About three years after American filmmaker Rian Johnson’s $311 million murder mystery Knives Out premiered, Johnson released another critically acclaimed movie titled Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Both movies follow the plot line of Detective Benoit Blanc trying to solve a twisted murder case. These movies are hilarious and entertaining, but Glass Onion stood out to me because of its ability to keep you on your toes the whole movie.

The casting for this movie was unbelievably well done, portraying each character’s unique personalities. The cast is highly energetic, well known, and over-the-top. For one, Edward Norton plays Miles, a self absorbed billionaire who invites his friends to his private island in Greece for a murder mystery weekend during Covid. 

Miles’s friends are excited to get away and have some fun. However, Benoit Blanc (played by Daniel Craig), a detective known for cracking the most difficult cases, had been secretly invited and accepts the mysterious invitation to the island to peel off the layers of a murder.

All guests at the island have betrayed Miles’ ex-business partner, Andi Brand (played by Janelle Monae), to keep their status and perks from Miles. 

Norton, Craig, and Monae are joined by an award winning cast including Kate Hudson (Birdie Jay), Jessica Henwick (Peg), Kathryn Hahn (Claire Debella), Leslie Odom Jr (Lionel Toussaint), Dave Bautista (Duke Cody), and Madelyn Cline (Whiskey).

Birdie Jay is a very say-what-you-think type of person who always has her assistant, Peg, watching over Jay’s social media account to make sure she doesn’t upset the general public. Hudson does a great job of portraying a social media influencer.  

The next character is a mom, a wife, and Miles’s friend: Connecticut Governor Claire Debella. Leaving her family behind for a few days, Claire accepts the invitation to Miles’s island to enjoy some fun and relax in the sun. A politician, she is continuously worried about her image.

Another character close to Miles and invited to this get-away is Lionel Toussaint, an intelligent scientist and Miles’s engineer. Lionel is closest to Claire, and the two have to make big decisions together.

With his heavy attitude and tattoos, Duke Cody—another friend—definitely differs from the rest. Duke is an influencer with a large fan base and a pretty girlfriend named Whiskey; Duke always lives on the edge. However, the film reminds viewers that you cannot always judge a book by its cover.

The final friend on the island is Miles’s ex-business partner Andi. At first, Andi seems mysterious and like a complete introvert. As the movie unfolds, the layers of Andi’s character peel back. It is very interesting to find out who Andi really is as a person.

I really enjoyed how this friend group is very well devised in terms of personalities of characters. Since none of the characters are the same, there is somebody every viewer can relate to or enjoy. Personally, I liked Whiskey and Benoit Blanc the best. 

As Madelyn Cline is one of my favorite actresses, I enjoyed her character Whiskey because she was able to make a big impact on this mystery even though she was the youngest. She was also only on the trip because of her boyfriend Duke, but she still managed to fit in.

I also liked Benoit Blanc because he has a very mysterious personality, so you never knew what he was going to do next. He is very good at critical thinking, and I enjoyed that aspect of his personality. I am eager to see what case Blanc is going to solve next!

Overall, I would rate the movie a 8.5/10. I enjoyed this movie more than the first one because I believe that the dynamics of the characters are better. Additionally, since the sequel took place on a beautiful Greek island, the overall feeling that the movie radiates was more light-hearted than the darker, more indoor-based original.

I think there could have been some improvements with the plot line as there were some dips in the movie where I lost interest, although I still enjoyed it. I would recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys plot twists and action movies with some comedy or just anybody simply looking for a good movie to watch!