Billionaires, celebrity scandals, and murder mysteries; Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is director Rian Johnson’s own Clue fiasco. Daniel Craig comes back as Benoit Blanc to take on a new case. Johnson’s Glass Onion is a standalone sequel to Knives Out, Rian Johnson’s 2019 film. The movie can be watched with full context even if viewers haven’t seen the first installment.

The film is set in the middle of the pandemic, leaving each character stuck in their house and in need of a way to spend their time. It starts with Claire, a Connecticut governor running for the U.S. Senate. She’s getting ready for an interview with the press when a mysterious wooden box shows up at her door. The package was sent by an old friend of hers, billionaire Miles Bron. Then there’s Lionel Toussaint, Birdie Jay, Peg, Duke, and Whiskey. Everyone receives a box. Once the ragtag group solves the puzzles inside, they are invited to Bron’s private island in Greece for a murder mystery party. Just a friendly Clue game with friends.

This film was enjoyable to watch. The jokes were genuinely funny and the amount of character depth was just right. Some who watched the first film noted that the Glass Onion was more predictable and not as fun to tear apart because the plotline was clear. The ending was also a tad anti-climactic and abrupt. Reviews from Knives Out fans are very mixed between people who absolutely loved it and are excited for a trilogy versus people who think this movie ruined the franchise. The plot kept very tightly to a classic murder mystery story, which may have bored some.

The way the film utilized cinematography skills made it interesting and kept people on edge. The cuts between scenes are dramatic during the action scenes, and smooth when casual. The lighting had to be perfect as it’s a key factor in some scenes; it was also used in ways that focused the eye exactly where the director wanted it. The hard work the team put into the film shows. 

Glass Onion goes by its title in so many ways. It has a clear plotline and ending but there are several layers to peel back to see a deeper story. It’s a story of friendship, betrayal, greed, and the toxicity that can grow between old friends.