Plot : Tech billionaire Miles Bron invites his friends for a getaway on his private Greek island. When someone turns up dead, Detective Benoit Blanc is put on the case.
Cast : Daniel Craig, Dave Bautista
Director : Rian Johnson
Ratings : ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
The Review : The stakes in this Benoit Blanc case, as directed by Rian Johnson, are very different from those in Knives Out. Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), who is unemployed and bored, appears in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery straight out of a pandemic. With the help of billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton), who has invited his closest friends for a getaway at his private island for a murder mystery party that quickly turns into a rather real game as death knocks on the door as well, Blanc sets off on a journey to Greece after receiving the invitation in a Glass Onion mystery box.
The governor of Connecticut (Kathryn Hahn), men’s rights activist YouTuber Duke (Dave Bautista) and girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline), former model Birdie (Kate Hudson), who is currently a PR disaster for her assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick), as well as the head scientist of Bron’s firm, Lionel, are all invited (Leslie Odom Jr). Cassandra Brand, Miles’ ex-colleague in business, will also attend the vacation as a surprise visitor (Janelle Monáe).
With Knives Out, Rian Johnson performed an act of genius by ingeniously reviving the whodunnit subgenre. The writer-director succeeds once more with Glass Onion as he deftly juggles the tone of the picture while attempting to make it a comedy that is loaded with astute social satire as well as the amount of suspense required for a murder mystery to thrive. It’s Johnson’s talent to incorporate small details, like an appearance by Ethan Hawke as a post-pandemic health official who gives each visitor a dose of an unidentified mouth spray before they leave on their trip.
Additionally, at the start of the movie, there is a funny zoom call scene between Blanc (Craig) and Angela Lansbury, Natasha Lyonne, and Kareem Abdul-Jabba that gives us the little background information we need on Benoit’s life rather than the detective persona that dominates the rest of the journey.
Glass Onion takes great effort in crafting its mystery and uses flashbacks to ensure that viewers have a clear understanding of the dynamic shared by the group of people known as the “Disruptors,” as described by Norton’s millionaire who resembles Elon Musk. The nicest thing about the way Johnson portrays his characters is perhaps how masterfully we move from disliking them to becoming more sympathetic to them. Each character receives just enough creative manipulation from the director to keep them fascinating as well as the potential murder suspects.
Knives Out’s successor is more lively and brilliant in both setting and tone when compared to it. Instead of a rickety mansion, Miles Bron constructed a real Glass Onion building in this location, which serves as both the setting for a murder mystery game party and, ultimately, a murder. With a double homicide this time, the stakes are higher, and Johnson does enough to keep you guessing about the killer. The performances continue to be a highlight as each actor gives it their all, but Craig and Monae are unquestionably the standouts.
Overall, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is incredibly entertaining for two key reasons. The first is Johnson’s witty writing, and the second is the performances, which elevate the material even further. Even though many of us will watch it as a streaming release, Rian creates the ideal movie experience for the audience. It will challenge you to really resist the urge to hit the pause button, which seems like an incredibly simple choice when watching in a streaming world. This movie is a clear winner thanks to its second act’s unravelling and rewarding ending.
What doesn’t works : There have been questions about how Rian Johnson will top his generally praised work on Knives Out ever since it was initially revealed. The mystery factor in Glass Onion is definitely not as strong as it was in the first one. The brightness of Glass Onion with all of its dazzling billionaire atmosphere may not work for you if you prefer your whodunnits to be carved in tension-filled, dark surroundings.