December 23, known to many as Christmas Eve, will mean the return of Colonel Sanders-inspired favorite detective Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Three years after Johnson’s finger-licking good original ignited our cinematic taste buds with its 11 herbs and spices, including mystery, mayhem and murder, the long-awaited sequel hit theaters last month with an excellent box office and a critical success.
The sequels that follow the beloved original films are a bit like this younger sibling trying to outdo his handsomer, academically superior, and more popular sibling; the likes of Jaws 2, Mean Girls 2, and Batman & Robin irrefutably fall into this installment. While 2019’s Knives Out is a smash hit, is Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery that unhappy brother whose parents, friends, and teachers think the sun shines on their older brother’s butt? Let’s take a closer look at both films and see if Glass Onion replicates or improves upon its blood relative…
Peel Glass Onion Layers: How It Compares To Knives Out
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The obvious (Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc) aside, Glass Onion is an entirely different entity than its predecessor. New cast, new crime, new setting, new staging. Knives Out was a dip in the past, set in a gothic mansion in foggy New England, with a bespectacled Benoit Blanc wearing tweed suits, with nods to Conan-Doyle’s 19th century detective Sherlock Holmes with his magnifying glass and coat, perhaps also stylistically reminiscent of Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries. It was a film that certainly included what would be called quintessential classic thriller tropes mixed with that modernist twist.
Glass Onion, on the other hand, has a particularly contemporary feel; it’s bigger, bolder and more cheeky. Set on a futuristic island fueled by some sort of acorn-sized hydrogen crystal, it places Blanc at the center of a mystery a million miles from the haunting Cluedo-style abode of the previous film. Edward Norton plays Miles Bron, an extraordinary, tech-savvy business mogul who seems to have masterfully ripped off everyone he invited to his private party.
Compared to Knives Out, Johnson’s sequel is even more socially conscious, poking fun at classism and poking fun at the frequent superficiality of the wealthy. Both films use a relatively uncomplicated approach that goes back and forth, gradually unveiling the truth behind the madness that ensues, right? The sleight of hand in the narrative is such that audiences are constantly forced to guess Rian Johnson’s next move and re-evaluate his latest.
Comparison of casts in Glass Onion and Knives Out
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On closer inspection, studying the cast of each of the films, Knives Out unquestionably steals the A-listers award. However, as all moviegoers can attest, fame is not necessarily synonymous with the quality of performances or the success of a film. However, with Knives Out, the storyline is more fluid, the characters have more depth, and as a result, we as the audience are more invested in it. They are a jumble of eccentrics, cowards and self-proclaimed brats.
Glass Onion is undeniably well-acted and the characters ostensibly have a more natural pizzazz, but there’s a distinct lack of identity and depth when compared. We are made aware of their flaws and the stockpile of skeletons they have contained in their closets, but their development still seems slightly under-developed.
Craig’s Benoit Blanc also remains outrageously flamboyant in both films. From tweed suits and a striped beach romper to quirky remarks, and his weirdly pronounced KFC hillbilly accent, White is what ties all the loose parts together. He’s arguably more sprightly, wittier, and funnier in Glass Onion, but more insightful and commanding in the first. Overall, the two films are very similar, with both possessing their own satirical idiosyncrasies. They also absorb whodunits, but Knives Out edges the battle of the brothers slightly with its more powerful murder and larger, more intriguing character pool.
Developing a Knives Out Franchise
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What was the last true established murder mystery story? Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes, brilliant as it was, was just another screen adaptation of classic literature; Kenneth Branagh’s takes on Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile were pointless compared to the great 70s films of the same name; David O. Russell’s recent Amsterdam had critics and moviegoers frequently dozing off during the intervals.
The truth is, the modern murder mystery franchise currently feels like barren ground – every few years a project may blossom before it inevitably withers. Thanks to Rian Johnson and Knives Out, the sub-Saharan terrain of murder mystery has finally been penetrated with thriving roots. Due to Netflix’s seemingly bottomless money pit and Rian Johnson’s desire to add a third edition of Knives Out in the coming years, the prospect of franchising the series is both real and achievable. With the fate of a third film hinged on Glass Onion’s translation to the small screen and its reception by Netflix’s 223 million global subscribers, it’s certainly an exciting time for those who have been Knives fans. Out and Glass Onion.
As long as Craig and Johnson are happy to donate their expertise to these comic book-like “doughnut” murder mysteries, the Knives Out franchise is virtually foolproof.
Is Glass Onion better than Knives Out, and is it the next big franchise? | Pretty Reel