Glass Onion Movie Review: As much as the current generation associates Daniel Craig with James Bond, I am a little glad that the wonderful English actor has jumped to another franchise that brings out of the best of him as an actor, and going by its two entries till now, is showing off the makings of a great series. Rian Johnson's Glass Onion - A Knives Out Mystery is a worthy followup to his brilliant murder mystery Knives Out that came out in 2019, with Craig reprising his role of Benoit Blanc, this gen's Hercules Poirot but with a Southern accent and a gay domestic life. Knives Out Movie Review: A Brilliant Murder Mystery Anchored by Daniel Craig's Exemplary Performance.

The first surprise that the film dropped in was Glass Onion acknowledges the pandemic and sets itself right in the middle, what with the masks and the general frustrations of being cooped up, and then basing some of its principal characters to those 'people tropes' that thrived most during the period. So we have Miles Bron (Edward Norton), an eccentric ultra-rich and brash innovator, who reminds you of a certain someone currently making a mess of a social media platform this review will be dropped off. He invites his old group of friends - who call themselves 'The Disruptors' - to his private island right in the middle of the pandemic for a game of murder mystery.

Among those friends is Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), presently the Governor of Connecticut trying to run for the senate next. Then there is Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr), a scientist who works for Miles. We also have Birdie Jay (a scene-stealing Kate Hudson), a former ditzy supermodel who is always in the news for her lack of political (and general) awareness and hazardous use of social media. She also brings along her assistant and PR rep Peg (Jessica Henwick, the most underused of the lot).

There is also Duke (Dave Bautista), a right-wing Twitch influencer known for his frequent controversial videos and who is now baying for men's rights. He is accompanied by his much younger girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline). The friends are surprised that Miles also invited Andi (Janelle Monáe), their former friend who broke away from the group after accusing Miles of stealing her company. Even more surprising - even to himself - is the presence of Benoit Blanc who also got the invitation.

While the friends, and Blanc, are stunned by Miles' new island, his exquisitely designed mansion and his collection of artefacts, some skeletons do stumble out about their past, mostly triggered by Andi's presence. Also Miles' murder mystery game doesn't go his way when Blanc ruins the whole thing, and more so, when an actual murder takes place.

Watch the Trailer:

What I really love about both the Knives Out movies is that they don't really play well with the rules of the murder mystery game, even though they are constrained by the limits of it. Both the films might present you a killer, a victim and a bunch of red herrings, and conclude with a grand killer reveal, but it is the middle proceedings where Johnson shakes up the board and subverts your expectations about how the game will go ahead. And who doesn't like to be surprised (in a good way) about the movie they are watching, cameos notwithstanding!

I am no qualms in saying that I went in watching Glass Onion with a certain set of expectations about the plot. I thought the trailer of the film was trying to deceive me about who it wants to show as a dead victim. And I am happy to say the movie kept proving me wrong on all counts.

Saying anything more could screw up the reader's expectations, so I will be mum about how Johnson plays about his screenplay in the most deceiving manner, especially the structure. The 'killer' reveal might not be something that felt very gotcha, similar to the first Knives Out film, but Rian Johnson isn't someone too bothered about getting that part so concerned about. With merely a bunch of characters in on the game, it is a very hard task to even work that out.

Instead, Johnson is rather invested in pulling the surprises that lead to that killer reveal, constantly playing around your expectations and perceptions from who the victim is (are), to how certain scenes are played around, using sly editing cuts and playing around with the classic 'murder mystery' tropes. That it does without losing out on the trademark humour and the satirical criticism make the experience even better. Glass Onion: Netizens Unhappy With Daniel Craig's Knives Out Sequel Getting Limited Theatrical Release; Troll Netflix With Funny Jokes and Memes!

It also helps that he brings an interesting set of characters to be invested in, again tricking us into how you perceive them to be and then fleshing them out in a more three-dimensional manner - see how the movie tackles Whiskey's character. Of course, we also have an incredibly unpredictable protagonist in Blanc with Craig in absolutely fabulous form here. Among the supporting cast, Janelle Monae and Kate Hudson stand out, while Edward Norton revels in playing the prickly a-hole to the hilt.

And like with the first film, Glass Onion doesn't acquit itself of getting into social constructions. If Knives Out delves into illegal immigration while taking digs at class disparity, armchair activism and right-wing trolls, then Glass Onion pokes holes into capitalism-politics nexus and irresponsible innovations. But more so, it does so wrapping them in a delicious game of 'Clue', whether Blanc enjoys it or not.

Is Glass Onion a better film than its predecessor? I won't say it is, because Knives Out is such masterful, tighter whodunnit that raises the bar very much high, and Glass Onion just about manages to reach that line. I also felt that the third act was a little stretched here, but otherwise, Glass Onion is simply a fantastic sequel.

Final Thoughts

If you loved Knives Out and whodunnits in general, then Glass Onion certainly won't disappoint with its bag of surprising tricks and reveals. Smartly-written and directed with enjoyable performances, the movie keeps inviting you for rewatchings just so you can peel your eyes open for clues you missed the first time. Which I believe is the best quality a murder mystery film should possess! Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is streaming on Netflix from December 23.

Rating:4.0

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 21, 2022 02:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).