I don’t know about you but as much as I like to binge-watch Christmas movies up to and over the Christmas period, I find that by around New Year they start to lose their magic because sadly, Christmas is over (by the way, this is how I know Die Hard isn’t a Christmas movie, because I can watch it all year round - just sayin’).
Well it’s around this time that I usually start to search for something non festive to watch, and thankfully this year there was a new movie streaming on Netflix that I was excited to watch and that I was sure would combat my post Christmas blues.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
If you haven’t seen it, it’s a crime-based comedy/mystery/thriller (basically a modern take on the whole murder mystery idea), and the sequel to Knives Out (2019).
Written and directed once again by Rian Johnson (Looper, Star Wars: The Last Jedi), the movie sees the return of Daniel Craig (No Time to Die) as master detective, Benoit Blanc. It co-stars an ensemble cast including Dave Boutista (Guardians of the Galaxy), Edward Norton (Fight Club), Kate Hudson (Almost Famous), Janelle Monáe (Hidden Figures) and Kathryn Hahn (WandaVision) among many others.
This is what it’s about according to the internet:
“World-famous detective Benoit Blanc heads to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery surrounding a tech billionaire and his eclectic crew of friends.”
I love a good whodunnit, who doesn’t?! It’s always fun trying to figure out who the killer is before it’s eventually revealed. What’s even better is when a good twist is thrown into the story, and Rian Johnson seems particularly good at doing just that.
This film is just a whole load of fun from start to finish!
It has a really good and interesting cast, a decent plot, a healthy dose of humour, and a completely new setting to the previous film which gives it a very different feel. It’s also set during the covid pandemic which cleverly plays on some of the absurdity we saw at the time (check out Kate Hudson’s character’s mask at the beginning), but it also acts as a sobering reminder of just how much of a pain in the arse the whole thing was.
If you’ve seen the first film you’ll already be familiar with Benoit Blanc, the southern drawled master detective, brilliantly played by Daniel Craig. If not, you’re in for a treat! He’s like this generation’s Hercule Poirot but with a little more humour (at least in this latest film). His accent might not be to everyone’s taste but I like it. It kind of adds to the charm and without it I just don’t think the character would’ve worked.
Something I really liked about this movie is how it’s completely removed from the previous film. Some sequels heavily reference the other movies in the series, meaning that if you haven’t seen them you might not understand said references. Others though can be enjoyed without ever having seen any of the other films since each instalment acts as a completely new story or adventure. The first three Indiana Jones films are a prime example of this.
In the case of these Knives Out movies, there could potentially be countless new cases for Blanc to investigate in the future, each with a totally new cast, and with none of the films having any relation to each other aside from the investigating detective. I hope that's where they go with it.
This movie feels a lot different to the first one, largely due to the emphasis on comedy but also the different location (primarily the Greek island, Spetses) and the setting in general. It was a pretty clever move as it not only freshens things up, but it gives the movie a touch of the old classic Agatha Christie murder mysteries - in particular, Death on the Nile (1978).
In fact, I personally think these Knives Out films are a lot more entertaining and enjoyable than the latest two Agatha Christie remakes starring Kenneth Branagh (but that's just my opinion).
As I already mentioned the film features a real mixed bag of acting talent with actors I never would’ve thought of putting together in a movie. It works really though and makes for some interesting and entertaining chemistry.
There are also loads of great cameos too! Look out for the likes of Ethan Hawke, Hugh Grant, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Serena Williams and even Jessica Fletcher herself, the late Angela Landsbury to name just a few. Listen out also for Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s voice as the “hourly dong”.
This is a really entertaining and enjoyable watch and just the kind of film I needed when things were feeling all doom and gloom.
It’s full of humour, mystery, misdirection and twists and turns that will (hopefully) keep you guessing right up till the end.
Is it as good as the first movie? I don’t think so personally but then it’s a very different film altogether. Regardless, it’s definitely worth a watch.
Both films are currently in the top 10 on Netflix if you fancy a binge.
Seen it? What did you think?
Let me know in the comments.