My biggest concern for Glass Onion was it being able to follow up the first. Knives Out is an intricately crafted film, with an A-List cast and direction that keeps you on the edge of your seat the whole time. Glass Onion ticks all of these boxes yet again, and not only is a film as good as Knives Out, but better.
Billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites a group of his closest friends to his private island for the weekend. When someone unexpectedly gets murdered, it’s up to legendary detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to solve the murder and peel back the layers of the glass onion.
Whilst the description above may seem brief and fairly abrupt, I believe the less known about the film the better. There are many things in the film that would not be classed as spoilers, but are things I think are just better left as surprises. So, I recommend you stop reading if you have not seen the film. However, to give an example of something that just is a pleasant surprise: the film takes place in the pandemic and includes masks, and mentions of covid. However, the theme isn’t forced into the plot nor does it impact it. This small detail helps to make the film feel relevant without feeling woke.
Unlike most sequels, Glass Onion functions as a fully standalone film, with the only constant being Craig’s character. This is is one of the great and rarely-seen aspects of the film that allows it to be more open to audiences. It also means the possibility of a third film in the franchise won’t feel like a cash-grab or unnecessary.
Speaking of consistency, Daniel Craig is once again on the ball. Despite his questionable, Southern accent, Craig’s cunning character remains one of the greatest on-screen detectives who is witty without being too quippy. Furthermore, the “monologues of explaining the murder” cliché that he delivers remain some of the best in the murder mystery genre. His delivery is second to none. This delivery is elevated when he is explaining a great, convoluted plot – which this film nails.
Without getting into spoilers, Glass Onion is filled with twists and turns that are impossible to guess or predict. It was also refreshing to see the film break free from a linear structure, not only to separate itself from the first film, but also to help build the suspense. The extended flashback that occurs about halfway through the film causes you to go back and look at the film through another lens, as you look back on the events with new information and experience them in a different light.
Whilst it’s difficult to explain why in a spoiler-free context, Janelle Monáe’s performance surpasses outstanding. Despite other great performances from the likes of Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, and Ed Norton, Monáe was easily the highlight. She carries a lot of responsibility and importance in the film, and it’s clear she understands what was required of her character…
Overall, Glass Onion was a great way to close out a great year of cinema. It took components like a stellar cast, great plot, and appealing to masses that reminded us why going to the cinema should be such an event. It’s just a shame Netflix decided to release it…
Final Rating – 9.5/10
