Glass Onion Review: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery stars Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc, Edward Norton as Miles Bron, Jannell Monáe as Cassandra “Andi” Brand, Kathryn Hahn as Claire Debella, Leslie Odom Jr as Lionel Toussaint, Kate Hudson as Birdie, Dave Bautista as Duke, Jessica Henwick as Peg, Madelyn Cline as Whiskey, and others. The cinematography is by Steve Yedlin, and the editing is done by Bob Ducsay. The runtime is 130 minutes.
-No Spoilers-
Glass Onion Review
The story of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is set during the pandemic era, in May 2020. Characters like Claire, Lionel, Birdie, Duke, and Andi receive a game box from their wealthy friend Miles Bron. It’s an invitation to his personal, luxurious Greek Island to solve a murder mystery game. Benoit Blanc is bored at home because he has no exciting murder mystery to solve. When Blanc receives the same box as others, he feels alive again.
Benoit Blanc is confused by the dynamics and bond Miles and his friends have with each other. However, the Greek vacation turns into a big mess when someone drops dead from the group. It is now upon Benoit to find out who murdered the person, why and how!
In 2019, Rian Johnson made us fall in love with the murder mystery genre again, with a hint of some comedy, with his film Knives Out. Along with the story and the amazing cast, people couldn’t stop talking about Chris Evans’ sweaters in it. Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc became everyone’s new favourite detective. The reception made Rian come up with another story for Blanc and the audience.
The director has taken a different approach to tell us the new Knives Out story. Like season 1, no knives are coming out this time. The story presents us with characters full of secrets, questionable pasts and motives to commit the murder. Johnson helps the viewers to understand each person on the island so that we can come up with theories about who will be the murderer.
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However, Rian’s screenplay isn’t as solid as the first one, and by showing too much of every character, we end up guessing who the murderer might be. But that doesn’t mean the story has no more enjoyable moments. Two twists were astonishing and took me by surprise. But one thing the director delivers again is a movie that’s a wholesome package of entertainment. I had a good time watching how the story unfolded and seeing some of my predictions come true.
Steve Yedlin’s cinematography is exceptional throughout. His camera manages to capture the nervousness of every character after the murder. But I was in awe of Yedlin’s long shots and scenes featuring Miles’ mansion, the beach, and the big glass onion.
Coming to performances, Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc again flaunts his style, intelligence, and sharp detective skills. The actor is tailor-made for roles like these. Edward Norton does a good job with his performance as a pompous, rich man, Miles Bron. Actors Kate Hudson and Jannell Monáe also give impactful and amazing performances. The rest of the cast also does a good job.
Final Thoughts
Overall, with Glass Onion, Rian Johnson takes us to a lavish island for a murder mystery that is predictable and fun. The movie is engaging and entertaining, with a highly dramatised climax. But it brings out the best of actors Edward and Janelle. It’s a good decision to release the movie on a streaming platform, as it’s a fun thriller that people will enjoy watching at home.
The movie is streaming on Netflix from December 23.
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