Rian Johnson's first Knives Out film back in 2019 was one of the most ridiculously entertaining films to be released in many years and quickly went on to becoming kind of a culture phenomenon. I've always been a big Johnson fan and a sucker for a good whodunit murder mystery, but the genre had been running thin at the time of that film's release and thankfully it helped I think reinvigorate the love for this kind of films. That first film was smart, twisty, and surprisingly kind of hilarious too. Now Johnson & Daniel Craig are both back for a second round of the Detective Benoit Blanc adventures and they also bring along an entirely new set of supporting characters alongside them. Thanks to the efforts of a great friend, I was lucky enough to see this new sequel very early while I was at the Toronto International Film Festival last weekend. I've been excited for this one ever since it was first announced, but Johnson has honestly managed to far exceed my expectations in delivering a sequel that is just as razor-sharp, funny, and thrilling as the already stellar first film.
Johnson once again has penned the screenplay for this sequel and the results are maybe even better than the last time. The dialogue is just as witty and often humorous as one might expect, but the central mystery in this one I think is also arguably even better. It's more complex and suspenseful as this film had me consistently on the edge of my seat. Just when I felt like I had assumed I figured out all of the pieces Johnson was laying out on screen, he does such a good job of pulling a 180 on you and revealing another trick up his sleeves (and one that actually lands an impact). There are some reveals in this film that I did see coming, but Johnson still has a smart way of subverting my own expectations and adding an extra layer of nuances to the puzzle that I certainly did not see coming. It's great techniques like this that makes a film like this so much fun to watch in the moment and then become so rewarding to watch on subsequent viewings. That's exactly what happened with Knives Out and I imagine that will happen with Glass Onion. Johnson picked up an original screenplay Oscar nomination for the first film and I really hope he can secure another one with this sequel.
Much like that first film you are mostly following a group of despicable characters you would never want to be associated with in real life. But also, like that first film, Johnson has assembled another brilliant ensemble cast that give these eccentric characters so much life and the results are just too much fun. In his return, Craig delivers an even better performance as Benoit Blanc. Craig is just too much fun in this role and of course he has some amazing monologues that he gets to spew out throughout the film. I could watch him in this role for probably 100 more sequels. As stellar as Craig is in his return, the real star of the film is Janelle Monae. Monae is tasked with arguably the most complex character of this film, and she greatly excels in delivering a stellar performance with surprising nuances. The scenes between Craig & Monae are really the best parts of the film. Another performer that I think so nearly steals the spotlight from both Craig & Monae is none other than a exquisite Kate Hudson. It's very entertaining to watch Hudson basically play a bit of an exaggerated version of herself and she is clearly having an absolute ball doing so. She's always been a commendable actress that has made some questionable career choices over the years, but she is also a once Oscar nominated actress and I really hope this role helps her secure films certainly more worthy of her talent level. Edward Norton once again gets to play a sarcastic asshole and there's nobody on this planet that excels better with these characters than him so of course he's really great here. The rest of the cast from the likes of Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Dave Bautista, Jessica Henwick and plenty of others are all great. There's again not a single weak link to be found in this cast.
One thing I love about both of these films is how visually distinctive they both are. Glass Onion is honestly a visual marvel. The cinematography work from Steve Yedlin is gorgeous and there are many shots that are very much still lingering in my mind. This is another area I would love to see the film garner an Oscar nod. The exotic set locations for this sequel were definitely a great move on Johnson's part and really does help create a distinctive feel. And the musical score from Nathan Johnson is easily one of my favorites from any film I've seen this year and even outsells his work in the original. This is absolutely a film that you want to see on the biggest screen you possibly can.
There are minor hiccups in Glass Onion, but none I'm finding important enough to address right now and they would involve spoiler territory anyways. I hesitate to say this sequel is better than the first before I've had the chance to see it again, but it absolutely rivals its original counterpart at the very least and I have no doubt that the majority of fans are going to feel the same way. With another complex yet immensely fun murder mystery to piece together, great group of characters, and a terrific screenplay, this sequel is very much a worthy successor to its predecessor. This sequel will be released to Netflix around Christmas time and that's awesome because that means I can watch it over and over again, but I do really hope this is one of Netflix's first films that they decide to give a proper theatrical release before it hits their streaming service. I was lucky enough to get to experience this at the wonderful Princess of Wales venue in Toronto and I really hope Knives Out fans around the world are given that opportunity to see it on the big screen as well.
Final Grade: A