For the purpose of providing necessary context to this review, I must admit that I was not a big fan of the original Knives Out film. Benoit Blanc felt like an updated but inferior version of The Thin Man’s Nick Charles, it was just decently funny, but not all that mind-blowing. That’s not to say that it was a bad film in the least, I did find it mildly entertaining, but the amount of praise that it garnered from my critic peers felt overstated and in my opinion was fueled by a desire to rebuke the vocal, toxic Star Wars fans that were harsh in their own criticism toward his previous effort 2017’s The Last Jedi and its female actors Kelly Marie Tran and Daisy Ridley and show their full-throated support for writer/director Rian Johnson. Considering the aggressive averageness of its predecessor, Glass Onion has managed to improve upon it in every way, offering the most clever script of the year and one of the most creative and well-executed films you’ll see in 2022.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery reunites us with world renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is mysteriously summoned to a private island in Greece owned by billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) who runs a tech company named Alpha Industries, or AI for short. Other invitations are sent to a group of Miles’ longtime friends, striving to stay in Bron’s good graces; Twitch streamer Duke Cody (Dave Bautista); scientist and AI employee Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.); Governor and soon to be Senator Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn); and former model Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson). Joining the friend group on the trip are Birdie’s assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick), Duke’s girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline), and Andi Brand (Janelle Monae), who was a co-founder of AI that was forced out by Miles, making her presence at the retreat suspicious for the others. Miles reveals that the purpose of the trip is for his friends to have the murder mystery party of all murder mystery parties, but the fake murder soon turns into a real one after one of the attendees is killed and Detective Blanc is forced to figure out exactly what is going on.
From the film’s onset, Johnson’s unique vision and care for this story and its characters shines through as imaginatively as possible. Each aspect of this story is shared with the audience in such an engaging way that feels organic and perfectly interwoven within the film and not like a filmmaker or screenwriter simply unveiling information in an exposition dump because they have to. Take for instance how we learn of each characters’ motive for murder and vengeance as the plot unfolds and the film moves forward. The trope for a mystery film is all of the characters’ experiences and conflicts with the target being unveiled simultaneously, say during a meeting at a dining table after the murder takes place. With Glass Onion however, these motives are gradually and subtly revealed during natural conversations between the characters throughout the film’s first act, giving it a natural feel that makes the film feel more alive and gives it excellent pacing that full pulls the audience in and makes everything feel believable. The creative way that Miles’ invitation to his island is unveiled onscreen is also indicative of the craftsmanship put into this film. The conference call between the friends who received Miles’ intricate puzzle invitation is shot using a dynamic, split-screen style as the various friends cut in and out during the flow of conversation with the mystery box and its numerous puzzles interposed in the shots as well. It’s an enjoyable sequence that is funny, well shot, and inventively introduces the audience to this characters and their personalities and lives for the first time.
While clever, funny dialogue and script structure are greatly appreciated, the Knives Out franchise is first and foremost about the mystery at the center of each film and that aspect is also knocked out of the park by Johnson. The initial murder mystery is enticing enough, yet the a mid-film twist ramps things up a notch and leads to an explosive second half of the film that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats all the way through the ending. As is common with these types of films, many viewers may also try to “outsmart” Johnson’s writing and fixate on solving the case as soon as possible and making the correct guess as to who is the perpetrator. I think raises a good question regarding those who are turned off if they find the answer too obvious or easy to figure out. Does the quality of a film suffer if you are able to solve the mystery quickly? In this critic’s opinion, when it comes to a good mystery film, what determines its quality is the path that it crafts in guiding the viewer from the introduction of the question at the center to the uncovering of its answer; how the suspects established, how clever the various misdirections are, etc. How the writers and the director lead the viewer to the conclusion ultimately matters more than how quickly one arrives there.
Glass Onion is one of the smartest and most cleverly constructed stories to grace the big screen in quite sometime. Rian Johnson’s craftsmanship for this film is on full display from literally its first frame through the last. The camera work, set design, and costume design is indicative of a level and expertise and care that comes through onscreen. The cast is remarkable across the board, led by Janelle Monáe who expands upon her already laudable output with her best performance to date that displays a revelatory amount of range as an actress. She’s knocked on the door of an Oscar nom before and may finally burst through here. The highest praise I can offer is that Glass Onion is such a joy to watch, and the cast chemistry and performances so well done and entertaining, that you can’t help but assume that they had as much fun making the film as you did watching it, and it’d be a little disappointing to learn otherwise. This is a smart film, uproariously funny, and one with a lot of rewatchability. Run, don’t walk to see this one.
Image: Netflix
