‘Glass Onion’ Review: Rian Johnson Pulls the Strings of Another Delightful Whodunit

Earlier than you are concerned an excessive amount of about dissecting the that means of “Glass Onion,” each the primary title of Rian Johnson’s second “Knives Out” function (and simply as pleasant and impressed as the primary movie) and the identify of a Beatles tune from their White Album, we’ll simply go forward and direct you to the (doubtless?) key lyric from the 1968 jam: “Effectively right here’s one other clue for you all / The walrus was Paul.” Speak about an a-ha second, proper? Alas, John and Paul have been having a little bit of enjoyable with that individual ditty, as most of their “Glass Onion” is much less about unraveling fan theories than straight up poking holes in them.

It’s a becoming title for Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Thriller,” which delights in unspooling theories, the bread and butter of the style, after which poking proper via them to search out one thing much more witty and amusing. Relaxation assured: Johnson isn’t reinventing the thriller film with “Glass Onion,” however he’s having a hell of a time flippantly deconstructing it and reorienting it to swimsuit his whipsmart script and central tremendous detective. Maybe the one whodunit by which its predominant character will, upon fixing the movie’s central crime, proclaim it’s all “so dumb!” (and be each proper and unsuitable in that declaration), and all the higher for it.

Johnson needn’t fear a couple of sophomore hunch, as a result of whereas “Glass Onion” holds some resemblance to his 2019 smash hit (stacked casts, lavish areas, Daniel Craig having the time of his goddamn life), this sequel is zippily and zanily its personal thrill trip, and Johnson can’t churn these infants out quick sufficient.

Set in Could of 2020 — and really a lot an “early pandemic” film, and never simply because Johnson folds in COVID-era dwelling in terms of introducing his characters, from a Zoom-addled Kathryn Hahn to a correctly masked Daniel Craig, however as a result of the movie presents the sort of nutty charms all of us wanted so badly each again then and proper now — “Glass Onion” units itself other than it predecessor proper out the gate. It’s clear Johnson is placing up his new perimeters this time round, getting into the scene lengthy earlier than anybody is murdered (practically half the movie goes by earlier than anybody truly dies), slowly introducing his giant solid (although holding again on simply how precisely they’re all so bonded), and misdirecting everybody and all the things towards one other (form of?) crime earlier than the actual massacre begins.

Anybody who has seen not simply “Knives Out” however every other whodunit thriller needs to be cautious of accepting the straightforward clues and codes that seem in its first act, however Johnson is giddily laying out key data proper for the beginning. One of many actual tips of the style: making crucial exposition — who is aware of who and why and the way and what all of it means — really feel plucky and enjoyable and breezy, which Johnson does with aplomb. We all know somebody (perhaps even a number of someones) will kick the bucket earlier than the movie ends, however Johnson makes us look ahead to all that for fairly a while, stretching out the movie’s first half with one sticky little thriller earlier than slingshotting again and reassessing the entire package and caboodle.

All the time, Craig’s Benoit Blanc observes all of it. However that’s not apparent once we start, because the bourbon-mouthed detective arrives in a state of main disarray. Lockdown has been onerous on Benoit, who has taken to spending entire days within the bathtub, not even stirred by well-meaning Zooms with a cadre of well-known friends (the movie is rife with cameos, none of which will likely be spoiled right here). What he actually wants is a superb case to wake his mind again up, and it simply so occurs, one is taking form whilst he lolls within the tub.

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Thriller”

Netflix

Across the nation, a wide range of flashy personalities are receiving huge picket bins which, solely after some intelligent prompting, reveal themselves to be a stack of puzzling video games that additionally comprise a banger of an invite of their secret heart. We quickly meet their recipients, a decidedly odd assortment of seemingly nice friends, together with striving governor Claire (Hahn), semi-cancelled influencer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson, iconic as ever), scattered scientist Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.), and musclehead YouTube star Duke (Dave Bautista). Every is thrilled by the field, all a part of the outsized pleasure of being friends with billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton doing his personal spin on Elon Musk), who loves video games and twists and turns and likewise dragging his very bizarre buddy group alongside on annual holidays of his personal design.

This time: Greece (filmed on location, and searching fittingly luxurious), a non-public island, one lengthy weekend, and the promise of a homicide thriller sport, only for laughs. However another person has invited alongside Benoit Blanc, the world’s greatest detective, and whereas which will sound just like the world’s greatest get together favor, anybody with half a mind is aware of to run for the hills if Blanc is dispatched to resolve a homicide, as a result of meaning somebody is about to die. (The query this time just isn’t a lot how, however who? Now that’s a twist on prime of a twist.)

And who of those individuals — plus a superb Janelle Monae as Miles’ steely-eyed ex-partner Andi, Jessica Henwick as Birdie’s righthand gal Peg, and Madelyn Cline as Duke’s girlfriend Whiskey, all of whom additionally come alongside for the trip and add a lot to the proceedings — actually does have a minimum of half a mind? Perhaps that’s Benoit Blanc’s greatest thriller of all.

Alongside the way in which, Johnson pokes his personal holes in capitalism, the life of the wealthy and well-known (eyes peeled for Miles’ hulking robotic), influencer tradition, pandemic considerations, and even our present power disaster, plus shelling out a minimum of half a dozen superb jokes about each Jeremy Renner and “onerous” kombucha. (You’ll be able to virtually really feel Johnson and cinematographer Steve Yedlin rolling their eyes on the wild world these individuals inhabit, one dropped at wealthy life by a gifted manufacturing design staff, and that could be a praise certainly.)

To say way more concerning the plot can be foolish, as it will each spoil a movie that’s at its perfect when it’s misdirecting and redirecting and consistently turning out and in of itself (like a glass onion, there are such a lot of layers to peel, although the reply itself is actually fairly clear) and detract from the enjoyment of seeing a well-honed thriller like this one unpacked in more and more brilliant methods. Followers of the primary “Knives Out” will discover loads of the identical components to like, although Johnson has studiously labored to make sure that “Glass Onion” stands alone, each due to its self-contained story and the filmmaker’s resistance to repeating his previous tips.

Of a bit, the pair (and a minimum of another to return, although on the movie’s TIFF premiere, Craig mentioned he needed to maintain making these movies for the remainder of his life, and Johnson vowed to maintain making them till his star stops taking his cellphone calls) thread collectively superbly. When you cherished Benoit Blanc in “Knives Out,” a KFC-inflected dandy who someway manages to be the neatest individual within the room, the nuttiest, and essentially the most empathetic, seeing him tossed into the deep finish of yet one more wacky-rich whodunit will solely additional bewitch you. Craig is rarely as straightforward, as free, as foolish as he’s when kitted out in Blanc’s signature neck scarf, and suffice it to say, the person wears quite a lot of neck scarfs on this movie (plus one really excellent swimming costume).

As Blanc “solves” one thriller, one other pops proper up, and Johnson fortunately shifts gears to inform an entire new story, wrapped inside his first one (like an onion? oh, certain) after which turned inside out (like a Bloomin’ Onion? let’s not get too foolish) to bend brains and tickle his viewers and begin the entire rattling pleasant factor another time. Why have these individuals been introduced collectively? Who amongst them is a assassin? Who amongst them is a murderee? (Actually, a serious query on this zigging and zagging style pleasure.)

Requested and answered: who can resolve the case? (Benoit Blanc!) And who’s going to like watching it? (Effectively, you’ll be able to most likely guess, we did offer you all of the clues.)

Grade: A-

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Thriller” premiered on the 2022 Toronto Worldwide Movie Pageant. Netflix will launch it in theaters later this 12 months, and on its streaming platform on Friday, December 23.

Signal Up: Keep on prime of the newest breaking movie and TV information! Join our Electronic mail Newsletters right here.