The first reviews for whodunnit sequelGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mysteryare now in, so how does director Rian Johnson’s follow-up compare to its critically acclaimed predecessor? Following its debut at the 47thToronto International Film Festival, critics have quickly heaped praise onGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,calling it “fun,” “daring,” and “extravagant.” In other words, everything you could hope for aKnives Outsequel to be.
Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com could not help but applaudGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mysteryfor being so much fun. A sense of fun so overwhelming that it becomes contagious.
“It’s all just so much fun. There’s a contagious aspect to the ensemble in that one can easily tell that they just had a blast making this movie on a Greek isle with dialogue as incredibly smart as Johnson’s.”
Collider’s Ross Bonaime awardedGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mysteryan A grade, heaping praise on both directorRian Johnsonand his stellar ensemble cast.
“It’s so much fun to watch Johnson in this mode, especially with a cast this relentlessly fun and playful. With Glass Onion, Johnson proves himself to be a film disruptor of the highest order.”
The celebrations continue courtesy of John DeFore of The Hollywood Reporter, who teased the action, twists, and crowd-pleasing cameos.
“This picture offers more action, more delicious comeuppances, more daring design and a few genuinely surprising cameos just for good measure.”
Kate Erbland of IndieWire givesGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mysterya near-perfect A- and calls the sequel a welcome return forthe brilliant Benoit Blanc.
“If you loved Benoit Blanc in “Knives Out”… seeing him tossed into the deep end of yet another wacky-rich whodunit will only further bewitch you.”
Glass Onion: A Knives OutMystery Will Land on Netflix in December
Deadline’s Damon Wise, meanwhile, could not help but commend bothDaniel CraigandJanelle Monáefor their standout performances amid such a standout cast.
“This leaves two standouts: Craig, now free of Bond, has finally nailed comedy, revealing previously untapped depths (a scene in which the deadpan Blanc hides behind and between a bronze statue’s buttocks is a mini-masterpiece of silent comedy). But the Ana de Armas award for the second iteration of Knives Out goes to the simply fantastic Monáe who puts in one of the best and most intuitively perfect performances of 2022.”
Variety’s Owen Gleiberman praised Johnson for expanding the world ofKnives Out, though did comment that, sometimes, too much of a good thing is still too much.
““Glass Out” expands into something even more extravagant than the first “Knives Out,” which is what you want, even if at moments it can feel like a little more than you want.”
Benjamin Lee of the Guardian felt similarly, concluding that, while fun,Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mysteryis not without its issues.
“It’s hard not to have fun when Johnson pulls the strings, I just wish he’d not pulled quite so many and quite so hard.”
Less impressed was TheWrap’s Martin Tsai, who felt thatGlass Onion: A Knives Out Mysteryfails where other, more modern whodunnits have succeeded.
“A lot has happened since 2019, and “Glass Onion” acknowledges the Covid-19 pandemic in its opening sequences. But it hasn’t anticipated genre-shifting game-changers like “Bodies Bodies Bodies” and “Triangle of Sadness” now driving the conversation.”
Directed by Rian Johnson,Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mysterystars Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista, and begins when a tech billionaire invites his friends for a getaway on his private Greek island.When someone turns up dead, Detective Benoit Blanc is put on the case.
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mysteryis scheduled to be released in select cinemas in November 2022, before its streaming release on August 15, 2025, byNetflix.
