Movie Monday January 2: Glass Onion

After a bit of a holiday break, I’m back in the new year with another movie recommendation. I already wrote about the first Knives Out movie, so it’s only fitting that I also picked Glass Onion as my movie this week. And just like the first one, it didn’t disappoint.

**Warning, mild spoilers ahead, so if you haven’t watched the movie yet, what are you doing?**

At the beginning of the 2020 Covid lockdown, billionaire tech-genius Miles Bron (Edward Norton) invites his closest friends to his private island for a weekend murder mystery party. Among them are Bron’s former business partner and co-founder of Alpha Andi Brand (Janelle Monáe), governor Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), and men’s rights activist Duke Cody (Dave Bautista). Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is also a guest, though unexpected by Bron. Before the murder game begins, Blanc witnesses suspicious behaviors, confrontations between guests, and many examples of Bron’s excessive wealth, including the Mona Lisa on full display. He also observes the tension between Andi and the other guests stemming from all of them perjuring themselves in court to support Bron’s claim to Alpha. When the game does commence, Blanc solves it almost immediately. He later tells Bron that this was on purpose after he reveals that every guest has a motive to kill Bron, several involving a controversial alternative fuel he is about to launch. He initially doesn’t believe Blanc, but is convinced after another guest is killed. Then in a blackout, another guest is shot and killed. As Blanc lays out the case to the remaining guests, it’s revealed that he himself had ulterior motives involving Andi’s sister Helen, the truth behind the founding of Alpha, and the search for a missing napkin. The truth behind the murders is eventually revealed and the murderer gets what’s coming to them.

I initially wanted to watch Glass Onion in theaters when it came out around Thanksgiving, but I sadly didn’t have the time. The nice thing about watching it at home, though, is that I had the ability to rewatch it. And I did. I love a murder mystery movie, especially if I can rewatch it and still find it exciting. That’s how I felt about Glass Onion. Even on my second and third rewatch, I was still intrigued by the plot and started to focus on picking up on clues earlier. It had the right amount of misdirection so the ending was still surprising while also making sense logically. There are some people who didn’t enjoy that aspect of the movie, but I surely did.

Like Knives Out, Glass Onion had a fantastic ensemble cast. Janelle Monáe was a standout in her dual roles and Daniel Craig added more layers to the already interesting Benoit Blanc. Everyone was great and there were even some unexpected cameos by celebrities like Serena Williams and Yo-YoMa. The characters and plot set up felt more like a traditional whodunit than the first movie, but the second half defied the genre and showed that the purportedly impartial detective was actually on a case from the beginning. I thoroughly enjoyed the familiar and the genre-bending elements.

Rian Johnson has proved that he’s a master at the mystery genre. His directorial debut was a neo-noir mystery after all. As someone who enjoys whodunits and mysteries, as well as tried my hand at writing some, it’s easy to fall into a similar pattern and formula. Johnson isn’t afraid to take a lighter approach and add some meta commentary on the genre and society. He pokes fun at the hero worship of billionaires, the apathy of some at the beginning of the pandemic, and the political climate of the US in a way that doesn’t feel preachy or condescending. His misdirection and seeding of clues work hand in hand to build a plausible but unexpected conclusion and a fresh story. I’m excited to see where he takes Benoit Blanc next.

One moment that made me laugh:

Kate Hudson’s Birdie Jay was definitely the most comedic character in the ensemble. The introduction to her character in her ‘pod’ was funny, especially in her interactions with the other characters in the scene. 

One moment that made me gasp:

I’m going to be a little vague on this one, but the end of the extended flashback was a gasp worthy moment. After all the other twists and turns, I truly didn’t see that one coming.

I’d give Glass Onion 9.5 baby blue Porsches out of 10.