Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Movie rating: 8/10
Daniel Craig seems to be having a lot more fun playing southern-fried master detective Benoit Blanc than his grim take on James Bond. That sense of fun is infectious. Glass Onion, Rian Johnson’s followup to his 2019 Knives Out, is another delightful murder mystery with an all-star cast that doubles down on the social commentary of the original. Satirizing the lifestyles of the rich and powerful seems to be a favourite theme of filmmakers this year, and Glass Onion continues that trend to enjoyable effect.
Set in May 2020 after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic—and can I point out how refreshing it is to see a movie or TV show actually acknowledge this world-changing event for once?—Glass Onion takes place on a private island in Greece where billionaire tech mogul Miles Bron (Edward Norton), owner and co-founder of the Alpha corporation, has invited a group of friends for a “murder mystery” weekend party. His guests include ex-business partner Andi Brand (Janelle Monáe), Alpha head scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), Connecticut governor Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), supermodel turned fashion designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), and video game streamer and men’s rights activist Duke Cody (Dave Bautista). Along for the ride are Birdie’s assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick) and Duke’s girlfriend and Twitch channel assistant Whiskey (Madelyn Cline). The presence of our hero Benoit Blanc surprises Bron, who does not recall sending the detective an invitation.
One of the pleasures of Glass Onion is how Johnson anticipates our expectations and reveals various setups to be a mere sleight of hand. The entire premise of Bron inviting a group of people, each of whom have a reason to hold a grudge against him, to an isolated location is a standard murder mystery setup, and it seems clear early on who will be the victim, the suspects, and the killer. But Johnson’s screenplay cleverly subverts those expectations and manages to keep surprising us. Despite its lengthy running time, I was glued to my seat wanting to find out how Johnson would resolve all the questions and clues. Sometimes the plot can get a little too convoluted, but things are clear enough by the end.
Watching the film, I found myself grateful for being able to watch a series that wasn’t a superhero movie, Star Wars, remake, or based on pre-existing IP. These Knives Out movies are fun. It’s enjoyable to see a star-studded cast in a good old-fashioned murder mystery that nevertheless manages to feel more current and relevant than most movies. While I’ve enjoyed Craig as James Bond overall, his 007 movies have been uneven. But as Benoit Blanc, he’s now two for two in creating a distinctive new character who radiates charm to a far greater degree than his Bond. It’s a hoot to watch Craig’s brilliant detective, complete with Foghorn Leghorn-esque accent, immediately solve Bron’s pretend murder mystery, then face a far more difficult challenge when a real murder ensues.
Norton is amusing as an Elon Musk-style billionaire who thinks he’s much smarter than he is, and Bautista nails his skewering of wannabe “alpha male” social media grifters like Andrew Tate. Monáe shows off her acting chops as there turns out to be more to her character than meets the eye. Overall this was an entertaining movie; maybe a bit overlong, with a screenplay occasionally too elaborate for its own good, but a fun romp that keeps you guessing.