SPOILER ALERT: For this 2022 comedy murder-mystery film directed by Rian Johnson, with Daniel Craig and Janelle Monae in the lead roles.

Glass Onion offers many of the same things you've come to expect from Knives Out 1 (KO1): competent directing, pleasant visuals, humor, an over-the-top cast, and social commentary that's relevant enough to be relateable but doesn't cut deep enough to hurt anyone's feelings.

The cast is its strength. If you came to see Daniel Craig, having fun in his post-Bond career, you'll get plenty of that; he seems even more comfortable and immersed in the character than in the previous one. Janelle Monae shows a wide range of versatility and depth in her performance. Bautista is hilarious and manages to adds undeniable charm to a character society would otherwise see as a degenerate.

What sets this one apart is the dynamic between the characters. Unlike the first entry, they're not a family, or even true friends. They're a group of controversial figures who all resent having to do business with each other, yet need each other. Most of the cast is dishonest, and this sets up a premise of complexity on who would commit a murder.

Glass Onion has high amibitions with the giant glass mansion and sci-fi alternative energy plot. Yet the plot isn't strong enough to support this ambition. The first 2 acts of the movie build a suspense that maybe even felt higher-stakes than KO1. But the story stumbles in the last 30 minutes. The bad guy is revealed, yet it seems like the writers were at an impasse on what to do next. So, the ending, even with its visual flair and catharsis, feels anti-climactic. All the explosions and special effects can't compare to the simple genius of KO1's "my house, my coffee, my rules" ending.

Leeway can be given to the fact that it's a comedy, some plot points are so farfetched that it breaks the immersion, considering that Knives Out 1 was a bit more grounded and believable, and both movies presumably take place in the same universe.
  • A hydrogen crystal with nuclear fission-like capabilities. It never really affects the plot (MacGuffin), and it really could've been any successful innovative technology. But the writers wanted to go with a classic Bond villain trope of a billionaire with a new energy technology.
  • The Mona Lisa being loaned out. It add aesthetic flair, and style points. It seems tacked on to make the ending feel more iconic and epic.
  • A pineapple allergy killing Duke in under a minute. This is not how allergies work.

Designing a puzzle is a delicate balance. Typically, a well-liked puzzle isn't hard enough to be frustrating, but is just hard enough that so the solver feels smart when they solve it. This is what Knives Out 1 does. Glass Onion makes it a point to do the opposite: the truth hidden in plain sight, with layers around it as distraction. This is a joke at the viewers expense, making the plot so simple and obvious that the viewer feels stupid.

When Duke's murder happened, it was clear which person was sitting next to him. The thought popped in my head initially. They wouldn't make it that easy to solve. So, I wanted to believe there was another unexplained component to his death. I wanted to be more complex, so I fell for the red herrings because I wanted to. Kudos.

Glass Onion's plot and ending are somewhat of a downgrade, but it makes up for it with its cast and theatrics.

Rating: 7/10 (Good)