Benoit Blanc and the “Knives Out” franchise is the movie series that Gen Z and Millennials have been waiting for, for a long time. For years, there were so many great series and movies with ensemble casts concerning a murder mystery or mysterious death, and we missed out on that great sub-genre. That is until Rian Johnson offered his deliciously entertaining “Knives Out” in 2019. He follows that up with “Glass Onion,” a movie that is a continuation but is by no means a repeat of the original film. Johnson absolutely thrives on subverting expectations while delivering some great social commentary right down to the literal Glass Onion.
Benoit Blanc, the ingenious sleuth from “Knives Out,” returns to peel back the layers in a new mystery. This fresh adventure finds the intrepid detective at a lavish private estate on a Greek island, but how and why he comes to be there is only the first of many puzzles. Blanc soon meets a distinctly disparate group of friends gathering at the invitation of billionaire Myles Bron for their yearly reunion. What begins as a novel weekend transforms in to a genuine murder mystery. As the body count begins to rise among the elite group, everyone harbors their own secrets, lies and motivations, and Blanc is hell bent on figuring out who the murderer is before morning.
When we meet Benoit Blanc he’s been traumatized by the COVID Pandemic, spending an obscene amount of time in his bathroom. That is until he’s called to a party on a private island by billionaire Myles Bron, a braggart who is insistent on gathering his allies and potential enemies to indulge in a game. It soon becomes all too real especially for Blanc who finds himself drowning in a pool of excess and a group of lecherous elites. Johnson’s commentary is fantastic as he once again holds the mirror up to his rotten characters with the intention of satirizing some of the most prominent personalities in entertainment and society. Johnson’s satire is subtle but razor sharp as Blanc is inadvertently the antidote to much of their glamour and appealing wealth.
Like “Knives Out,” Blanc puts himself in to the middle of a den of scorpions, all of whom have something to gain by the way the night plays out on Bron’s island. Johnson’s ensemble is fantastic as he teams a group of extraordinary actors including Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Han, and Leslie Odom Jr. along with Dave Bautista and Kate Hudson, respectively. For better or worse they play a cadre of viciously superficial and devious individuals, all of whom offer nothing, and would murder one another for a stock market jump or youtube hits. Not surprising, Edward Norton steals the show as the slimy Myles Bron, a man who delights in his excess, feeds on attention, and garners aspirations of grandeur that are undercut by his inherent stupidity.
Daniel Craig is no slouch either, portraying the charming eccentric Benoit Blanc who constantly surprises everyone with his ability to pin down a puzzle in mere minutes. Director-Writer Johnson has a blast lampooning popular news figures and social elites, cutting a clear line with explorations in to classism, opportunism, social media, and the toxic influencer culture. There are red herrings, twists aplenty, and a great series of plot misdirections that will keep viewers as hooked here as they were with “Knives Out.” “Glass Onion” is a great second chapter in the Benoit Blanc saga. It’s clever, witty, and engrossing, and pays tribute to the inherent novelty and menace of its predecessor while giving its hero something new. I hope we can see another installment in this universe, soon. I don’t think Rian Johnson is done yet.
Now in theaters and streaming on Netflix.