It’s fair to say that director Rian Johnson had his work cut out for him when he developed ‘Glass Onion’, considering what an instant classic its predecessor, ‘Knives Out’ was.
The 2019 movie featured a tight and well-thought-out plot that was perfectly executed by its star-studded cast. It balanced a murder mystery plot with humour and self-conscious tones throughout that makes it a crowd pleaser.
In this sequel that is arguably bigger, louder and sunnier, tech-billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites a group of friends to his private island on Greece for a – you guessed it – murder mystery party.
In typical fashion someone does end up dead in the movie, just not who you might think.
The movie addresses the pandemic at the start, with Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) bored out of his mind at home and playing ‘Among Us’ (and being bad at it, surprisingly) over Zoom with friends. Hence, the invitation to join Bron’s weekend getaway is seized upon immediately.
Johnson also took the opportunity to showcase each character’s personality through the way they wear their masks and greet each other.
A far-cry from his role as the gentleman spy in the James Bond franchise, Craig delivers his lines with ease and charm, complete with Blanc’s now-signature Southern accent and impeccable fashion sense.
Viewers will quite easily see that Craig is really enjoying his second outing as the brilliant detective and will easily immerse themselves into his performance.
A shining star from the movie is Janelle Monáe’s multi-faceted performance as Bron’s estranged business partner Cassandra “Andi” Brand.
Monáe’s genuine take on the character is the heart of the movie, same as Ana de Armas’s Marta in Knives Out. Her character helps ground the sometimes-outlandish nature of the plot and plays off of Craig really well.
The supporting cast completes the layers of the story, with Norton’s Bron and Kate Hudson’s Birdie Jay being particularly notable.
Norton, a wonderful actor in his own right, plays the egotistical tech CEO, and holds his own among the talented cast.
With all his friends being indebted to him in some way, the movie guides you through the plot that makes you think each and every one of them has their reasons to want him dead.
Hudson’s character is fabulous and fashionable with an out-there humour and style. This is in stark contrast to her uptight long-time assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick), who strives to keep the unruly former-model-turned-fashion-designer’s phone far from her after one-too-many inappropriate tweets.
The costumes in the movie are more vibrant and extravagant compared to the muted tones of the first movie, which was mostly set in a mansion.
The island setting means more swimsuits, linens, prints and flowy dresses that are a feast to the eyes. It’s hard not to be mesmerised when Hudson twirls on screen in a metallic rainbow-hued maxi dress when at a party.
In glorious Knives Out fashion, the rug gets pulled from under you halfway through, bringing you back to all the clues that were sprinkled in from the very beginning, and making you wonder why you didn’t catch them the first time. To say more would be crossing into spoiler territory, but do look out for a lot of fun cameos and references for extra spice in the movie.
Overall, the movie stuns visually with its beautiful location and cast, but one can’t help but yearn for the foreboding gloomy mansion setting for a classic sophisticated whodunnit such as this.
However, if you were a fan of the first movie or love nothing better than an Agatha-Christie-inspired murder mystery that keeps you guessing till the very end, this is a must-watch.
‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ is currently streaming on Netflix.