Glass Onion – A Knives Out Mystery (2022): The second entry in the murder mystery franchise is a twisty, puzzle box delight

Chad’s Grade: A-

One of the most surprising breakout hits of 2019 was Knives Out, a twisty, clever update of the classic murder mystery. The film was a bit of a comeback for writer/director Rian Johnson after the divisive reception to his bold 2017 Star Wars entry, The Last Jedi. Armed with a fantastic cast and sharp script, the film was a modern-day remix of the Agatha Christie style “whodunnit” that managed to invert many of the tropes of the mystery genre. The movie became a passion project for Daniel Craig, taking a break from his James Bond duties, leading the film to an impressive $311 million worldwide payday. And Johnson even landed an Academy Award nomination for Best Original screenplay.

Both Johnson and Craig were game for more entries, fashioning Craig’s detective Benoit Blanc as a millennial version of Christie’s literary Hercule Poirot, trading his oversize mustache for a ridiculous southern accent. The streaming giant Netflix, too, was eager for more, offering a whopping $400 million payday to continue the new franchise. And while that is a ridiculous chunk of change, it’s money well spent because Johnson’s follow-up, Glass Onion – A Knives Out Mystery, is a broader, more comedic entry that is just as entertaining as the original.

Daniel Craig is again front and center as his detective Blanc becomes embroiled in solving a murder with a new cast of suspicious characters. Set during the early months of the 2020 pandemic, the plot follows tech billionaire Miles Bron, sending elaborate puzzle boxes to a group of his close friends and associates. There’s Birdie Jay, a dimwitted celebrity “influencer,” and her harried, overworked assistant Peg. Claire Debella is a cynical politician running for office in New York, and researcher scientist Lionel is stuck inside his lab. Also in the mix are gun-crazy “masculine rights” you-tuber Duke Cody and his beautiful model girlfriend Whiskey. And most mysterious is Andi Brand, a partner with Bron in the company that made his billions but was bitterly forced to leave and cash out.

Director Johnson efficiently and humorously introduces this new ensemble as the frustrated friends call each other, trying to figure out the many levels of the complex puzzle box. It’s a beautiful piece of editing as once the box’s riddles are solved, it reveals an invitation to be whisked away on a Greek vacation to spend the week at Bron’s private island. The depressed and lockdown bored group is more than happy to accept and arrive at Bron’s enormous compound, where he’s recreated their beloved “Glass Onion” bar where they all first met. The eccentric Bron reveals that the group will play an “escape room” style game over the weekend to solve Bron’s fake murder, with everyone suspect. Even more intriguing is that Bron’s friends have past motives and grudges against the eccentric billionaire. Once an actual murder occurs, and of course, there is a murder, things go haywire, with detective Blanc at the center of the action.

To say any more would spoil the many surprises of this enjoyable sequel, and it’s a different animal than the 2019 original. The opening puzzle box sequence wasn’t just a random plot device, as the story mechanics are fashioned like puzzles, with every new clue and twist taking the film in a different direction. And like the first Knives Out, several mid-movie reveals completely change your perception of earlier scenes. At times the complex house of cards threatens to implode, but Johnson manages to tie these various strands together, with the mystery concluding in a satisfying manner.

Glass Onion does what all good sequels do, take the elements that worked the first time around but fashion them into something new and fresh. There’s much more humor with tarty one-liners delivered by the talented cast, and many scenes verge into screwball comedy territory. Much like the original, the movie has a subtextual commentary on the attitudes of the “haves and the haves not,”, particularly with the bored bro-billionaire character. And it’s a fun contrast that director Johnson takes us on a tropical paradise versus that inbound mansion setting of the first entry. 

The film’s fantastic ensemble is an embarrassment of riches with the likes of Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick, Leslie Odom Jr., and Jackie Hoffman, with a few high-profile cameos that I won’t spoil here. The standouts are Kate Hudson, channeling her mother, Goldie Hawn as the ditzy Birdie, and Edward Norton, playing his tech billionaire Miles Bron with Elon Musk’s manic twitchiness. And I loved Janelle Monae as the cool and mysterious Andi Brand, a character with many secrets that are revealed layer by layer as the twists and surprises unfold. 

Director Johnson wears many influences on his sleeve, most notably the 1973 mystery thriller The Last of Sheila. The excellent and underrated Herbert Ross-directed film, with a clever script by Stephen Sondheim & Anthony Perkins (yes, that Sondheim and Perkins!), shares much of its DNA with Glass Onion, as both films deal with wealthy recluses inviting a group of questionable friends to solve a “fake” murder. The big difference is that Glass Onion pushes the humor quotient with a broader comedic tone. These films make for a perfect double feature if you want a fun “whodunnit” evening.

In a rare and unprecedented move, Netflix is giving Glass Onion a wide theatrical release starting November 23^rd. But it’s for only one week, then will debut on the streaming service a month later. This is frustrating as the original Knives Out was a big hit in cinemas, with the clever and complex plot demanding repeat viewings. And with movie theatres starving for quality content, a week-only release is just a drop in the bucket. But no matter, I highly encourage you to check this out in the theatre, as this crowd-pleaser is made for the communal experience.