GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY -- a no-spoilers review by FilmZ
It’s the early days of the COVID pandemic and Miles Bron (Edward Norton), a smug and shallow tech billionaire has invited a few friends and business associates to his private Greek island for a murder mystery weekend. The guests welcome the escape from the lockdown and all depend on Miles in one way or another for their fame and continued success: Birdie (Kate Hudson), a fashion influencer, and her publicist/babysitter Meg (Jessica Henwick); Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.), a scientist; Claire (Kathryn Hahn), a politician; and Duke (Dave Bautista) and Whiskey (Madelyn Kline), YouTube celebrities. Two surprise arrivals: Miles’ ex-business partner, Andi (Janelle Monáe), who quickly bonds with master detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) as outsiders who Miles claims he did not invite. So, who sent their invitations? That's just one intriguing mystery while “Glass Onion” itself—not only a reference to the dome on Miles' palatial estate but also a nod to the Beatles song, which metaphorically describes a mystery, layered like an onion that peels away to a solution hiding in plain sight at its core.
In this case, it is the murder game in which Miles presents himself as the victim and one of his guests is to be the murderer. In reality, each guest, except Blanc has a reason to want Miles dead. In a symbolic sense, each guest also represents ills in modern American society, vanities that are also weaknesses open to exploitation or ruin by Miles. Lionel, whose brilliance is twisted to Miles' ends; Birdie, whose unwittingly racist tweets create public relations nightmares for Meg; Duke, who needs a bailout of sorts--all manipulated by Miles, who is more clever than his friends but is only marginally more intelligent.
In deference to the whodunit, we won't give away any more of the plot. Rian Johnson's second "Knives Out Mystery" is not quite as clever as the original, and the characters are not quite as well-drawn, but it is witty and the excellent cast carries out each role with brilliant gusto. Johnson admires Agatha Christie, and he brings red herrings, misdirection, and clues with the best of them (certainly better than Kenneth Branagh's Christie remakes). Daniel Craig returns from Knives Out as the charming Southern-fried Hercule Poirot, who is the linchpin in auteur Johnson's budding mystery franchise. His presence alone is worth the 2:19 runtime, and Janelle Monáe is particularly impressive. Cameos and Easter eggs abound, making our gang look forward to repeated viewings. Cinematographer Steve Yedlin gets the most out of the elegant locations and captures the subtleties of each actor's immersion into their role. Costume designer Jenny Eagan’s vivid creations includes Blanc's pants, using a custom sewing pattern originally made for Frank Sinatra. We wish all films adhered to such attention to detail and hidden delights.
Glass Onion is available on Netflix; see it once, and you will want to see it again. Now, that's entertainment.
8.5 out of 10
