‘Glass Onion’ is an actors showcase first, mystery second

“Glass Onion” is less a sequel to the popular 2019 murder mystery than an installment in a “Knives Out” cinematic universe that carries over the character of Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). It’s also a murder mystery that skimps a bit on the complex, knotty plot element in favor of gathering a bunch of actors and letting them interact and bounce off one another.
While the mystery is a bit of a letdown, that’s fine with me. The rest of the movie is a blast.
“Onion” finds Blanc in a sad state, bored and spending entirely too much time in the bathtub. Then he unexpectedly receives a mysterious wooden box and winds up on a Greek island with tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) and his group of friends as part of a murder mystery game.
Things get real when one of the friends, Duke (Dave Bautista), actually drops dead. Blanc must put the pieces together, untangle a web of lies and conflicting motivations and decide which of Miles’ friends is guilty.
To be honest, the mystery is a disappointment. When the mystery is solved, it’s less of a revelation than it is a confirmation of suspicions that surface early on in the film. Fortunately, that’s not what the movie is really about and apart from the mystery, “Glass Onion” is a home run.
This movie is more about getting a bunch of scumbags into the same room, lighting the fuse and seeing how things blow up. Thanks to the cast and Rian Johnson’s writing and directing, that part of “Onion” keeps you hooked and waiting to see what happens next.
Start with Craig, who shines as Blanc. His fascination with the events unfolding in this story helps to draw us in and gives us a moral compass that helps us figure out what in right and wrong here.
Norton is spectacular as a tech billionaire who is hailed as a genius but might actually be a moron. There are subtle misuses of words throughout the movie that clue you in that something isn’t adding up with this guy.
“Onion” also gets great work from Janelle Monae, Kate Hudson and Leslie Odom Jr. in main roles with Madelyn Cline and Jackie Hoffman contributing more good performances. There aren’t any weak performances in the film. Keep an eye out for Noah Segan as Derol. He delivers the laughs every time he’s on screen.
Director Johnson lets the actors bring the frame to life and his use of lights and shadows creates tension and atmosphere. He structures his film in a look-again style where you see events from different perspectives and you get to experience that rush that comes with seeing things come together.
I would have preferred the answers in “Glass Onion” to be a little less obvious and the movie would’ve kept me guessing more. But watching these actors inhabit these characters and interact with one another is so enjoyable, it makes up for the movie’s flaws. “Glass Onion” has laughs, great acting and is totally worth watching.
”Glass Onion” is currently available to stream on Netflix.
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Source: eastidahonews.com