'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery' Review: A Layered Mystery of Gonzo Proportions [TIFF 2022]
RIAN JOHNSON DELIVERS ANOTHER SHARP, INSATIABLE, THRILL RIDE.
(From left to right) Edward Norton, Madelyn Cline, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, and Daniel Craig.
Writer-Director extraordinaire Rian Johnson returns with another murder mystery, Glass Onion, a followup to 2019’s smash hit Knives Out, this time following renowned southern sleuth Benoit Blanc, played once again by Daniel Craig in another outstanding comedic turn, accepting an unexpected invitation to a state-of-the-art private island off the Grecian shores. In Agatha Christie-esque fashion, chaos ensues, with intrigue growing higher and higher. To say anything more would be to disparage the film, which is not built entirely on the element of surprise, but is all the better for having a surplus of it, sure to provide the audience with thrills that are on par with Knives Out.
Johnson weaves another classic who-dunnit narrative, but this time, it’s all the more topical, given the company that Benoit Blanc finds himself in this time. No movie mystery is ever exactly clear cut, but Glass Onion contains such a rapidly changing pace and tone that is sure to flip any expectations on their head, and then some, in typical Rian Johnson fashion.
Blanc is invited to join tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton), on his private island, along with a handful of his close friends, all of whom are also figures of prominence. The eclectic ensemble of chaotic caricatures consists of Leslie Odom Jr as a reserved chemist, Kathryn Hahn as an aspiring politician, Dave Bautista and Madelyn Cline as fitness influencers, Kate Hudson as a flamboyant fashionista, Jessica Henwick as her uptight assistant, and a standout performance from Janelle Monáe as a former business partner of Norton’s. It is abundantly clear throughout the film that these characters are more or less “high-class society” archetypes, but in typical murder mystery form, they all have secrets, true loyalties and alliances that become unraveled throughout the film, and are pitch-perfectly satirical in all the best ways.
The core mystery is gradually unveiled in a narratively non-linear fashion, like many films of its genre, and ultimately benefits from doing so, while there are also a few stretches that feel like certain elements get left hanging dry for a bit too long at a time. Despite intrigue looming large until its final moments, Glass Onion’s second half in particular contains so many thrills and laughs, which play to the mystery’s advantage, as when those elements reappear, they’re ready to shock and surprise even more.
The humorous beats are delivered excellently. Some of the humor is indeed absurd, and in many instances, rooted in current world figures/events, which can feel a little jarring during the film’s first half, but are delivered so unflinchingly by the cast that you don’t stop to think twice. A common theme throughout Johnson’s work can be summed up using the phrase, “eat the rich,” and there are once again capitalistic undertones embedded in the ramifications of the inciting actions, which are uniquely re-contextualized given the nature of the group of characters and the setting, in ways that set Glass Onion apart from other murder mysteries and make its own story more compelling, and make the payoffs extremely invigorating.
Cinematographer Steve Yedlin is able to use his stellar talents to create a visual atmosphere that feels lush and futuristic all while maintaining the classic mystery thriller feel to it all, and is helped by the eye-popping production design by fellow longtime Johnson collaborator Rich Heinrichs. Nathan Johnson’s score also adds to the narrative thrills, with a delightfully apt array of melodies that accentuate all the film’s key twists and turns.
Glass Onion, like its predecessor, boasts many of the same successful feats which ultimately lead to Knives Out becoming a franchise - An all-star cast firing on all cylinders, sharp direction, plot twists galore, enough intrigue to warrant a whole other film, and a whole lot of fun. Even if the unraveling of Glass Onion’s layers aren’t as savory as the donut holes that came before them, this sequel and its mystery is more than delicious enough.