Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Directed by Rian Johnson
Master detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back for another mystery, as he gets invited to a remote island along with a cast of colorful characters to solve a case that may or may not involve a murder.
The sequel to Knives Out (2019) is quite different from its predecessor, but not less engaging. As the title suggests, it is a glass onion of a movie, with see-through layers and a visible center, which is distorted enough that you have to squint and use the readily available clues to make out what’s really going on. As usual the mystery is deliciously constructed and doesn’t try to dupe the audience, opting for an honest dialogue instead.
The cast has incredible chemistry, as they play off of each other so well that you believe that this mismatched group are lifelong friends. Benoit Blanc is a joy to watch, his showmanship and ego never overshadowing the other characters or the plot, rather complementing every ensemble scene that he finds himself in. However, the definite standout performance is delivered by Janelle Monáe, whose rendition of Cassandra Brand is as layered as the namesake of the movie. It is also worth mentioning that there are countless very fun cameos that range from head-scratching to delightful, which everyone should experience for themselves.
The costume (Jenny Eagen) as well as set design (Rick Heinrichs) are both impeccable. Bright and airy, they convey the rich feel of a mediterranean island populated by people who might think that they’re down to earth, but instead left behind anything earthly many moons ago. The sets are larger than life and the music (Nathan Johnson) compliments this with fun and cheeky string quartets and lilting melodies, which evoke memories of Death on the Nile and other sun-soaked whodunits. Glass Onion by the Beatles also makes an appearance at the perfect time.
Rian Johnson delivers a sincere and fun murder mystery, where the rich reprehensible characters are still allowed to be human, unlike some of the other movies that came out this year. The ensuing tragedies are given the appropriate gravitas without weighing down the plot or the comedy and what political commentary there is, is not paraded about and gels perfectly with the rest of the movie. This is movie magic at its best and a strong contender for best movie of the year.