TLDR: Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
How does the sequel stack up?
Plot: Detective Benoit Blanc travels to Greece to peel back the layers of a mystery involving a new cast of suspects.
Direction & Screenplay: Just like Taylor's review of The Menu, these categories are getting lumped together since this whole thing is writer/director Rian Johnson's brainchild. Johnson is clearly a very talented writer when it comes to creating worlds and lived-in, interesting characters in those worlds (see: Looper and, yes, The Last Jedi) but he gets a little too outside of the box with this murder mystery. One of the things audiences like best about the genre is the thrill of the chase, trying to figure out the puzzle as the film does. However, Johnson makes that impossible here because (no spoilers) major plot developments are not dished out until 90 MINUTES into the movie, throwing out everything you thought you knew (and even then, there's a long way to go and a lot of stuff we would never know on our own to learn). It's good writing, but it's bad sportsmanship. I hate to be the dissenting voice on this one, but I think Johnson needs to dial it back a few to let us in on the fun too. We don't just need to watch him do the thing he can clearly do, write and direct.
Performances: Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc and gives a performance that's even sillier and more (believe it or not) over the top than his first time in the Blanche Devereaux accent. Kate Hudson is a stand-out in an ensemble that leans on what they do: Kathryn Hahn is manic, Leslie Odom Jr. is cool, Dave Bautista is brash - you get the idea.
Cinematography: Johnson's right-hand DP Steve Yedlin does his best work in the film when giving you a scene from multiple angles and perspectives. His work is essential to the storytelling beyond what is usually called upon.
Best moment: When the dinner party mystery is solved.
Fun fact: Only 73 Knives Out movies to go!
Imaginary accolade: Best Use of Ethan Hawke And/Or Jeremy Renner This Year
Everything is too long. Is it too long? Unfortunately, it is. We're gonna get plenty of Blanc adventures in the future - we don't need each one to be so long.
See it in cinemas or wait for streaming: If you want to see it on the big screen, move fast. It's only in theaters for a few more days. Our screening was packed.
Rating: Three cameos you can't believe just happened out of five.
Credit: Plot synopsis from Letterboxd via TMDb.