last good movies to be experienced live in theatres pre-COVID shutdowns, introduced Daniel Craig as an infamous detective Benoit Blanc, who speaks with a comically appealing Foghorn Leghorn drawl and courts a Southern manner to match.
Craig is the only crossover from Knives Out to Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.
By corralling a group of eccentrics onto an island, Glass Onion moves further along a familiar path of the traditional whodunnits that Johnson so clearly admires. Once there, a reveal of the island guest's past indiscretions effectively sets up each character as a potential victim and/or villain. Everything is up for grabs, and each new twist jars the trajectory from one direction towards another.
Is Glass Onion fun? Yes, it is. It's a lot of fun. More fun and more comedic than its predecessor. The twists resonate stronger than the original and are not as easy to see coming. Plus, the reveals (of which there are a few) resonate with the satisfaction of a game well played.
Much of Glass Onion’s success can be directly traced to the cast, who seem thrilled to be on board.
As Birdie Jay, a self-centered socialite, Kate Hudson revels in a comic timing previously untapped in the endless romantic comedies she is slowly growing out of. Dave Bautista also reveals his comic chops as Duke Cody. Edward Norton, as Miles Bron, is the billionaire host of the evening, harboring his unscrupulous agenda. Also on board are Ethan Hawke and Hugh Grant, plus a few cameos.
But as good as the cast is, Craig's performance does the heavy lifting. Craig, who has recently put his Bond forever to rest, is heading towards another endearing reoccurring character. Heading the list of elites, miscreants and innocents are Craig, returning as the unflappable Detective Blanc. Blanc is clever, perhaps a tad deceitful, and with an ego that resides almost entirely within his own being. Blanc can be a show-off, but mostly he is a man whose self-satisfaction is contained for his own appreciation.
Johnson's skill, evident since his breakout film Brick and in the logic-twisting brilliance of Looper, is making the complex simple and the extremes accessible so that every reveal comes with a satisfying 'Aha.'
Glass Onion delighted audiences at TIFF22. It's out there to delight everyone else. The film gets a global release December 23, on Netflix, but opens at select theatres November 23. Can I convince you to see it on a big screen with an audience? It’s a movie to be enjoyed with others.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is directed by Rian Johnson and stars Daniel Craig, Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Dave Bautista. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery opens in select theatres, November 23, 2022 and Globally on Netflix, December 23.