GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY | ©2022 Netflix

Rating: R
Stars: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Noah Segan, Jackie Hoffman
Writer: Rian Johnson
Director: Rian Johnson
Distributor: Netflix
Release Date: November 23, 2022 (theatrical), December 23, 2022 (Netflix streaming)

“Glass Onion” is the title of a hectic Beatles song. It is now also the (primary) title of GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY from writer/director Rian Johnson.

Like 2019’s KNIVES OUT, also written and directed by Johnson, GLASS ONION stars Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, dubbed “the world’s greatest living detective” by the media. Blanc feigns modesty, but he doesn’t exactly deny this designation, either.

Also like KNIVES OUT, GLASS ONION brings together a group of rich people connected by longtime bonds, whether or not they like each other. There’s a mansion, and a murder, and Blanc is brought in to investigate.

Except with GLASS ONION, Blanc shows up before the murder, and what he’s doing there is part of the mystery. Tech entrepreneur Miles Bron (Edward Norton) has a party every year for his oldest friends and/or colleagues, who he affectionately calls his “disruptors.” This time, the event is being held on Miles’s private island off the coast of Greece, where he has a mansion called – well, no points for guessing this one.

Guests include Miles’s scientific genius department chief Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), who is openly worried about the project Miles wants to launch; politician Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), ex-model and influencer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) and her assistant Peg, and “men’s rights” YouTube star Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) and his girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline).

Miles has also invited his former business partner Cassandra “Andi” Brand (Janelle Monae) to each of his party weekends, but the professional split was so hostile that no one expects her to show up. Imagine their astonishment when she arrives.

The real wild card is Blanc, who was indeed given an invitation – but it didn’t come from Miles. Blanc apologizes for the mix-up, but once Miles recovers from his surprise, he is happy to have the detective present, since the weekend will involve a murder mystery game.

This, of course, doesn’t go as planned, but not in the way anybody (including the audience) expects.

As in KNIVES OUT, Johnson displays a great sense of humor. In GLASS ONION, it feels a little more urbane. When Blanc finally expresses anger, it’s expressed in a way that is hilarious precisely because we so thoroughly agree with him.

Johnson is also a master of misdirection, toying with us just enough so that we’re not sure when we’re being given a clue versus when we’re being handed a playful red herring. There’s clever wordplay, plenty of back story, and a smart balance between the overall Agatha Christie style of the piece and modern sensibilities.

Craig, as before, seems to be having a blast playing Southern gentleman genius Blanc, both in his usual noblesse oblige demeanor and in his fuming exasperation. Norton is wonderfully smarmy as Miles. Monae is powerful and versatile, and everyone else is extremely good. There are also some cameos that are uncommonly touching.

Rick Heinrichs’s production design is gorgeous, with some especially stunning touches in Miles’s island mansion.

There is one big plot twist in GLASS ONION that can be guessed in advance, not because of anything in the script, but because of the film’s overall buoyant tone. This meta hint isn’t a strike against GLASS ONION, but rather a laudable testament to how well the filmmakers understand exactly what kind of movie they’re making.

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Article: Movie Review: GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY

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