Knives Out was film that released in 2019, which was written and directed by Rian Johnson. The premise of the film centered around the Drysdale family as their Patriarch (Christopher Plummer) is murdered and Mr. Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is anonymously hired to solve the case. The film took us through an enormous ride of ups and downs. The film had great set-ups and pay offs as almost everything from the very start of the film was somehow connected to the murder. Nothing in the film was wasted. It was very economical and with the comic treatment of the film, it was a clear winner. The success of the original film spawned not one but two sequels, one is the topic of our discussion today aka Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, while the other is in development at Netflix. I loved Knives Out when I first saw it in theatres.
However, when I rewatched it again, the appeal of the film reduced. I don’t know because I knew the who the murderer was but for some reason after rewatching I didn’t appreciate it as much as I did the first time. I know it is still a brilliant film but yeah, it is what it is. Still, as I love Rian Johnson as a filmmaker I was super excited about the sequel. I knew the man would surprise me once again. The trailers and all the promotional material for the film looked promising. The sequel had also gotten great reviews and I mean really great reviews from almost everyone. Many even pegged it to be better than the original. It is rare for a sequel to be better than the original. Regardless, so after waiting for a long time, the movie finally debuted on Netflix and I couldn’t be more excited to talk about it.
Rating – ★★★
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Review- Rian Johnson Surprises Us Once Again?
Off the bat let me just address one thing first, why did no one tell me that Ethan Hawke is not in the film? I mean he is there but literally for a scene, yes its like a cameo, why didn’t anyone tell me so? The entire film I’m waiting for him to come back and somehow be attached to all the things that are going on. Anyways, moving on… Knives Out 2 is not better than the original, Knives Out is far superior in comparison to the sequel but that doesn’t mean that Glass Onion is a bad film, it is a good film just not as interesting as the first.
Honestly Rian Johnson just like the original tries very hard to keep us in the dark all the time until when he wants to reveal something. Johnson has used to new techniques this time which are different than the original, one is until 1 hour into the film there is no murder, so along with it being a murder mystery, who is going to be murdered is also kept a mystery. I have to be honest, I didn’t expect Dave Bautista’s character to take the fall. He was the least likely one to be murdered but yeah that was a smart move.
Except for this there is another trick- Ethan Hawke. Just like me, everyone who is aware of the cast of the film would be wondering when will Ethan Hawke return. The more time passes in the film, you start to suspect that Hawke’s entry would be in the climax where he’ll be an accomplice either of these people. However, he never returns. As we’re trying to place Hawke with the clues we know, Johnson gets away with showing us things that we shouldn’t have. Full marks for these two tricks.
I’m aware that Death on the Nile, at least has also kept the mystery of who will be murdered but I think Glass Onion did it better. The film looks gorgeous, it is set in Greece and the production design of the film is simply gorgeous, just like the first one. You know what I think the sequel’s production design is better. As it is a Rian Johnson film, you know it will be extremely well shot just like all his other films. Glass Onion is an acutely unconventional murder mystery just like the original however, after 1 hour it completely flashes back where it starts revealing stuff.
I know they don’t reveal the killer right away but as they start revealing other things it feeling like the end of the film because it is connecting the dots for us. Sure, the flashback too is successful in surprising us and providing context to many things in turn giving new meanings to them. However, some things do feel too contrived. One thing which I absolutely adore about the film is the opening. It might seem dull or generic at first, but the entire 10 minute long opening sets up Edward Norton’s character and along with that sets up for a great joke.
I don’t know if you found it funny but after watching these morons take 10 minutes to open a box, seeing Janelle Monae’s character smash the box to pieces was enthralling. The commitment Johnson has for his writing and jokes is adorable. However, the humour is still very much the problem. I know Johnson wants this to have a fun vibe but a lot of time tension is compromised because of this “MCU humour”, also Helen Brand has just lost her sister last week but the way she behaves it appears as if there is no remorse even though she is doing all this for her. The jokes really don’t work from that perspective.
Other characters are given something but as there are too many of them and Johnson has to keep the runtime to a minimum, they’re not explored as much. Rian Johnson once again has been to play with the structure of the film. Also, because there is so much story to cover in the flashback the entire, the question of who is the murder doesn’t linger around for long. Also, he changes the murdered person because the entire movie is about the murder of Cassandra Brand.
Also, the one trick that I think Johnson has used enough is the murderer being the the most famous person in the cast (barring Daniel Craig). Last time it was Chris Evans and this time it is Edward Norton. I hope next time he doesn’t use the same trick once again. I strongly believe that Knives Out was a better screenplay and hence an overall better film. The way Johnson showed us the murder but at the same time “unshowed” it was really brave. All the tricks that he has used here, don’t top that one.
When you talk about the performances I think, Craig is the only stand-out with his heavy southern accent. Although, I liked him better in the original film, because he was not the protagonist. Armas’ Marta was the protagonist we were rooting for her, while already assuming that Craig is the best detective in the world. Here despite many people calling Craig the best detective in the world I didn’t feel it. It is not a bad film at all, one of the better ones we’ve gotten this year but definitely not better than Knives Out.
Verdict
Janelle Monae and Daniel Craig are the only standouts in this sequels, Rian Johnson does manage to surprise us just as not as well as he did in 2019. I think the sequel is burdened by the quality of its predecessor which it will inevitably be compared to. In my eyes Knives Out will always be the better product, whatever critics say. That being said, the sequel is extremely entertaining and it was a fun ride, something you’ll expect from Johnson. You should definitely check it out this weekend. I’m excited to see more from the Knives Out franchise, hope Knives Out 3 comes soon. I’ll rate Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery 3 out 5 stars.
With Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc at the center of affairs, the supporting cast of the film includes Edward Norton, Madelyn Cline, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, and Ethan Hawke.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is available for streaming on Netflix.
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