"Truth is, it doesn't hide at all. I was staring right at it."

The second film in the Knives Out series, directed by Rian Johnson and once again starring Daniel Craig

I have a deep and abiding affection for Rian Johnson--I rather enjoyed The Last Jedi, he's married to Karina Longworth, one of my favorite podcasters. I also enjoyed his 2019 ensemble mystery Knives Out with Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. It was an entertaining, well-constructed mystery that perhaps got lost in the shuffle of an excellent year in film (The Irishman, Once Upon a Time In Hollywood, Marriage Story). That film, which was both a critical and commercial success, not surprisingly led to the development of more films in this series centering around Craig's Blanc. Given that Johnson has talked about the Agatha Christie adaptations that inspired this film, the idea of Knives Out becoming something of a series wasn't that surprising.

The second film in that series, entitled Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, was released in 2022, delayed and affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The films stars Craig, along with Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista.

Our brief, two-sentence plot description goes as follows:

Tech billionaire Miles Bron invites his friends for a getaway on his private Greek island. When someone turns up dead, Detective Benoit Blanc is put on the case.

That setting, a gorgeous Greek island, gives this film a decidedly different sensibility than the first film. Gone are the chunky sweaters and warm fabrics, traded in for light, summery linen. Steve Yedlin's camerawork and Rick Heinrichs's production design deserves plenty of accolades and praise for making the film so enjoyable and so distinctive from that first film. The allusions and references to the Beatles that about (appropriate given the film's title and the song that plays over the closing credits) are also entertaining.

Craig is magnetic and charismatic as Blanc, in spite of (and perhaps because of ) that ridiculous southern accent. But it's fascinating to see him play this character with... shades of James Bond but without all of the baggage that must make it a challenge to play that role. He's charming and hilarious throughout, and it's a testament to his skills as a performer that he will be now known for not only being perhaps the best James Bond but also this singular movie detective. While in the first film, Craig was just one of many, in Glass Onion he is really the center of attention and gives the film its gravity and force.

Norton is hilarious and equally perfect as tech billionaire Miles Bron. Janelle Monae, who was great in 2016's Moonlight, gives another great performance in dual roles. Kate Hudson, who I will always associate with Almost Famous and her portrayal of Penny Lane, really jumped out to me, playing a ridiculous socialite/fashion designer/former model. It's a very broad, comedic performance, but that doesn't fail to command our attention and interest.

But in a film like this--a mystery--the writing and the narrative construction is the key to everything. That the film works is a credit to Johnson's work and craftsmanship. It's also worth noting that, much like in the first film, Johnson is able to imbue an entertaining mystery with some kind of social critique and theme. This is what, at least in these first two films (the third, Wake Up Dead Man, will be coming out soon), differentiates it and puts it a cut above just an entertaining mystery story. Glass Onion establishes Knives Out as being a bankable series with legs that could carry it into the future. It also solidifies Rian Johnson's place as one of the great writer-directors in Hollywood, particularly of these stylish and entertaining mysteries. I certainly expect Wake Up Dead Man to be a hit and for further adventures with Craig playing Benoit Blanc to be coming in the future.