2019’s Knives Out was one of the most exciting and interesting films of the last few years, combining a well-written ‘whodunnit’ mystery with bizarre and memorable characters. This year, writer/director Rian Johnson followed it up wonderfully with a sequel that does not rest on the laurels of the original, making no reference to its events and sharing only one character (Daniel Craig’s southern genius detective Benoit Blanc).
A Glass Onion chronicles a similarly isolated mystery with a new host of distinct characters and suspects. Detective Blanc receives an invitation to tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton)’s private island retreat, where he and a group of “disruptors,” a.k.a less than ethical friends all leeching from Bron’s pocketbook, fancying themselves innovators, gather for a murder mystery party. Also in attendance is Bron’s former business partner Andi, who was ousted Social Network-style from the company she co-founded. As the truth about these wannabe boundary-pushers starts to unravel, the game turns into something more deadly, and Blanc finds himself back in the throes of a real murder.
Johnson’s ability to write an incredibly tight mystery returns in full in Glass Onion. Much like the first Blanc mystery, even the most seemingly-throwaway dialogue turns into clues that build to a similarly brilliant reveal in the third act. The unfolding mystery and its details make a second viewing more than rewarding, as all resources are presented to the viewer the same way they are to Blanc. Johnson’s writing once again shows that the once-mocked writer/director of The Last Jedi is more than capable of creating top movies of the year when they are his own.
The new installment is more character-led than Knives Out, and breaks away from the more traditional archetypes of wealthy ‘whodunnit’ characters for more modern ‘new money’ suspects who have YouTube channels and controversial tweets. The cast of “disruptors” are more comical than the first film’s, and are portrayed by a fantastic cast including Kate Hudson, Leslie Odom Jr., and Dave Bautista.
Netflix acquired the rights to Glass Onion and a third Knives Out film for $450 million last year and will release Glass Onion on streaming starting December 23. In a rare move for the streaming service’s studio, Netflix gave the film a 1-week theatrical release beginning November 23. The short theatrical window is unfortunate for such a wonderful movie because of how much the audience interacts with the jokes and reveals of the film, as well as the spectacular visuals of the Greek private island resort.
With so few exciting movies in theaters this year, Glass Onion was a welcome superstar film, even if its flame went out too soon.