One of the surprise hits of 2019, Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out,” was the rare Hollywood blockbuster that won critical acclaim and huge box office. While director Johnson is most closely associated with his divisive Star Wars entry “The Last Jedi,” anybody who’s seen his independent work, particularly the high school noir “Brick,” knows he can spin a fantastic twisty mystery. “Knives Out” had an eclectic cast led by Daniel Craig and was reminiscent of the many Agatha Christie mysteries while remixing the “whodunit” formula.
After Netflix shelled out a ridiculous payday for two sequels, Johnson is back writing and directing the highly anticipated sequel “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” Craig returns as detective Benoit Blanc investigating a mystery killing involving a dastardly group of suspects on an island and yacht. Like the original, the film boasts a galaxy of stars, including Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Ethan Hawke, and many more. The teaser doesn’t give us much in the way of a plot, but it looks like a mixture of Christie’s “Death on the Nile” and the underrated thriller “The Last of Sheila” (seriously if you haven’t seen this gem do yourself a favor.) We get some wild imagery from the teaser, including an exotic paradise, a bougie yacht, puzzle games, Hudson doing a musical number, and Bautista chewing the scenery in a speedo. It seems the piece replicates the charm of the original while doing something completely different.
My only gripe is that this is a Netflix production, which means a limited theatrical run. The original “Knives Out” was an exciting and engrossing theatrical experience, where the mechanics of its near-perfect plot had the audience cheering and laughing. And it was a completely original, nonfranchise film which is a rarity in Hollywood. I’m sad to see all that sacrificed to the Netflix giant.
Anyway, check out the teaser trailer for “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” below. The film drops on Netflix December 23, and do yourself a favor and check out “The Last of Sheila” and “Brick” as a double feature.
Let me know what you think in the comments section.
I know the theatres were quite unhappy when Netflix announced they’d throw this into select theatres (NY & LA?) for only a week and then take it to streaming exclusively. Theatre owners have enough problems getting product these days. It’s always about money, so I am sure Netflix knows how to best recoup their investment.
I, too, was very disappointed to hear that Netflix is keeping this on their service since the franchise started out as theatrical. Theaters are starving for product right now, which looks like the new normal: Streaming cannibalizing potential theatrical films.
Having just seen Knives Out(I know, I’m late to the party) I’m looking forward to this!