Way back in March 2021, the bidding war between the streaming gods begun. The prize was one like no other: the sequel rights to box office sensation Knives Out. In the end Netflix won, offering a crazy $469 million bid that led to the sequel officially being in the works.
The original Knives Out was certainly a tough act to follow, as one of the highest-grossing films of 2019. It’s a classic Agatha Christie style murder mystery, with enough twists and turns to give you whiplash. The modern take of a classic genre, intertwined with social commentary of Trump’s America, and an underlying eat-the-rich wittiness (ironic, I know), created a unique film. So unique that people questioned just how good a sequel could be.
Once the star-studded cast was announced and behind the scenes photos began to leak, excitement began. Which brings us back to the present and the massive anticipation leading up to Glass Onion. What we ended up getting with this sequel was a film just as creative, mysterious, and unique as the one before. In its own way, of course.
Whilst Knives Out has its own, dark-academia, gothic, knitted jumper in the autumn kind of vibe, Glass Onion creates a Pinterest board of its own. Stepping away from the conventional old-money, Cluedo board aesthetic, Glass Onion has its Greek island, Mamma-Mia-if-Donna-had-Kardashian-money, infinity pool, influencer style charm that sets a whole new scene. A completely new vibe that leaves the franchise open for future sequels.
Even the characters perfectly fit the aesthetic of the film. Some of the stand-out supporting characters include Birdie (Kate Hudson) who is a model-turned-influencer-turned-problematic-mess whose past has more scandals than a Paul brother; as well as Claire (Kathryn Hahn) a liberal politician with questionable morals; and Duke (Dave Bautista) an alpha-male style streamer. Each one representing a new kind of celebrity with one common trait: having large platforms which give them too much power.
Daniel Craig’s performance as Benoit Blanc becomes even more noteworthy in this sequel as we see his character with a new lightness and humour that wasn’t there previously. We naturally sympathise and root for his slightly sweet and innocent, yet also intimidatingly smart character. Side-note: he’s also married to Hugh Grant, the James Bond/ Prime Minister crossover we never saw coming.
The antagonist (of sorts) is Miles Bron (Edward Norton). A complicated yet perfectly obvious character that follows in the footsteps of business men like Elon Musk. He is your typical overly-pretentious and highly egotistical character that makes the film so enjoyable to watch, as so many of the character are so easy to hate.
Mystery and crime is inevitable with such a group, and screenwriter and director Rian Johnson sends them into a spiral of drama and violence, which is exactly the kind of satisfaction that you want from a film like this.
The film is set during the Covid-19 lockdown, so despite the high risk of becoming another cringe-worthy commentary on the pandemic, Glass Onion instead used this setting to fill-out the story and characters. A group of rich and privileged celebrities all vacationing on a private island in the middle of a global crisis is something that feels very real to a post-covid audience.
Looking past all the talented writing, performances, and cinematography, one of the best things about the film is the references. Whether its Benoit Blanc playing ‘Among Us’, Ethan Hawke’s cameo, Jared Leto’s Kombucha or Jeremy Renner’s Hot Sauce, the film is covered from head to toe in hidden (or slightly more obvious) gems.
The film leaves us with the perfect balance of answers and open-endedness that make us hopeful for a third instalment. Expect more mystery, more fabulous casting, and more Daniel Craig on the big screen soon.