I may be one of the few people who was not blown away by the original Knives Out. Which is not to say I didn’t like it. I just wasn’t all gaga about it. So imagine my delight when I watched this follow-up and enjoyed the hell out of it! Daniel Craig is back as the one-step-ahead-of-everyone, Deep South detective Benoit Blanc. He’s been invited to an exclusive murder mystery weekend on a Greek island that belongs to uber-wealthy biotech CEO Miles Bron (Edward Norton). All the rest of the guests have a history with Miles: his former business partner Andi (Janelle Monáe), his head scientist Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.), Governor Claire (Kathryn Hahn), men’s-rights influencer Duke (Dave Bautista) with his girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline), and former model Birdie (Kate Hudson) with her assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick). What seems like a fun COVID-free escape will be anything but!
From the outset it’s clear Miles has a bit more of an agenda than just a party weekend with a silly murder mystery game. Andi is not sure why she’s been invited since she and he split on extremely bad terms. And everyone else is a bit on edge about her because of their own histories around that split. But no one wants to get into that now. They’re just there to have fun, no? But buckle up, buttercup!
I can’t say a lot more without ruining the thoroughly enjoyable ride. It’s a smart and funny script with inspired twists and turns, totally entertaining characters, and wonderfully creative details throughout. It also has a GREAT cast, particularly Janelle Monáe who may just get some awards love for her performance. I also love that Daniel Craig, having left Bond behind, may be slipping into a whole different, macho-free role for his near future. I sure hope writer/director Rian Johnson can keep this franchise as fun and fresh as this installment. And I highly recommend this one to the whole adult family for your holiday watching queue.
Streaming on Netflix beginning December 23!
[Mainstream Chick’s take: Unlike Arty Chick, I was completely and unexpectedly enchanted by the original Knives Out. So while I can’t say that I liked Glass Onion more, I will say it’s a superb sequel featuring an awesome new cast of characters playing alongside detective Blanc. This is one appealin’ onion. -hb]