Rian Johnson has garnered quite a reputation as one of the best-working directors today. From his breakout film in 2012, Looper, to his entry into a galaxy, far, far away, Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the director’s projects have remained at the top of many cinephiles’ most anticipated lists when announced. In 2019, Johnson embarked on the whodunit murder mystery genre with Knives Out. A film that was not just a box office success but a critical and awards darling as it received an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. With that praise, it was not hard to hope for a sequel.
That hope for a sequel turned into a trilogy in 2021 as Netflix bought the rights to two sequels in the Knives Out cinematic universe for a mere $469 million. With a greenlight for two sequels and a premiere for December 2022 for the first of the two, I could not wait for what Johnson had in store for cinephiles. With its exquisite style and deconstruction of the influencer culture, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a dazzling murder mystery ripe with laughs, twists, and performances to die for.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery focuses on a weekend getaway amongst “friends.” Connecticut Governor Claire Debella, model Birdie Jay, men’s rights activist Duke Cody, scientist Lionel Toussaint and Cassandra “Andi” Brand all travel to billionaire Miles Bron’s private island to escape the lockdown of the pandemic. While all invited have some relationship with Bron, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) mysteriously receives an invite to attend. Like Knives Out, this weekend getaway turns into a murder mystery, leading Benoit Blanc to the forefront of the murder to do what he does best, solve the crime.
While both films revolve around a murder within a large gathering, that is where the similarities between the two films end. Rian Johnson crafts a screenplay that effectively shifts the thoughts of sequel into a dazzling satire that shines a light on the peculiarity shared by so-called influencers in society today. While the less said about the film, the better, Johnson’s script is filled with twists and turns that are both satisfying and fitting to the film’s narrative structure.
The effectiveness of Johnson’s screenplay falls on the film’s large ensemble. If the ensemble in Knives Out was lightning in a bottle, then this ensemble was shot out of a cannon. Each supporting player in Glass Onion offers a unique level of hilarity. Most impressively, the murdered individual is given quite the back story and in competition for some of the funniest moments in the film.
As expected, Daniel Craig chews the scenery like a delicious New York Porterhouse steak. Craig’s comedic chops are on full display as dare I say, he’s even better in this film than in the original. Something about seeing Craig take on this role differs from his final iteration of James Bond. Craig looks like he’s having an absolute riot, and I can’t fathom that as long as these films are being made, Craig would not hesitate to return.
Similar to Ana de Armas in 2019, Janelle Monáe is downright sensational. Monáe offers up a layered and nuanced performance without entering spoiler territory that hits the mark in comedic and dramatic ways. It’s Monáe’s finest performance yet and should be in the conversation for an Academy Award nomination.
Visually, the film is a sun-kissed delight. Swapping out the mansion in Massachusetts for a private Greek island adds to the over-stylistic decadence this crew lives by. Steve Yedlin’s cinematography impressively captures their surroundings’ beauty by emphasizing the scenic production design and over-the-top costume design fitting for this group of narcissistic individuals.
Even at 2 hours and 19 minutes, Johnson’s Glass Onion should ease any hesitation as to whether or not the film can match its giant expectations. Without a doubt, this whodunit is one of my favorite films of the year and one Netflix should highly consider making its primary focus this Awards Season.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery hits theaters on November 23rd and Netflix on December 23rd, 2022.
