Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)
Score: 8 / 10
Category: Movie
Platform: Netflix
One-line verdict
A sequel that knows you’re trying to outsmart it — and still beats you anyway.
Why I watched this
I delayed watching this because after Knives Out, I thought I knew what to expect from Benoit Blanc. I wanted to go in ready. It’s a detective mystery — which means viewers will automatically overanalyze every detail.
Turns out the writers were prepared for that.
Story & structure
On the surface, this should have played out exactly how we expected. It’s a murder mystery. Wealthy people. Secrets. Detective hired to solve it.
Simple, right?
Nope.
The entire movie is built on misdirection. You think you’ve figured it out — then you realize you were looking at the wrong layer. And when the reveal happens, it doesn’t feel random. It feels like the movie was always ahead of you.
That’s the part I respect most.
Even on second viewing, knowing the outcome, I was still impressed at how carefully everything was set up. It doesn’t cheat. It doesn’t rely on stupidity. It just plays smarter.
What worked
The cast is stacked:
- Daniel Craig
- Dave Bautista
- Edward Norton
- Kate Hudson
- Kathryn Hahn
It feels more playful than the first movie. Less serious, more self-aware. And that works for it.
Daniel Craig fully commits to Benoit Blanc. I still can’t fully place that accent, but at this point, it’s part of the character.
The storytelling is refreshing. A mystery that doesn’t just rely on the final reveal, but on how it structures the information.
What keeps it from a 9
Structurally strong, yes. But not airtight.
Some parts feel designed rather than organic. You can feel the writer’s hand guiding the twist. Clever, but slightly engineered.
Also, I do find it a bit of a pity that every Benoit Blanc movie must carry the “A Knives Out Mystery” tag. At some point, the character should stand on its own.
Final thoughts
This is a solid 8 / 10.
Smart. Entertaining. Layered.
It’s not just about the twist — it’s about how confidently the movie misleads you.
And that’s harder to pull off than people think.
