An intelligently written and directed piece of mystery, Glass Onion (2022) is a spectacle of drama and suspense. Described as ‘A Knives Out Mystery’ is it hard not to compare this movie to its predecessor, also directed by Rian Johnson. Glass Onion (2022) was easily an entertaining crime drama with shocking twists and fun moments, it reminded me of Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None, shipping everyone off to an exclusive island where they get murdered off one by one, although Glass Onion opted for a more comedic route rather than straight suspense and mystery. I found Daniel Craig’s Detective to be slightly too dramatic this time, in Knives Out he remained removed from the drama, he was the overarching voice of reason whereas in Glass Onion he fell into a sort of ‘comic relief’ role which didn’t quite suit his character. Especially when he ‘ruins’ the murder mystery party by revealing the outcome instantly, I think the film could have benefited from that structure and allowed the character to participate in the game whilst Benoit Blanc investigated.
After viewing I was pleased with the outcome and the finale, I found the murderer reveal to be profoundly predictable but enjoyable nonetheless. The reveal of Helen’s double cross was interesting and added another layer to the narrative which brought back my attention but overall, the film lacked any real thrill or mystery. I found the characters to be dramatic caricatures rather than relatable people, I found Kate Hudson’s Birdie to be borderline annoying along with a few of the others. Overall, Glass Onion (2022) had big shoes to fill, it had a lot to live up to and had every potential to do so but sadly, didn’t quite do it. The narrative was intriguing but quickly became predictable which is the one thing a murder mystery should never be, in saying that, only two people died! It was hardly a murder mystery to begin with! Overall, a great family watch for one occasion but this film didn’t tick all the boxes, it should have gone for the crime drama genre hard rather than attempting it slightly.
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