Three years after the hit film Knives Out, Daniel Craig, as detective Benoit Blanc, is back in the sequel Glass Onion: A Knives out Mystery. And this time, he is headed to the luxurious coastlines of Greece. Director Rian Johnson of Star Wars: The Last Jedi fame returns with another murder mystery, attempting to recreate Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot with its whodunits and following her signature peril-in-paradise style, seen in recent movie recreations of her novels like Death on the Nile.
While the film tries to bring a sense of social commentary with the help of its star-studded cast that includes Daniel Craig, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monae, Dave Bautista among others, it mostly skips on the mystery by leaving gaping holes in the plotline, resulting in an underwhelming two hours of watching crazy rich people running around on an isolated island.
Gaping plot holes
Glass Onion, set during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, follows a group of so-called friends that includes a lost politician Claire (Kathryn Hahn), a desperate scientist Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr), erratic model-turned-fashion designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) and a men’s rights activist YouTuber Duke (Dave Bautista). They are all invited to a remote island in Greece by tech billionaire Miles Bron for a luxurious weekend — and to solve the case of his ‘fake’ murder.
But all hell breaks loose after a few ‘real’ murders.
Also present on the island is Blanc, bored by the pandemic and desperately searching for his next case. There is also Birdie’s assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick) and Duke’s girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline).
Bron’s former business partner Cassandra (Janelle Monae) also joins the party, despite having been wronged by him merely two years ago — the first of many plot holes in the film. The director fails to justify Cassandra’s presence on the island considering she doesn’t share a good rapport with any of the guests present.
While the film starts off strong in the first hour, grabbing the viewers’ attention with captivating characters and beautiful cinematography, it gradually loses its way as gaps in the screenplay become painstakingly obvious. A random character lurks around throughout the film without any role in the entire plot and his presence goes unexplained. Other plot holes include characters discussing ‘secrets’ so loudly that the ‘world’s greatest detective’ may overhear them.
The movie borrows its name ‘Glass Onion’ — which stands for seemingly complex things that in reality are transparent — from a hit Beatles song. Johnson attempts to recreate this idea in his storytelling but is unable to do justice. In the second half, the movie fails to build suspense and brings in predictable layers, leaving the viewer waiting.
The film lacks depth, so does Blanc’s case solving. As he guesses the chronology of events, for which he has neither proof nor was he present, it forces the viewer to ask – How Blanc, how?
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Janelle Monae saves the show
What saves the movie is its stellar cast and snarky yet hilarious dialogues poking fun at Big tech and the uber-rich — various characters address Miles, the billionaire, as the ‘a golden tit’. While Craig is the ‘Mona Lisa’ of the film, it is the supporting cast that steals the show. Especially Janelle Monae who brings a sense of intensity to her character. Name dropping and star cameos bring some excitement into a film which is otherwise ridden with predictable twists and turns.
As a sequel to a hit film, Glass Onion fails to compete with its predecessor but watch it for its star studded cast and glossy production value.
(Edited by Anurag Chaubey)