Glass Onion
★ ★★★★
Glass Onion pulls off the rare feat of playing into the features that drive casual moviegoers to want to see a film (all-star cast/not too serious) but also attracts the film nerds out there (darker themes/intellectual script). I feel like Glass Onion is a culmination of Rian Johnson's talent. He has this knack of understanding movies as escapism so there always seems to be a wink and a nod behind the lens of these two Knives Out films. Audiences like to have fun and Johnson understands that. But it doesn't withhold him from cleverly using the murder mystery trope to shine a spotlight on what's wrong with people's motives in today's age.
I really enjoyed the first Knives Out first but thought it had some shortcomings. It's as if Johnson heard some of my minor quibbles and really built upon this world that he created. This time he really reigns in the Benoit Blanc character (Daniel Craig) to much success. He still has his over-the-top quirks, but his character in this one showcases more of his intellect than his southern drawl. Additionally, I thought the whole ensemble was terrific and perfectly cast. It's really fun to see Kate Hudson do what she does best and Edward Norton plays his slimy Jeff Bezos-type character with ease.
Even though Johnson played with our expectations with the first installment, he once again surprises the audience with twists and turns that don't play into the murders so much, but more so with the plot beats that we as an audience have become accustomed to. Glass Onion is a pure delight through and through. It's fun, surprising and far smarter than I could ever be.
