"Glass Onion" Brings the Fun
Rian Johnson's sequel to his 2019 mystery "Knives Out" wants you to have a good time.
Spoilers abound.
I’m a sucker for heist movies, Bollywood rom-coms, and buddy comedies, but most of all, I love mysteries. Chalk it up to reading Nancy Drew as a kid or watching reruns of CSI in middle school, but I have the most fun with a whodunit. I enjoyed Rian Johnson’s 2019 mystery Knives Out so much that when the sequel Glass Onion premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) this year, I muted “glass onion,” “daniel craig” and “benoit blanc” on Twitter. No one was going to spoil that movie for me until I could see it for myself.
Months after TIFF, a friend and I saw Glass Onion during its one-week theatrical run before its wider Netflix release and it surpassed any expectations I had for a Knives Out sequel. Going in with little knowledge of the movie — nothing but faith in Rian Johnson — paid off immensely. The word I would use to describe Glass Onion is “fun.” Fun is at the core of this movie.
There is so much to like about Glass Onion. The performances are stellar, from Janelle Monáe’s quietly powerful, layered portrayal of Helen Brand to Edward Norton’s brilliantly frustrating Miles Bron, and of course, Daniel Craig’s loveable Benoit Blanc. The entire cast of Glass Onion is killer and feels perfectly chosen, just like its predecessor. Despite Kathryn Hahn’s Claire Debella acting as a supporting character similar to Jamie Lee Curtis’ Linda Drysdale in Knives Out, both are a joy to watch. Even the most minor characters like Peg (played by Jessica Henwick) feel fully realized. This is one of the biggest ways that “fun” shows up in the movie — you can tell that everyone in it is having a great time.
The film is culturally relevant in a way that even Rian Johnson didn’t expect it to be. Johnson says he wrote the film in 2020, but the tech-bro billionaire character of Miles Bron is such a good reflection of Elon Musk’s latest antics that viewers immediately connected the two. Musk had a banner week on Twitter just before Glass Onion’s release, so he was bound to come to mind, but it’s delightful to watch the movie joke about people like him. Fun at billionaires’ expense is always good.
Thematically, Glass Onion is also a class commentary like Knives Out in how it satirizes the rich and out-of-touch. Telling us that it’s set in May 2020, Glass Onion weaves in some commentary on the COVID-19 pandemic, especially in its “arrival” scene via its characters’ meticulously chosen masks. Ditzy former model Byrdie Jay (played by Kate Hudson) wears a useless sparkly mesh mask a la Lana Del Rey. Scientist Lionel Toussaint (played by Leslie Odom Jr.) wears an N-95 mask. Dave Bautista plays a men’s rights activist and Twitch streamer named Duke Cody who shows up not with a mask, but a gun. Despite boasting a star-studded ensemble cast that could easily feel bloated in other movies, Glass Onion makes tiny, purposeful choices that tell you everything you need to know about its characters, and it all feels connected to the larger story. Understanding the details, and uncovering the hidden ones, is so fun.
Most importantly, the mystery of Glass Onion is as rewarding as it is different from Knives Out’s central plot. Knives Out is about the death of Harlan (Christopher Plummer), the patriarch of the Thrombey family. Glass Onion’s story takes us through multiple deaths: the fake death of Miles Bron as part of a murder mystery party; the death of Duke Cody; the death of Andi Brand; and the “death” of Andi’s sister, Helen. Reveal after reveal keeps the dense writing of Glass Onion feeling — you guessed it — fun, from beginning to end.
I wasn’t surprised to learn that people were bristling at the pandemic commentary and Miles Bron’s character; after all, Glass Onion makes fun of the right-wing’s disbelief in the seriousness of COVID and their belief in the entirely unserious Elon Musk. I was also not surprised to see Ben Shapiro shine as one of the most cartoonish little men on Twitter by sharing a 17-part thread about his dislike of the movie, based almost entirely on his fundamental misunderstanding of whodunits.
I was a little surprised to see some people doubting the overwhelmingly positive response to this movie, even questioning its current 93% Rotten Tomatoes rating. I am not a “let people enjoy things” type of person. Sure, let people enjoy things, but in a way that engages with critiques, which are a necessary and productive cultural response. Also, hating is a human right, and if hating on a widely popular movie is a balm to some people right now, then so be it.
Still, it’s a bummer to see the somewhat pessimistic reactions to not only Glass Onion itself, but also its success. It’s been a long year and this movie gives us Daniel Craig dressed like one of the Bananas in Pyjamas — what more could you want?
Even though it’s Netflix’s biggest theatrical release yet, the fact that Glass Onion didn’t have a longer theatrical run is disappointing because it’s the kind of movie you should watch with other people. My friend and I sat in front of perhaps the phlegmiest person on the planet and still had a good time in the theatre, appreciating Glass Onion’s witty dialogue and visual gags with everyone else (including mucus man). If you haven’t seen it yet, call up a friend and watch Glass Onion together. It’ll be fun.
We know there will be another Knives Out movie in our (hopefully) near future, so here are some of my dream cast announcements for the third instalment:
Aubrey Plaza. I haven’t stopped thinking about her since White Lotus season 2.
Keke Palmer. Baby, I want as many starring roles for Keke as possible.
Channing Tatum. The 21 Jump Street movies proved how funny the man can be.
Stephanie Hsu. She would nail the way these movies are heartfelt, comedic, and intense all at once.
Sheryl Lee Ralph. Just imagine her and Benoit Blanc as scene partners.
Dolly De Leon. She was the highlight of Triangle of Sadness.
Lee Pace. Look, he’s hot and should be in everything.
Martin Short. As a rival detective, perhaps? Plus, I think seeing him next to Lee Pace (who is famously 6’5”) would be very funny.
Rachel Sennott. The definitive scene-stealer of Bodies Bodies Bodies.
Jon Hamm. As the victim.
Fun little cameos: Miss Piggy, Catherine O’Hara, Mariah Carey, Tobey Maguire, Lindsay Lohan, Bob the Drag Queen, Tom Nook (make Benoit Blanc play Animal Crossing next).