Movies

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

(Potential Spoilers)

Mysteries are a classic movie genre that has seen several adaptations throughout the course of movie history. From detective stories to crime thrillers and murder mysteries- this genre has become a prominent category in film. 

One of the newest adaptations of this popular genre has been well-received by audiences. Glass Onion is a new addition to the modern mystery genre in film.

Glass Onion is the standalone sequel to the 2019 American mystery film, Knives Out.

Knives Out was a star-studded, $40 million budget movie that grossed $311.9 worldwide. The movie was nominated for three Golden Globe Awards, as well as nominated for Best Original Screenplay at the Academy Awards and the British Academy Film Awards. 

The film featured big names like Chris Evans (Captain America), Daniel Craig (007), and Jamie Lee Curtis (the Scream Queen). Knives Out and Glass Onion were directed and written by Rian Johnson.

Knives Out Trailer and Synopsis

"The circumstances surrounding the death of crime novelist Harlan Thrombey are mysterious, but there's one thing that renowned Detective Benoit Blanc knows for sure -- everyone in the wildly dysfunctional Thrombey family is a suspect. Now, Blanc must sift through a web of lies and red herrings to uncover the truth."

Because of its great success, in 2021, Netflix paid $469 million for the rights to two sequels directed by Johnson and starring Daniel Craig. The first of these sequels is "Glass Onion".

Glass Onion was limitedly released for one week only in theaters in November 2022. On December 23, Netflix began streaming the movie to subscribers. 

The sequel is another star-studded film featuring: Kate Hudson, Madelyn Cline, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, and Dave Bautista.

The film follows famed detective Benoit Blanc when he is mysteriously invited to a private island in Greece with five long-term friends of billionaire, Miles Bron.

Glass Onion Trailer

Public Reviews

Glass Onion's release created a positive financial impact on Netflix. Within the first 28 days, Glass Onion was watched for 279.9 million hours, making it the #4 most-watched movie on Netflix.

The film received a 92% on the Tomatometer and the Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes, showing the film was well-received by film critics as well as movie fans. 

Like any film, there will be a variety of positive and negative reviews. Some fans called Glass Onion "unoriginal" and "fun, but not as good as the first" in comparison to Knives Out. Many criticized the mystery aspect of the film, stating it is not thrilling enough for mystery fans to enjoy. Others complimented the movie's unconventional ideas and risks taken throughout the film. 

Personal Review

Netflix's decision to expand on a popular movie was an important move for the streaming service. Netflix is known for its success in producing original shows, such as Stranger Things and Squid Game. Since they have not seen the same success with films, it is interesting to see their investment to expand on an established franchise to expand their own platform. 

As a fan of the original Knives Out film, which is one of the best movies I have ever seen, this film was exceptionally fun to watch. Although it is a sequel to the original film, the mystery is completely disconnected with the exception of one character, Benoit Blanc.

The film maintained the charm of the original while creating a completely different mysterious atmosphere. This film, in my opinion, and despite the murder, is a more light-hearted version of a murder mystery. 

Overall, without a comparison to the original, I think Glass Onion is a great film. It may not be a classic murder mystery within the standards of the genre, but it still has a great story that allows the audience to uncover the mystery along with the characters and is overall a fun movie to watch.