Movie Reaction: Glass Onion

Formula: Knives Out + location scouting

Can I just say this movie is really fun and leave it at that?

 

I mean, I guess, I can. This is my blog and my rules. No one is forcing me. So, you know what? Partly because I'm behind on these Reactions anyway, I'll keep this one briefer than the movie deserves.

 

Knives Out was a blast. It capitalized on the idea that a strong cast, a proper mystery, and a ton of levity is a very winning formula. Glass Onion absolutely follows up on that with a worthy second outing.

 

To start, the cast is possibly even better this time. Daniel Craig is more of a goofball than Bond has people thinking he is, and he leans into all of Benoit Blanc's peculiarities even more this time. Kate Hudson is possibly the awards stand out for this one as a vapid former model turned designer. She's big and fun throughout the movie. Janelle Monae, without spoiling anything, gets to really show off some range in the film. Edward Norton is ideal as a prickish and possibly stupid billionaire. And there's Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick, and Madelyn Cline too, all playing to strengths. It's the kind of eclectic cast that feels like it was put together first and the screenplay was written second.

 

I won't get too deep into the plot, since a lot of the fun of this is finding everything out as you go along. The basics though are that Norton plays a billionaire who invites his group of high-class friends to his private island for a weekend murder-mystery party that turns into a real murder mystery. Writer-director Rian Johnson is so good at writing these movies, because he lets the audience complicate things. This mystery feels slightly sloppier than Knives Out. It uses red herrings as an excuse to be a little sloppy. The film feels a bit like a clock I put together that works but I have a few pieces left over. That’s me searching for anything to complain about though, not a strong indictment. Overall, the movie couldn't be more entertaining. The film is a comedy first, mystery second. So, I'm never bored, even when the mystery part gets more tedious. Johnson has made a film that is smarter than most things you'll watch but feels effortless. Like, I want there to be a new one of these movies every year, but I know it's not that easy to make something that's such popcorn fun.

 

Verdict: Strongly Recommend