‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story’
A Spoiler-Free Review + Character Breakdown
Courtesy of Netflix Benoit Blanc is back for more mystery in Rian Johnson's latest installment in the ‘Knives Out’ franchise. Miles Bron, the eccentric tech billionaire, invites his friends for a weekend getaway on his private island. But when someone winds up dead, it's up to Detective Benoit Blanc to bring the killer to justice.
As Johnson himself has spoken about regarding his intention for these movies, they're designed to be standalone films, with Benoit Blanc being the only continuous theme. Meaning they can be watched individually without having to do homework to understand the backstory. That provides supercharging level power to the plot. The audience can jump into the current situation without having to pick up from where we started. Johnson can forgo having to provide a connection to the previous movie.
Spoiler-Free Review - Barry’s Bites Rating = 7.9/10
One of the best aspects of the ‘Knives Out’ movies is they pull the audience into the mystery. We are just as confused as the characters involved, aside from the perpetrator of course. There are so many eccentric personalities involved and each has its own motivations. Leaving the audience with the ability to wrap their brain around each one being the perp.
It’s difficult not to spoil anything because there is a huge twist halfway through this movie. One that I’m unable to talk about without giving away the whole movie. But I will say that the 1st half and 2nd half are completely different. There is a complete tide swift in the middle that wholly displaces where the movie was heading. This metamorphosis can be very polarizing as it lifts the curtain, revealing the undertow taking place within the story. With the sea change, it’s impossible not to compare the first movie to the current one.
While both involve outlandish characters intertwined in the pursuit of wealth. The actual story is revealed in polar opposite ways. This creates a completely different experience from a mystery movie. Becoming something of an inside job instead of a perplexing murder mystery. This is where the movie takes some twists and turns becoming quite an enjoyable experience in my opinion. As with most, it’s not without its flaws or plot holes.
One plot hole is the strange spray vaccine the island visitors are given before they embark. I’m not sure if this is a plot device used to erase Covid from the picture. But the explanation is as short as the one given to the characters “You’re good.” So, I guess we’ll just never know what that was. Anyhow, the nature in which the plot develops solely relies on the characters to make it interesting. This can create an amusing experience if you buy into it, and frankly if the personalities don’t alienate your interest. But unlike the first movie, I frankly can’t blame anyone for not enjoying this movie. It’s a riveting first watch but has diminishing returns upon rewatch. Benoit Blanc solved another case with a 7.8/10 on my scale. As I said earlier, the characters are truly the most interesting part of this story. As such, I’ll break down some of the oddballs we’re dealing with this time around.
Still from "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery." (L-R) Kate Hudson as Birdie, Leslie Odom Jr. as Lionel, Kathryn Hahn as Claire, Edward Norton as Myles, Jessica Henwick as Peg, Madelyn Cline as Whiskey and Dave Bautista as Duke. (Courtesy Netflix)Character Breakdown
John Wilson / NetflixIn ‘Glass Onion’, Daniel Craig’s, Benoit persona is taken to the highest level of Benoit possible. Dancing very close to the edge of being extreme and then inching itself back. Taking measures not to take a page out of Icarus’s playbook. I'm not sure many, or really any, actors could pull off this role. He comes across as an endearing and charismatic character. One I'm personally a big fan of but can understand if some are turned off. Given that Craig’s main notoriety over the past decade-plus has been as a British secret agent, it’s a refreshing performance. One that seems eerily derived from that of Joe Bang in ‘Logan Lucky’.
Courtesy of Netflix Newcomers to the ‘Knives Out’ franchise are abundant here so let's talk about the star of them all. Edward Norton. I mean the range on this guy is unbelievable. He takes this character to places that are so enjoyable and creates a really engaging villain. A character who you really want to engage with, just to see where it goes, but know to keep your distance before he has you in his tentacles. There are peculiarities and quirks along with character flaws that he draws out. Serving to illustrate the character's personality and motivations. It's an easy character to despise but also one that's amusing.
Courtesy of Dave Batista on Twitter
Another interesting one is Dave Bautista’s character Duke Cody. He’s an extrapolation of a Joe Rogan-type male YouTuber taken to the extreme. It’s an overt parallel with Cody’s profession being a Twitch streamer and men’s rights activist, with his fair share of controversies. The funniest was his promotion of Rhino pills. Feels like yesterday I was watching the 260-pounder land a Batista Bomb while in my friend’s basement. Now look at him, he’s a legitimate actor with some credits under his belt. As he evolves his skills and has declared he’s searching for more serious roles, it’ll be interesting to see where his career goes.
Courtesy of Netflix Madelyn Cline, as Whiskey, was another great addition to this movie and I'm definitely long on her stock. Since she is relatively new to the big screen, there isn’t much to compare this character to previous ones. But that allows her to chart a new path with the material she was given. She plays the spouse of Duke Cody, with her own ambitions behind every action.
John Wilson / NetflixThe one character I'm still 50/50 on is played by Janelle Monae. She pulls off the dual job of playing twin sisters. It’s certainly not an easy role to play and I think she did an excellent job. My only problem is the Alabama accent combined with the guided perception that everyone from Alabama has to live a small-town hick lifestyle. Why can't she just be a normal person with a southern accent? I don’t know, I felt like that was a tad extreme but certainly a nick-pick on my part.
John Wilson/Netflix Kate Hudson just shined in her role as the outlandish Birdie Jay. Such an empty-headed yet laughable character you can’t just help yourself but enjoy. Birdie isn’t anyone you would want to work for or be around for an extended period of time. But just to hang out with her and never know what would come out of her mouth, or Twitter, at any moment would be a fun experience.
Overall, I firmly believe in Rian Johnson and his vision for these movies. They're always interesting iterations of the crime thriller genre. Johnson crafts unique crimes as well as unique ways to solve them, and as the audience, it's fun to be a part of the investigation. We're not watching from a bird’s eye view but rather integrated into the story allowing us to make our own assumptions and guesses about the suspects. I’m already excited to see what Blance gets into in the next movie.
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