'Glass Onion' review: Thriller without the suspense of the original

Glass Onion

English (Netflix)

Director: Rian Johnson

Cast: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr

Rating: 2.5/5

Despite having all element of a classic whodunit-style, 'Glass Onion’ fails to create the suspense that its predecessor ‘Knives Out’ managed so well.

The tension that ‘Knives Out’ built, with its classy and sophisticated old mansion setting, seemed to get lost in the sunny, over-the-top private Greek island in the sequel. The film begins promisingly but it loses way in the middle with the audience struggling to stay invested in it.

Set in 2020, the film briefly acknowledges the pandemic before moving into the familiar ‘rich man murdered on his island’ murder mystery trope. Director Rian Johnson struggles to tie all the loose threads together as he relies on lengthy descriptions and flashbacks.

His characters, though eclectic and fun, feel one-dimensional and are involved in lazy conversations. On the brighter side, Janelle Moane, playing Andi, delivers a fine performance. Daniel Craig, as the debonair Benoit Blanc, is a delight to watch. He, along with Janelle, provide the necessary emotional heft required for their respective characters. Kathryn Hahn and Leslie Odom Jr are wasted in half-cooked characters.

Edward Norton plays a billionaire entrepreneur Miles Bron, who isn’t as brilliant as he thinks he is. He organises an annual luxurious weekend vacation with his group of dissonant friends who call themselves, “the disruptors”. This time, he uses a multi-layered puzzle box (a sign of the elaborate production design by Rick Heinrichs that is in store) to invite them all as a tease to the murder mystery-themed getaway that he has planned. But how the puzzle is solved turns out to be an underwhelming process with plot conveniences galore. Bron’s mansion that he has named the ‘Glass Onion’, manages to be both gaudy and minimalist at the same time. The title of the house and of the film was taken from a Beatles song that was intended as a joke by Paul McCartney about people who read too much into the band’s lyrics. Similarly, the film has multiple layers to unravel, yet the truth at the centre is also very clear.

‘Glass Onion’ has clues sprinkled throughout the movie but the big-reveal isn’t rewarding.