Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is the sequel Knives Out, which are both directed by Rian Johnson. Glass Onion follows detective Benoit Blanc in the mystery of a murder conducted on a billionaire’s private Greek island.
In Glass Onion, we follow several different characters— Miles Bron, the owner of the island, and his seven friends. Birdie Jay, a retired model, and her assistant, Peg; Claire Debella, a politician running for mayor; Duke Cody, a twitch streamer with questionable views and his girlfriend, Whiskey; Lionel Toussaint, a famous and extremely smart scientist; and Andi Brand, one of Bron’s old coworkers.
What makes the Knives Out mystery so intriguing is that it’s a unique take on the classic Sherlock Holmes-style story and comedy, making it a great film to watch if you’re in the mood for a mystery that doesn’t take itself so seriously. I personally think that it’s a great movie to watch in theaters. The crowd was into it, laughing and gasping at the perfect moments.
However, despite how creative Johnson and his writers are, this movie falls short in a few places. What made the first Knives Out movie so good was its uniqueness. The story of Knives Out has much more motive. It’s suspenseful and dramatic, and takes you through layers of a plot that Glass Onion was not able to compete with.
What I didn’t love about Glass Onion was the character of Benoit Blanc. In Knives Out, he is portrayed as quiet but intelligent. He notices everything and works with our heroes to create a happy and satisfying ending. In Glass Onion, however, he endures something of a personality shift. He is much more outgoing which is weird to see considering his solitary character in Knives Out.
I also think that the mystery of Glass Onion is not as well rounded as it could have been. This was especially shown through the supporting characters. While they added to the comedic effect, one or all of the characters could have not been included, and the story would not have changed. In short, they provided nothing to the plot. Despite that, the chemistry between all secondary characters adds another layer of charm. Many of the characters are self aware of how silly they are, again, ensuring that they are not taking themselves seriously.
Rian Johnson is starting to build a legacy and become known for his mystery movies, and it all started with Knives Out. Although Glass Onion wasn’t what I expected, he understands the fundamentals of a good story. I hope he continues to build this legacy without washing it out.