Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery — Movie Review
by KJ Proulx
Knives Out was a film that surprised me, in that it was a murder mystery done so well. It’s scarce these days that a murder mystery film comes along and is talked about as being significant. It seems like a movie category that doesn’t get made anymore. For that reason alone, I was happy to hear that two more films would be made, involving a new cast every time. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery continues Benoit Blanc’s story as the world's best investigator, but there is much more going on this time. If you enjoyed the first film or are simply looking for a great murder mystery, here’s why I believe Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a must-watch.
Invited to a private island in Greece, a group of friends venture out for a murder mystery party, hosted by their old friend Miles (Edward Norton). Once they arrive, relaxation and partying begin as they prepare for the festivities. It’s hard to get into what makes this film so great without ruining it, so I’ll simply say that it becomes something I wasn’t expecting and the mystery itself was quite the surprise. I found it impossible to guess where the film was going next. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and I have to applaud writer/director Rian Johnson for his terrific work here.
Daniel Craig is once again utterly loveable as detective Benoit Blanc and I can’t wait to see what he investigates next. There also isn’t a single weak performance as I run down the list. Janelle Monáe is definitely the standout, but Dave Bautista really plays to his strengths here and it was nice to see Kate Hudson in a role that she crushes. From drama to comedy, the entire cast nails everything they’re given to work with. Even if the film wasn’t well-made, the cast would’ve made it enjoyable no matter what.
With that said, it’s the overall story and how it all comes together that held my attention. Yes, as I said, the characters are what made me love the film, but the story is what kept me loving it throughout. Once the main twist happens, I was eager to see how everything would wrap up, and I must say, Johnson just goes for it and I walked away with very, very minor complaints. If anything, I would simply say that this film ends in a way that’s both extremely satisfying, and almost overdone. It pushed the limits in terms of breaking the film itself, but overall it worked for me.
In the end, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a loose sequel that I’m very happy got made, even though I never thought I needed more of this world. Netflix now has the rights to this franchise and I also am very happy that it’s currently having a small run in theatres first. Watching this film with an audience made it much more enjoyable. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. I hope Netflix does this more often with films moving forward. Absolutely stream this one when it hits Netflix on December 23rd, but if you can make it out to the theatres while it’s still playing, I highly recommend doing so. I may even prefer this one over its predecessor, and no, you don’t have to have seen it to completely enjoy this one.
Rating: 4.5/5
Check out the trailer below:
