By Jack Deegan
Correspondent
The original “Knives Out” movie is one of my favorite films ever, so when it was announced that director Rian Johnson would be back for a sequel on Netflix, I was over the moon. I was even more excited to learn that “Glass Onion” would be in theaters this week only for an early screening before it premieres on Netflix on Dec. 23. My expectations were high since this was a follow-up to a movie near and dear to my heart and Johnson is one of my favorite directors. Thankfully, those expectations were somehow exceeded as this film still blew me away.
The film centers around tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) as he invites his closest friends to a murder mystery-themed getaway on his private Greek island. When someone turns up dead for real, world-renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is put on the case.
Director Rian Johnson has mastered the art of mystery. Johnson is able to create these narratives with such unique premises that keep you on the edge of your seat guessing what comes next. The writing is so clever with no detail going unnoticed, planting so many seeds to blossom later on in the movie. He sets up each character to make you believe that they all realistically could have done it which makes it so much fun to play along. He’s found his calling writing these whodunnits as they compliment his unique style of writing perfectly.
Going into a Johnson project, you can always expect to be subverted. It’s a story beat trademarked to him and something he always tries to accomplish with his films. In “Glass Onion,” he does just that and takes the story on a road with many twists and turns that come out of nowhere yet work so well. While it may take a little while to get going, once it starts the suspense doesn’t stop.
Setting the story around a murder mystery game is a fantastic way to up the ante in the sequel. You have certain expectations going into something like that, and Johnson delivers a familiar yet exciting story in the way only he can. There are so many layers to the mystery that keeps getting peeled back and it makes for a very entertaining watch. The meta-storytelling is very well done and adds a new level of tension for all of these characters.
What really makes this film stand out though is the all-star cast of eccentric characters. Daniel Craig is as charming as ever as Benoit Blanc — I could watch him solve mysteries for years and only want more. This time around he’s solving a case with an entirely new cast that strengthens every scene they’re in with some truly memorable performances.
Kate Hudson as Birdie Jay is a standout stealing every scene she’s in while Edward Norton is a little too good at playing an egotistical billionaire. I was very surprised by Janelle Monáe in this; her character Cassandra Brand is a mysterious and complex one that she brings to life in some very surprising ways.
Every single character in the movie is an important piece of an ever-changing puzzle, and it’s lots of fun watching them all interact with each other. The game becoming their reality is a really interesting concept with lots of twists that make for an incredibly thrilling and satisfying whodunnit.
It’s also a very funny movie and my favorite comedy of the year. Every joke landed and came at just the right time. There are a lot of visual gags in this movie that I didn’t expect, which shows how much thought went into what you see on screen. It’s widely entertaining and kept me captivated for the entire ride.
As for the technical side of things, this movie is a masterpiece. The set design is absolutely gorgeous — you can see every little detail has been put into place with care and attention. The design of the actual glass onion on the island itself is beautiful and brings with it some visually stunning scenes. All of this is only enhanced by a beautifully composed score to add to the tension and mystique along with some great direction from Johnson himself.
“Glass Onion” is another fantastic whodunnit from Johnson. He’s crafted a cleverly written mystery with so many layers that keep you guessing and it all comes together to make one of my new all-time favorite films.
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is in theaters until Nov. 29. It will begin streaming on Netflix on Dec. 23.
