After Mark Mylod’s toothless yet charming “The Menu,” Ryan Johnson has decided to contribute his share of hatred towards wealthy, privileged Americans. Once a promising indie director, he is now a seasoned filmmaker with his own detective franchise. The first installment, “Knives Out,” was released in 2019, also around Christmas. In addition to its impressive cast, Johnson’s film delighted with homages to recognized classics like Agatha Christie, an ephemeral winter holiday atmosphere, a crackling fireplace, and terrifying family secrets, all masterfully revealed by the witty and slightly sarcastic detective Benoit Blanc. “Glass Onion” is the sequel that many were eagerly awaiting, despite Johnson’s somewhat dubious deal with Netflix. “Knives Out 2” didn’t follow the success formula of the original, delivering a more topical but significantly less intricate story of a crime investigation on a mysterious Greek island.
A Deadly Getaway
Without indulging in lengthy preludes, “Glass Onion” begins with a dinner that is sure to be someone’s last. Five friends arrive on a private island owned by the narcissistic billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton) and unwittingly become participants in a quest to investigate his so-called murder. Along the way, it becomes clear that the Governor of Connecticut (Kathryn Hahn), a scandalous video blogger (Dave Bautista), his girlfriend (Madelyn Cline), a former model (Kate Hudson), and a talented scientist (Leslie Odom Jr.) are not Bron’s only guests. Joining them at the residence are the billionaire’s former partner, Cassandra (Janelle Monáe), and detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) himself. However, the host certainly didn’t invite the latter, but that will become clear much later.
Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc in a still from “Knives Out: Glass Onion”
Paradoxically, despite all the flirtations with familiar detective tropes, “Glass Onion” feels like a film with absolutely zero intrigue, where the story significantly lags behind the substance, and the substance is too mediocre to be captivated by. In an attempt to complicate a non-trivial plot, Johnson plays with time, sending his characters to the past, future, and present; uses the unreliable narrator technique and flirts with the audience with sudden and sometimes even funny celebrity cameos — but often fires blanks.
Edward Norton as Miles Bron in a still from “Knives Out: Glass Onion”
Social Commentary or Cheap Satire?
What is most frustrating about “Glass Onion” is its demonstrative opportunism. Each of the characters is a poor parody of one or another representative of the American elite: a blogger promoting Republican ideas; a former model with toxic stereotypes from the 90s; a puppet governor working for the interests of private investors. Completing this picture is the universal evil in the form of Miles Bron, unmistakably reminiscent of Elon Musk — the most disliked person on the Internet, who only a couple of years ago claimed the title of national hero.
Kate Hudson as Birdie in a still from “Knives Out: Glass Onion”
Unlike their real-life prototypes, Johnson’s characters are unilaterally rotten personalities, empty inside and out, against the background of which the only fighter for justice, Cassandra Brand, seems more like a speculative martyr than a figure worthy of admiration. All this could be reduced to cheap satire if it weren’t for the ridiculously pompous moralizing with which Johnson exposes the vices of the privileged white class, of which he is a part.
In the end, “Knives Out 2” gets tiresome to watch — not so much because of the author’s hypocrisy, but because of the clumsy, endlessly looping plot, the only charm of which is a beautiful picture, every detail of which, whether it’s COVID masks or a giant glass onion, has absolutely no basis.