Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery – Peeling Back the Truth: I Suspect … Murder

In a world of blockbusters, what can truly stand out?  Among the spotlight of big budget films, there are smaller tales that find a way to shine brightly in their mighty stance.  Originality is few and far between, but when it comes … it is simply magical.  In this review, I look at a Netflix sequel that is much more than a follow-up.  In a world of colorful characters, murders and revenge, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery stands its ground as a twisting tale of originality in the ironic form of a detective sequel.    

The story follows a group of people that embark on a traditional friendly escape.  As things turn dire, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) must solve the mystery before all truth is lost.  On the surface you have a film that builds from a detective tale outline but leads into an abstraction of the idea.  We begin with an introduction to new characters as well as our returning friendly detective, Benoit Blanc.  For unknown reasons, he is invited to Greece to join Miles Bron (Edward Norton) and his close-knit group of friends for a planned murder mystery.  Within the colorful cast of actors/actresses (Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn), the first act follows Blanc weaving around the mystery of this group’s relationship.  Through witty dialogue and situational satire, moments enlighten the ‘what’ and ‘whys’ of how this group became friends.  As more layers are peeled back, the planned murder mystery becomes a front for the underlining layers of angst and animosity (among the friends).  Rian Johnson (Writer/Director) fashions a sequel that is ironically original, creating a journey within a ‘play against type’ kind of directive.  As the story moves into the second act, you get an idea of the meaning behind ‘what is’ a murder mystery.  This plays against tropes, creating layers of intrigue within as well as without.  Through a clever script of fragmented storytelling, red herrings and individualistic characters, you see the ‘within’ through the weekend shenanigans, but the ‘without’ fashioned in the theme of ‘conspiracy of murder’.  Moments of obviousness become smokescreens, leaving the audience to be pulled by an engrossing tale of greed and corruption.  Within the layer of character wit, smart dialogue and conversational humor is an oddity that plays itself with a mimicry of storytelling.  This creates a mystery that becomes a catalyst for everyone getting caught up in the unraveling because of the ‘play on type’ direction.  This provides moments of awe, tension and fragility, making the weekend more auspicious and deadly than originally intended. 

As everyone starts to reflect on their position (in the group), everything lifts through moments of flashbacks, explanation and coming to terms with oneself.  This all leads into a third act that subverts expectations, continuing the ‘play on type’ direction that produces an ironically expected but unexpected climax.  Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is a riveting tale of murder, mystery and breakdown of the genre.  With a colorful cast and a smartly written script, this is truly an amazing experience.  This is a Netflix Original in theaters for a limited a time (before being on streaming service in a month), but I say check it out on the big screen if you can.  It is truly an award-winning experience.

Full Score – 4.5 out of 5 (Award Worthy)