Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

5/10

Starring

Daniel Craig

Edward Norton

Janelle Monáe

Kathryn Hahn

 

Directed by Rian Johnson

 

Critics say one of the best movies of 2022, I say bullshit. Love Edward Norton and believe he is one of the best actors there is, but one of the best of 2022 is pushing this a little too far. This movie takes a lot of the Hercule Poirot plots and merges them into what turned out to be a wild goose chase.

Critics say this is one of the best movies of 2022. I say, bullshit. I love Edward Norton and believe he’s one of the best actors out there, but calling this movie one of the best of 2022 is a stretch. The film borrows heavily from Hercule Poirot plots and mashes them into what ends up being a wild goose chase.

The first Knives Out (2019) was fantastic, kicking off with a classic theme we’re all familiar with: a close-knit family, a murdered patriarch, and everyone having something to gain from his death. Benoit Blanc steps in and proves himself a modern Sherlock Holmes. This sequel has the same vibe—a rich, spoiled character invites his friends to a murder mystery. Among the guests are people he’s crossed, and then there’s the detective, who either stumbles into the event or is invited. In this case, Blanc is invited for the fun of it.

One thing I didn’t enjoy was the overly elaborate introduction of the characters. The box puzzle leading up to the party might have been entertaining for some, but for me, it was a waste of time. Here’s the thing: Andi must not have been a great friend to the others. Miles steals Andi’s friends by helping them achieve their dreams with money, which was also available to Andi through their company. Although he manipulates them into being dependent on him, if Andi had done the same when she was on top, the others might have stayed loyal to her.

For me, the movie dragged the intro and character setup about thirty minutes longer than necessary. This would have been better handled as the mystery unfolded, revealing everyone’s true intentions, alliances, and relationships (like Duke’s). The rest of the characters were predictable. You always had a feeling something was off about Andi, and it was clear Blanc wasn’t there purely on Miles’ invitation.

The movie picks up towards the end, about two-thirds of the way in. When Andi’s odd behavior is explored further and Blanc’s reason for being there becomes clear, the film shifts into a fast-paced mystery-thriller. Unfortunately, you have to wait an hour and a half for this payoff.

The murder mystery, originally meant to revolve around Miles’ staged “death,” turns into a drama where Miles fears for his life, realizing he might have invited the wrong group with the wrong motives for his annual party.

This mystery isn’t nearly as strong as Knives Out (2019). It drags a lot.

The biggest disappointment for me was the lack of a secondary villain. What made Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot stories great was the presence of a secondary villain who threw you off the trail of the main antagonist. Here, everyone is just cowardly, dumb, and too lazy to take meaningful action.

The movie’s approach of withholding critical information until the end, trying to make you feel like you’ve been outsmarted, only worsened the experience. The dull dialogue and uninspired beginning had already made me regret craving a sequel to Knives Out (2019).