“Glass Onion,” a sequel to the critically acclaimed murder mystery movie “Knives Out,” was released on Nov. 23 and showed for one exclusive week in theaters. In late December, the movie will be released to view with a Netflix subscription. While the movie contains the same lead detective, Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, the rest of the main characters are played by new cast members. Roles are filled by a variety of celebrities: Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe and Leslie Odom Jr. to name a few.
When I went to see the movie, I was expecting the movie theater to be empty. I was going on the last night of the premier, so I had assumed the hype had died down. Much to my dismay, the movie theater was packed with an anticipated audience. Going into the movie, I did not know anything about the plot line or the setting. I hadn’t watched any trailers, seen any posters or previews. The only reason I came to see “Glass Onion ” was because I was a big fan of the original.
When the film started and panned to Kathryn Hahn attempting to open an intricate wooden box puzzle, I was intrigued. From the very first minute, the movie felt nothing like the original. Instead of the quaint mansion hidden away in the woods from “Knives Out,” this movie was futuristic and crazy. Centering around an eccentric billionaire, a speculative copy of Elon Musk, the plot begins by inviting guests to his island for a weekend of vacation, relaxation and murder.
As the story unfolds, more puzzling information and questions become available to the guests. Why was famous detective Benoit Blanc invited to this close friend weekend? Who invited him? Questions like these keep the viewer on the edge of their seat, awaiting the final plot twist which takes most of the film to unravel.
The set design of the film was perfectly done; it contained the tackiness that only a person with billions of dollars could obtain. Random sculptures, ornate glass vases and the real life Mona Lisa lined the hallways of the mansion nicknamed the Glass Onion. Everything about the elaborate furniture and robots wandering the island kept pointing back to Elon Musk. This humorous movie character, Miles Bron, allowed the movie watchers to laugh at the annoying amounts of money he spent while also containing a slightly deeper message. Bron’s new initiative was a type of fuel that had not undergone proper testing, yet he continued to push it to be approved. Actions like this can be seen in the real world all the time, and “Glass Onion” was an appropriate message to be aware that the most notorious inventors and entrepreneurs of the world may not always have the best intentions at heart.
Overall, this movie contained a fascinating murder mystery along with humor and light social commentary. While it completely contrasted from the original, it brings a fresh new twist to the Benoit Blanc chronicles. Besides, anything with a southern Daniel Craig in it is bound to be good. Once this movie comes out on Netflix, I would recommend that you watch it. The ending will shock you.
