Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Remains a Brilliantly Subversive Murder Mystery Film
Image Courtesy of Netflix
By Luis Zonenberg
Oscar Season has finally arrived with Netflix rolling out the red carpet for many of its more prestigious titles securing a limited theatrical release. Del Toro’s Frankenstein film was lucky enough to be among the herd, with Rian Johnson’s latest Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man, also set to be released in select theaters later this month. With many critics already praising Johnson’s latest who-dunnit, I figured it best to look back at the last Knives Out film in preparation for his latest entry in the franchise.
The story focuses on reclusive billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) hosting a murder mystery game at his private island in Greece. His select group of friends, called “the Disrupters” are invited to participate in the game, along with the seasoned private investigator, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Crag). The game becomes all too real when one of his guests actually winds up dead! With the power out and no help coming until the next morning, Blanc must quickly solve this mystery before the body count rises any further.
The story takes place during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, with much of the beginning focused on unfortunately now dated jokes. The first act drags out each character introduction, with only so many of the jokes producing hits on the dartboard. Thankfully, the film’s story quickly snowballs once the characters make it to the island, pivoting halfway through the film to deliver another wrinkle in the fold that puts a whole new twist on the traditional murder mystery formula.
The subversive twist sees that actress Janelle Monáe was doubling as both Helen and Andi Brand, twin sisters who have been estranged from each other for the last five years or so. This plot twist disrupts the narrative flow of the film, reframing the story from a brand new perspective that makes the viewer pay more attention to the film and see through the complex intricacies built up to reveal the truth that was simply hiding in plain sight all along. This is a brilliant way to subvert an audience’s expectations, forcing the viewer to deconstruct everything they previously watched.
The film tackles themes of social class dynamics and systematic disruption. The so-called “Disrupters” are claimed by Bron to have each disrupted the system in some way to climb the top. Yet, all are revealed to be depending on Bron for their success and if anything, Blanc and Helen Brand’s character (played by Janelle Monáe) serve as the real disruptors since they constantly shift Bron’s plan and ultimately serve as his undoing by the end of the film.
The cast is simply phenomenal, with Daniel Craig proving once again to be a phenomenal lead in a stacked ensemble cast. He has excellent chemistry with Monáe, with both providing plenty of laughs and some genuinely emotional moments. Edward Norton absolutely shines as the conniving yet idiotic Miles Bron, boasting a lot of devilish charm with his performance. Other supporting cast members like Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr. and Madelyn Cline help anchor the film with their memorable performances.
The cinematography also does a great job of amping up both the humor and tension throughout the film. The wide landscape shots brilliantly show the lush, tranquil beauty of the Island and truly makes the viewer feel like they’re on vacation. It also brilliantly shows multiple takes of the same scenes, showing slight differences that force the viewer to truly participate in the film and reflect on the previous scenes in the film. This brilliantly visualizes the disruption in the story while also immersing the viewer in such a brilliant yet efficient manner.
The film’s slow beginning and dated jokes do hold it back from standing the test of time, but thankfully its subversive take on the traditional murder mystery formula makes this a more than worthy follow-up to the original Knives Out film from 2019. The incredible cast and fantastic visuals compliment the brilliant storytelling, creating a truly immersive experience for any moviegoer. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery finds director Rian Johnson solving the deadly riddle of sequelitis, delivering another brilliantly subversive mystery rounded out with a terrific ensemble cast.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is now streaming on Netflix.
Rating: ★★★★☆
