movie review glass onion a knives out mystery

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

The best bits in “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” are the ones you won’t read about in this review (and hopefully won’t hear about before you see the movie). But rest assured that they are plentiful, and they’re scattered generously throughout Rian Johnson ’s uproarious if slightly inferior sequel.

The clever details, amusing name-drops, and precisely pointed digs at vapid celebrity culture keep Johnson’s movie zippy when it threatens to drag. In following up his 2019 smash hit “ Knives Out ,” the writer/director has expanded his storytelling scope in every way. Everything is bigger, flashier, and twistier. The running time is longer, as is the time frame the narrative covers. But that doesn’t necessarily make “Glass Onion” better. A wildly entertaining beginning gives way to a saggy midsection, as Johnson’s mystery doubles back on itself to reveal more details about these characters we thought we’d come to know. The result feels repetitive. The percolating tension that existed within the classy confines of the first “Knives Out” has lessened here against the sprawling, sun-dappled splendor of an over-the-top, private Greek island.

And it would just be tough for Johnson to top his original film, which was so smart and singular—hilarious, but also legitimately suspenseful. His characters felt richer (no pun intended) the first time around, and his ensemble cast had more to do across the board. “Glass Onion” offers some meaty and meaningful performances, particularly from Janelle Monáe , Kate Hudson , and Daniel Craig , once again doing his best Foghorn Leghorn impression as the intrepid detective Benoit Blanc. And several of his high-profile cameos are a giddy delight. But multitalented actors capable of daring, exciting work, such as Leslie Odom Jr. and Kathryn Hahn , frustratingly go to waste in underdeveloped supporting parts.

Still, if you can catch “Glass Onion” in its one-week theatrical run before it streams on Netflix starting December 23, it’s a film that benefits from the collective energy of an enthusiastic audience. Plus, it’ll help you avoid any spoilers that might dribble out over the next month. So: here goes!

Edward Norton plays Miles Bron, a billionaire tech bro who isn’t nearly as brilliant as he thinks. Once a year, he amasses his tight-knit clique—a disparate group of people who smugly refer to themselves as “The Disruptors”—for a lavish, weekend vacation. This time, he’s shipped them all multilayered puzzle boxes (an early indicator of the kind of elaborate production design Rick Heinrichs has in store for us) as a tease for the murder mystery he’s planned at his isolated getaway. His mansion manages to be gaudy yet chicly minimalist at once, an indication that he has no recognizable personal style of his own.

His guests include Hudson’s model-turned-influencer Birdie, who keeps getting into trouble for tweets she doesn’t realize are racist; Hahn’s married mom and no-nonsense politician Claire; Dave Bautista ’s brash men’s-rights YouTuber Duke Cody and his scantily clad girlfriend, Whiskey ( Madelyn Cline , finding surprising shading); and Odom’s beleaguered scientist, Lionel, who endures urgent faxes from Miles at all hours of the day and night. Also receiving an unexpected invitation is the jovial and fashionable Benoit Blanc, who welcomes the fun of this challenge, as he seems at sea between cases. Once again, it’s truly a joy to watch Craig get goofy.

Their reunion is all warm smiles and hugs until Monáe’s Andi Brand shows up. She was Miles’ partner in building his business empire; now, she’s on the outs with everyone. Her arrival sends an instant charge through the group and sends Blanc’s antennae buzzing. It’s a promising setup.

But as the title (taken from the Beatles song) suggests, there are layers upon layers to unpeel, yet the truth at the center is also crystal clear. As an indictment of the way extreme wealth corrupts, this whole exercise is pretty obvious, and it fits securely within a series of recent satires (“ Triangle of Sadness ,” “ The Menu ”) that aim at some easy targets, albeit with copious wit and style.

Monáe’s spectacular performance gives us something substantial to hold onto in this transactional world. The celebrity cameos are a consistent hoot, but Monáe—especially in her interactions with Craig—provides the necessary emotional heft and deeper meaning. Hudson’s performance is also more complex than we might initially expect. She combines an infectious ditziness reminiscent of her glorious mother, Goldie Hawn , with the kind of depth and vulnerability she displayed in her Oscar-nominated supporting work in “ Almost Famous .” It’s an enjoyable change of pace to see the normally likable Bautista play such an obnoxious figure. And Craig offers slightly different versions of Blanc, depending on the situation; his technical precision is impressive, as always.

Trying to outsmart this deliriously complicated plot is part of the fun, too, but it also becomes an unwieldy process in time. Still, “Glass Onion” remains dazzling to watch, from the shimmering images from Johnson’s usual cinematographer Steve Yedlin to the truly inspired costume design by Jenny Eagan . One particular outfit Norton wears in a crucial flashback scene provides one of the movie’s biggest laughs.

Ultimately, though, the giant glass onion that rests atop Miles’ mansion becomes an all-too-apt metaphor for the movie as a whole: Sparkling, but empty.

Now playing in theaters for a one-week sneak preview and available on Netflix on December 23rd.

Christy Lemire

Christy Lemire is a longtime film critic who has written for RogerEbert.com since 2013. Before that, she was the film critic for The Associated Press for nearly 15 years and co-hosted the public television series “Ebert Presents At the Movies” opposite Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, with Roger Ebert serving as managing editor. Read her answers to our Movie Love Questionnaire here .

• Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc
• Edward Norton as Miles Bron
• Janelle Monáe as Cassandra 'Andi' Brand / Helen Brand
• Kathryn Hahn as Claire Debella
• Kate Hudson as Birdie Jay
• Dave Bautista as Duke Cody
• Leslie Odom Jr. as Lionel Toussaint
• Madelyn Cline as Whiskey
• Jackie Hoffman as Ma
• Nathan Johnson
• Rian Johnson

Cinematographer

• Steve Yedlin

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‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Review: Another Clue for You All

Daniel Craig returns as the world’s greatest detective, facing down a blue-chip cast of possible murderers in Rian Johnson’s new whodunit.

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By A.O. Scott

It starts as a game for the amusement of a tech billionaire. Miles Bron, a would-be master of the universe played with knowing exuberance by Edward Norton, invites a small group of friends to a party on his private island. The weekend’s entertainment will be a make-believe murder mystery, with Miles himself as the victim and center of attention. By the end, real homicides have been committed and the fun has become democratic, as rank-and-file ticket buyers and Netflix subscribers enjoy themselves at the expense of imaginary members of the economic, political and cultural elite.

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” revives the antic, puzzle-crazy spirit of the first “ Knives Out ,” which was also written and directed by Rian Johnson. This time the satirical stakes have been raised. Miles Bron is a riper target with more recognizable real-world analogues than the eccentric novelist played by Christopher Plummer the first time around. A lone musketeer of disruption, he spouts mantras about the glory of “breaking stuff,” and cloaks his bottomless greed and shallow narcissism in showy messianic robes. He’s not just a rich guy: He’s a visionary, a genius, an author of the amazing human future.

Miles’s friends are all bought and paid for: a model-turned-fashion mogul (Kate Hudson); an idealistic scientist (Leslie Odom Jr.); a pumped-up, over-inked men’s rights YouTube influencer (Dave Bautista); and the governor of Connecticut (Kathryn Hahn). The people named in those parentheses have a grand time sending up contemporary archetypes, and are joined in the whodunit high jinks by Madelyn Cline as Bautista’s girlfriend and by Jessica Henwick, quietly stealing scenes as Hudson’s assistant.

Two other guests show up for the murder game, though they don’t seem to be there in the same hedonistic spirit as the rest. One is Cassandra Brand (Janelle Monáe), known as Andi, Miles’s erstwhile business partner. She is a familiar figure in tech mythology, the genius present at the creation who is cast out by a more ambitious, unscrupulous or media-savvy co-founder. The Eduardo Saverin to Miles’s Mark Zuckerberg , you might say, or maybe the Wozniak to his Jobs .

Andi’s presence on the island is something of a surprise, as is — though not to “Knives Out” fans — the arrival of Benoit Blanc, the world’s greatest detective. Blanc is once again played by a floridly post-Bond Daniel Craig, now sporting an absurd but somehow appropriate collection of neckerchiefs and pastel shirts, and speaking in what was once described as a “Kentucky Fried Chicken Foghorn Leghorn” accent. My ear also picks up undertones of Truman Capote and a sprinkling of Adam Sandler’s “Cajun Man” character from “S.N.L.”

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‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Review: As Sharp as the First One, But in a Go-Big-or-Go-Home Way, and Daniel Craig Once Again Rules

Rian Johnson's whodunit sequel has a new set of suspects and even more elaborate games.

By Owen Gleiberman

Owen Gleiberman

Chief Film Critic

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It’s in the nature of cinema that if a hugely popular and beloved movie is grand enough, the sequel to it almost has to try to top it in a go-big-or-go-home way. For a long time, each new James Bond adventure was more lavishly scaled, baroque, and stunt-tastic than the last. “The Godfather Part II” was darker and even longer than “The Godfather,” “The Empire Strikes Back” enlarged the awesomeness of “Star Wars,” and “Terminator 2: Judgement Day” made the first “Terminator” look like a minimalist trinket.

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In the opening sequence, each character is summoned by having the same hard-wood box delivered to their home, which contains a series of puzzles they’re meant to solve, each puzzle unlocking the next. That’s a metaphor for how the movie works. Even more than the first “Knives Out,” “Glass Onion” is a thriller wrapped in a deception tucked inside a riddle. It is, of course, a murder mystery with multiple suspects, but it’s one that comes with byways and flashbacks and bells and whistles, not to mention two whodunit homicides for the price of one.

The film is set shortly after the pandemic started, so the invitees are all grateful to be there. (They’re administered a throat spray by Miles’ assistant, played by Ethan Hawke, who for some reason is never seen again.) Each has attained a noteworthy position in the world by becoming some sort of “disruptor.” And they owe their success to Miles, who has bankrolled all of them. But that also gives each a motivation for murder.

Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), the governor of Connecticut, is a former soccer mom who is taking on the political machine. Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) is a gun-nut yahoo and influencer who became the first person to win a million followers on Twitch. Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) is a former supermodel who has parlayed her scandalous celebrity — she was semi-canceled for a Beyoncé Halloween costume — into overseeing a sweatpants empire. Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.) is a scientist who works for Miles. And Andi Brand (Janelle Monáe) is Miles’ former business partner, who lost everything during a hostile split with him but has been invited to the island to make amends, and has agreed to come because…well, why she would do so after she got screwed over so badly is the film’s first mystery.

The second one is what Benoit Blanc is doing there. He claims to have received one of the puzzle-box invitations, but Miles says he never sent it. Yet he doesn’t mind that Blanc is there. Miles, you see, has organized a murder-mystery game for the weekend, in which he is going to be “killed,” and having the world’s greatest detective on site will only make it more fun. Early on, Miles takes Blanc up to the glass onion, and as the two square off, Blanc seems a bit tentative and out of sorts. Is he in over his head? Hardly.

In an outrageous scene, Blanc solves the game that Miles is trying to play before it even takes place. That’s the film’s idea of an appetizer. “Glass Onion” 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. It would be a crime to reveal too much, but Andi, openly suspicious in her shiny blonde bob, is the most fascinating character, and Janelle Monáe invests her with a moody indignation that singes like a hidden candle. A flashback reveals why she’s really there, and who her secret partner is.

Is “Glass Onion” a better movie than the first “Knives Out”? Not necessarily. But it’s a bigger, showier, even more elaborately multi-faceted shell-game mystery. Craig has figured out how to let his wry performance sneak up on you all over again, and the suspects hover in a tasty zone between toxic and sympathetic. Yet for a movie this chock-full of surprises, there’s something about seeing the killer revealed that feels, perhaps, a touch less gratifying than before. “Glass Onion” is the first of two “Knives Out” sequels. It thoroughly delivers, but next time the knives should cut deeper.

Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival, Sept. 10, 2022. MPA rating: PG-13. Running time: 139 MIN.

• Production: A Netflix release of a Lionsgate, T-Street production. Producers: Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman. Executive producer: Tom Karnowski.
• Crew: Director, screenplay: Rian Johnson. Camera: Steve Yedlin. Editor: Bob Ducsay. Music: Nathan Johnson.
• With: Daniel Craig, Ed Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Ethan Hawke, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Madelyn Cline.

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‘glass onion: a knives out mystery’ review: rian johnson outdoes himself with a wildly enjoyable sequel.

The follow-up to 'Knives Out' showcases an all-star ensemble including Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn and Leslie Odom Jr.

By John DeFore

John DeFore

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Expressing one’s enthusiasm for Glass Onion , Rian Johnson ‘s sequel to Knives Out , presents a dilemma. Is it possible to declare that it’s more pleasing in most respects (and neck-and-neck in most others) without sounding dismissive of the thoroughly delightful original ? Would it help to add that, walking out of this film, rewatching the first only becomes a more attractive proposition? (And that’s for someone who just revisited Knives again last week.)

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It offers a little window or two into the private life of the celebrity detective Benoit Blanc ( Daniel Craig ) — though, in going less deep than Kenneth Branagh did with Poirot in his second Agatha Christie adaptation (which also surpassed its predecessor, by a lot), it keeps the character enough of an enigma that one hopes he’ll be revealed slowly, over many films. (After all, Craig just got free of that other big recurring obligation…) Its surprises may be more ordinary than the biggies in Knives Out , but they’re integral to the fun — and since it’s not possible to acknowledge a couple of the film’s strongest elements without spoiling them (this review won’t spoil anything), its best to say ignore any buzz and just go see the thing.

Edward Norton plays Miles Bron, a ripped-from-the-headlines tech princeling who gets credit for far more inventions than he should. Every year, he invites his little clique of pre-success buddies for a weekend of fun. This time he has planned a pretend murder mystery, in which one of the guests is supposed to have killed him.

Why invite the world’s most famous detective to such an event? Isn’t that like bringing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to your pickup basketball game? How are dummies like Kate Hudson’s former supermodel Birdie (now a lifestyle entrepreneur whose business is financed by Bron) supposed to compete? Or dummies like Dave Bautista ‘s Duke Cody, a men’s-rights YouTuber so attached to his handgun that he goes swimming with it strapped to his Speedo?

Okay, those two aren’t going to win this life-size game of Clue. Connecticut governor Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn) and Birdie’s assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick, standing out again in a smallish role) are smarter, and Duke’s girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline) is the kind of wild card who could be genuinely sharp under an Instagram-hottie facade.

Being unable to discuss much of the plot lets us get to know the dramatis personae here more than we otherwise might. Nearly all depend on Bron’s money in some way, but he pretends they’re still just great friends. Would it surprise anybody if one of these “shitheads” (the movie’s word, though you’ll agree) might feel like killing Bron for real?

While that potential simmers in the background, Johnson scratches the fresh scab over Brand’s betrayal. All these people used to be her closest friends, yet all lied about her in court when Bron wanted to get rid of her. What’s her angle? Is she here to make them all feel guilty, or just to show them how rich people should dress? (Costume designer Jenny Eagan creates several memorable looks, none more so than Blanc’s seersucker bathing garb.)

That’s one big way in which the Blanc films differ from most of the chamber whodunits that inspired them: Characters others might write off prove crucial to the solutions Blanc helps bring about. He doesn’t use the “arc of truth” metaphor that served him well in the first film, but it seems even more apt here, as he helps set things in motion and then watches them work as they should. It’s deeply satisfying, even before you start to appreciate the way it subverts conventions about authority figures. Even on a private refuge that police have a hard time reaching, justice can sometimes be done. In the movies, anyway.

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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Reviews

Towards the end of the film, Blanc, annoyed and full of fervor, declares that it’s “all so dumb.” I couldn’t help but wonder if he, right there in that moment, could somehow read my mind.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Jul 26, 2024

Like the glass onion atop Miles’ vacation home, the Knives Out sequel is both intricately layered and deceptively simple.

Full Review | Jul 21, 2024

Even when it’s building up its characters prior to the murder, Johnson’s direction ensures that the suspenseful, adrenaline charged tone attributed to rollercoasters is always present.

Full Review | Jul 15, 2024

A truly theatrical experience that will make you laugh, gasp, cheer, and remember how exciting cinema can be.

Full Review | Jul 12, 2024

A carefully constructed mystery that probes at the twisted way our basic modes of interacting with each other have become distorted.

Full Review | Jul 11, 2024

It’s difficult to make a really good, original mystery film, but to do it twice, within three years of each other? Incredible.

Full Review | Jul 3, 2024

Whatever you expect from Glass Onion, Johnson delivers in a way that’s wholly unexpected, yet never anything but delightful.

Full Review | Original Score: 5/5 | Jul 3, 2024

You could fully skip this movie or watch it…it doesn’t matter. Go watch The Last of Shelia

Full Review | Apr 24, 2024

If it has to be 3 hours long, write a better script

Glass Onion is another fantastic whodunnit from Rian Johnson, but is it better than Knives Out? Well, that comes down to personal preference and what you seek from these films.

Full Review | Original Score: A- | Mar 1, 2024

This movie, unsurprisingly, is incredibly smart, and probably a tad more subtle than its predecessor.

Full Review | Feb 27, 2024

While there are elements of the film that stand out as compelling, the mystery at the core is not one of them.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 5, 2023

There are enough twists and turns in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out follow-up to keep sharp-eyed viewers of all kinds happy, and the location is the best kind of eye candy.

Full Review | Oct 4, 2023

If you do see this film, I recommend seeing it with a large group of people as there are too many hilarious moments, pop culture analogies, and fantastic performances to enjoy it alone.

Full Review | Sep 25, 2023

This is the Aliens of the Knives Out universe, an exponential iteration of a great concept that by now knows its lead character inside out and is thinking big when it comes to finding a cerebral challenge that is worthy of him.

Full Review | Sep 21, 2023

Just like its predecessor, Johnson lashes out at everyone and points out the absurdity and stupidity of the rich and powerful by embodying the caricatures of real-life people.

Full Review | Sep 8, 2023

Overall, the movie is more playful than serious, and its dedication to slowly solving the puzzle makes it both dizzying and delightful.

Full Review | Aug 23, 2023

Glass Onion isn’t just a film — it’s a masterfully crafted game that somehow grows more fun the more you play it, allowing you to pick up on small but rich details you didn’t initially spot.

Full Review | Aug 10, 2023

“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is more of a madcap film than “Knives Out,” piling on the absurdity from the opening credits. And just like the 2019 version, the cast is its biggest strength.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Aug 9, 2023

A standard murder mystery elevated by a very talented cast.

Full Review | Original Score: B+ | Aug 9, 2023

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Glass Onion

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. 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. 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.

• Rian Johnson
• Daniel Craig
• Edward Norton
• Kate Hudson
• 1.3K User reviews
• 324 Critic reviews
• 81 Metascore
• 52 wins & 133 nominations total

Top cast 38

• Benoit Blanc

• Claire Debella

• Lionel Toussaint

• Devon Debella

• Efficient Man

• Stephen Sondheim

• Natasha Lyonne

• Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

• Serena Williams
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Joseph Gordon-Levitt : As the voice of Miles' clock, the "Hourly Dong." He has had a role in all of Rian Johnson 's films.
• Goofs Benoit Blanc requests that, after Duke's death, Miles call his boat and asks them to come immediately. Shortly after, Lionel comes back to tell Blanc that the boat can't come until after 6am as the Banksy dock was set to low-tide height. There is no significant tide in the Greek Mediterranean that would result in this type of problem.

Birdie Jay : Like Miles said, I'm a truth teller. Some people can't handle it.

Benoit Blanc : It's a dangerous thing to mistake speaking without thought for speaking the truth. Don't you think?

Birdie Jay : Are you calling me dangerous?

Benoit Blanc : We'll see.

• Crazy credits SPOILER: When the end credits roll showing the actors' names with their painted visages, Janelle Monae is the only actor with two visages.
• Connections Featured in Amanda the Jedi Show: This Movie was Shockingly Terrible - Best and Worst of TIFF 2022 (2022)
• Soundtracks Fugue in G Minor, BWV 578 'Little' Written by Johann Sebastian Bach (as J.S. Bach) Performed by Tatiana Nikolaeva Courtesy of Mezdunarodnaya Kniga-Musica

User reviews 1.3K

• jwomnimedia
• Dec 27, 2022
• How long is Glass Onion? Powered by Alexa
• December 23, 2022 (United States)
• United States
• Official Netflix
• Glass Onion. Un misterio de Knives Out
• Greece (Porto Heli)
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• $40,000,000 (estimated)
• $13,280,000
• Nov 27, 2022

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 19 minutes
• Dolby Atmos

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Glass onion: a knives out mystery.

• Common Sense Says
• Parents Say 24 Reviews
• Kids Say 34 Reviews

Common Sense Media Review

Sharp, layered mystery sequel; smoking, drinking, cursing.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is, like the original Knives Out , a comedic murder mystery centering on private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). While the first movie followed an extended family, the sequel's cast is more like a "family" of influencer friends, and…

Why Age 13+?

Shooting, with blood seepage. Apparent choking. Spear gun shot but misses target

A woman wears skimpy/slinky clothes; a scene shows her kissing and straddling so

Strong language throughout, including: "ass," "a--hole," "bitch," "boner," "boob

Drinking throughout: cocktails, liquor, hard kombucha, beer, wine. Alcohol consu

Apple products seen and mentioned by name. Beer brands visible. Expensive car is

Any Positive Content?

Like most murder mysteries, "you can't get away with murder" is the overarching

Benoit Blanc is very smart and has razor sharp skills when it comes to observati

Several main characters are White, but some diversity in cast: a brilliant Black

Violence & Scariness

Shooting, with blood seepage. Apparent choking. Spear gun shot but misses target. A couple of hard slaps. One character wears a gun at all times and shoots it into the air. Characters are distressed at the idea of a killer on the loose. Fire and explosions.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A woman wears skimpy/slinky clothes; a scene shows her kissing and straddling someone on a bed while wearing a bikini. Quick glimpse of a sex toy and condoms. Statue of a nude male torso, seen from the backside.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Strong language throughout, including: "ass," "a--hole," "bitch," "boner," "boobs," "goddamn," "s--t," "s--tballs," "s--theads," "shut up," "taint," "t--ties," and two uses of "f--k." Middle-finger gesture. "Jesus!" used as an exclamation.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Drinking throughout: cocktails, liquor, hard kombucha, beer, wine. Alcohol consumption fuels a couple of key moments in the plot. In one instance, it's shown to enhance someone's abilities. Aspirational characters smoke and vape. A comical side character drinks and appears to smoke pot.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Apple products seen and mentioned by name. Beer brands visible. Expensive car is recognized by brand and used as a recurring punchline.

Positive Messages

Like most murder mysteries, "you can't get away with murder" is the overarching message. Also a theme that even society's most fabulous personalities, including billionaires and supermodels, are no smarter or better than anyone else. Themes include courage, integrity, teamwork.

Positive Role Models

Benoit Blanc is very smart and has razor sharp skills when it comes to observation and deduction. Some characters demonstrate courage, integrity, and teamwork.

Diverse Representations

Several main characters are White, but some diversity in cast: a brilliant Black scientist, a Black woman CEO; an actor of East Asian descent plays a positively depicted supporting character. A Filipino Greek actor plays an obnoxious but affable central character. A Jewish actor plays a supermodel (her character shares that she experienced repercussions for using the word "Jew-y"), and Black and Jewish celebrities are featured in cameos. But one female character has almost no dimension beyond being sexy.

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Parents need to know that Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is, like the original Knives Out , a comedic murder mystery centering on private detective Benoit Blanc ( Daniel Craig ). While the first movie followed an extended family, the sequel's cast is more like a "family" of influencer friends, and the film pokes fun at the types of people currently ruling pop culture: the billionaire genius ( Edward Norton ), the supermodel ( Kate Hudson ), the celebrity scientist ( Leslie Odom Jr. ), the politician ( Kathryn Hahn ), and a YouTuber ( Dave Bautista ). The ultimate takeaway is that the rich, famous, and powerful aren't any smarter, better, or savvier than anyone else. But these are wealthy, extravagant characters, and constant drinking is part of their glamorous aesthetic. Blanc also smokes cigars, and other characters vape and smoke pot. A supporting character known as Whiskey wears revealing clothes and is shown aggressively kissing and sitting astride a clothed man. There's also a long conversation about "boobs"; other language includes "ass," "s--t," and a couple of uses of "f--k." And, given that this is a murder mystery, expect a couple of non-graphic deaths, plus weapons use (guns, spear gun), fire, and explosions. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Parent and Kid Reviews

• Parents say (24)
• Kids say (34)

Based on 24 parent reviews

Layered, Heavily Comedic Sequel

It serves up a good mystery . . . with plenty of things lacking, what's the story.

GLASS ONION: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY takes place in the summer of 2020. Private detective Benoit Blanc ( Daniel Craig ) is pulled out of his pandemic depression when a puzzle box arrives at his door with an invitation to attend a murder mystery party. Once he gets to the private island of visionary billionaire Miles Bron ( Edward Norton ), who's also invited several famous celebrity guests, Blanc realizes that the murder mystery game has set the stage for an actual murder to occur.

Is It Any Good?

Writer-director Rian Johnson slices and dices social influencers with sharp humor here, leaving viewers wiping away tears of laughter. This satirical whodunit peels back the layers of modern-day movers and shakers to reveal that, when you get to the core of an arrogant genius, a fabulous fashionista, or a blowhard YouTuber, there's often nothing there. For adults, it's a wink. Teens might need a little help to understand the brilliance of Glass Onion 's title, but even if they don't put it all together, the comedy pierces celebrity/privileged culture in plenty of other, more obvious ways. In other words, it's hard to imagine that anyone over the age of 13 or 14 won't enjoy Johnson's Benoit Blanc sequel.

Is it better than Knives Out ? Well, no, because with that excellent film, Johnson reinvigorated the entire murder mystery genre. It felt so refreshingly new in 2019, and in the three years since its release, others have tried their hand at the whodunit with some pretty impressive productions -- meaning the bar is even higher now. But still, Glass Onion rolls as one continuous slick burn. And if there's one thing we know about onions, it's that when they're raw, they bite, but the longer they cook, the sweeter they become.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how Benoit Blanc compares to Agatha Christie detectives like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Why do you think fictional detectives are often given eccentricities or quirks?

Do you think that Glass Onion glamorizes drinking and smoking ? Why, or why not?

Discuss the meaning of the title and how it's layered throughout the film.

What are the hallmarks of a murder mystery? How does this one compare to others you've seen?

How do characters demonstrate courage , integrity , and teamwork ?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 18, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : December 23, 2022
• Cast : Daniel Craig , Janelle Monáe , Edward Norton
• Director : Rian Johnson
• Inclusion Information : Non-Binary actors, Pansexual actors, Queer actors, Black actors
• Studio : Netflix
• Genre : Thriller
• Topics : Friendship
• Character Strengths : Courage , Integrity , Teamwork
• Run time : 139 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : strong language, some violence, sexual material and drug content
• Award : Common Sense Selection
• Last updated : March 14, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

What to watch next.

The After Party

Murder on the Orient Express

The White Lotus

Mystery games, related topics.

Want suggestions based on your streaming services? Get personalized recommendations

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Review

23 Dec 2022

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Whether you’re a detective or a director, taking on a new case is always tricky. The last time Rian Johnson made a sequel (2017’s  The Last Jedi ), he nearly broke the internet, or at least the corner of it that likes to argue about Star Wars; the last time gentleman detective Benoit Blanc solved a case (in 2019’s  Knives Out , Johnson’s part love letter to, part subversion of the Agatha Christie murder-mystery genre), he nearly fell into a metaphorical doughnut-hole.

This follow-up to  Knives Out  — the first of a massive, multi-million-dollar deal made with Netflix — establishes the Christie-esque precedent that Benoit Blanc ( Daniel Craig ) is the only recurring element in the series; a new case and a new cast of characters will appear each time. So as much as this is technically a sequel, it feels more like the latest entry in an ongoing anthology, a singular story that can be enjoyed purely on its own terms.

That’s not to say there aren’t commonalities with the original, and in fact this is very much more of the same: a delightful retread of everything that made  Knives Out  so deeply satisfying. There is, once again, a mysterious crime that self-awarely references the genre as it goes (the first film was set in a crime novelist’s home, mirroring the author’s fictional crimes; this is set during a weekend-long murder-mystery game). There are bodies and blood-splatters. There are twists and misdirects, rewarding repeat watchers. There is a final summation and big reveal, in the equivalent of a drawing room.

Johnson opts for a completely different setting here: a summer holiday gone wrong.

But it all looks and feels markedly different, and not just in the budget flexes Netflix can now afford. Where  Knives Out  was a claustrophobic, autumnal, New England kind of whodunnit— evoking the gothic suspense of  Sleuth  or the arch wit of  Clue  — Johnson opts for a completely different setting here: a summer holiday gone wrong, his take on Christie’s  A Caribbean Mystery , or more accurately, Stephen Sondheim’s  The Last Of Sheila  (and Sondheim in fact earns a brief, brilliant posthumous nod in this film).

This time, too, Blanc is no longer “merely a passive obsuh-vuh of the truth” — he’s an active player in the case. A character previously introduced in an out-of-focus background shot now comes to the foreground: we learn a little about his personal life, his insecurities, his proclivity for taking long baths while wearing a fez, and his extensive collection of linen neckerchiefs.

As such, he feels more rounded as a character, both narratively — Johnson is keen to emphasise his empathy and wisdom — and comedically, blessed with more delicious “Southern hokum”, as Blanc himself self-deprecatingly puts it. (Those who enjoyed the “doughnut holes” of the first film will take particular succour in the way Craig repeatedly wraps his lips around the word “buttress”.) Spending time in Blanc’s company remains a singular pleasure, and if this is to be an ongoing affair, as it appears to be, there’s every chance Blanc will be as defining a role for Craig as Bond.

It is, fundamentally, a proper crowd-pleaser.

He is surrounded, naturally, by another superb collection of potential murderers/murder victims, Johnson once again showing his knack for drawing from an embarrassment of acting riches. (If anything, it’s too good a cast, with superlative talents like Kathryn Hahn given less to do.) You could pick a different favourite each time you think about it, but particular praise must go to Janelle Monáe , showing versatile comedy chops for the first time in a complex role that requires both drunken pratfalls and if-looks-could-kill stares; and Kate Hudson , having a blast as an endlessly cancelled fashionista with a penchant for tweeting racial slurs.

They are all extremely funny, and with that change of scenery from the first film comes a change of tone, lightening as the weather brightens. The first film seemed like a mystery with some comic peppering; this feels more like a comedy first, mystery second. Sometimes there’s a slight sense that the wackiness could have been reined in a little — there are, by our count, nine celebrity cameos drizzled throughout, plus cheeky references to celebrity product endorsements, which begins to feel a little overindulgent.

More often, though, it offers a sack of onions’ worth of fun, as uproarious as the best comedies. Importantly, too, the laughs are buttressed — there’s that word again — by a gorgeously constructed script, a maze-like narrative that unfurls slowly and gratifyingly like a puzzle box (appropriate, given the film begins with a literal puzzle box). If the denouement doesn’t quite have the same sting of surprise as the first film’s, you will still leave feeling supremely satisfied. It is, fundamentally, a proper crowd-pleaser, and best experienced with one. To misquote Blanc: it just makes damn sense. On to the next case!

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• Entertainment
• <i>Glass Onion</i> Is a Lesser <i>Knives Out</i> Mystery—But It’s Still a Breezy Caper

Glass Onion Is a Lesser Knives Out Mystery—But It’s Still a Breezy Caper

S ometimes you don’t want a formal meal; you just want an assortment of nibbles, a big tray of delicacies and delights that are just a bit out of the ordinary and amusing by themselves. Writer-director Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is that plate of morsels in movie form, a breezy caper that mostly sustains its novelty, even if it stumbles a bit in the last third. Mostly, the picture feels both lavish and light: This follow-up to the distinctly pleasurable 2019 Knives Out once again stars Daniel Craig as the bourbon-smooth crime-solver Benoit Blanc, only this time he’s been invited to a glamorous Greek island by arrogant media mogul Miles Bron, played by Edward Norton. Bron’s plan is to stage a murder for his circle of eccentric friends to solve. The victim? Himself.

That’s the sleight-of-hand premise Johnson begins with, anyway. By the end of Glass Onion, the story has negotiated so many twists that you may barely be able to recall how it began. Basically, this is an assembly of cartoonishly colorful characters, each of whom is in some way delightfully untrustworthy: Kate Hudson is bubble-headed model and fashion entrepreneur Birdie Jay, who’s always getting into trouble with her mindless pronouncements (like going on Oprah and comparing herself to Harriet Tubman). Kathryn Hahn is Claire Debella, a harried, disorganized straight-shooter who has somehow worked her way up to the governorship of Connecticut. Leslie Odom Jr. is Lionel Toussaint, an ambitious scientist who works for Miles but harbors suspicions about his motives. And Dave Bautista is wanna-be social-media influencer and heapin’ hunk of brawn Duke Cody, who shows up with his brainy babe of a girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline) in tow.

Read more: Inside the Creation of Knives Out , One of the Most Unexpectedly Subversive Films of the Year

All of these invited guests, save Blanc, are longtime pals of Bron’s, friends who in the old days used to gather at a cozy bar, now defunct, called the Glass Onion. Bron clings to the memory of those days—it’s why he’s built this lavish Greek estate, topped with a crystal dome in the shape of his favorite Allium. But even though he calls his old friends “disruptors,” people whom he admires, supposedly, for breaking the rules and shaking up the status quo, he’s the richest of them all, and the only one who’s truly a success. That’s where the most enigmatic figure in this whole charade comes in: Andi Brand ( Janelle Monáe , always marvelous to watch) is Bron’s old business partner, though he not long ago kicked her out of the operation, leaving her without a penny. Yet here she is, showing up for his weekend escapade, the coolest of them all in an assortment of willowy pantsuits and ethereal goddess gowns. The rest of the group is stunned when she arrives. What is she doing there? Even Bron, who invited her, seems surprised to see her.

Meanwhile, Blanc—decked out in Southern-gent linens and dashing silk neckerchiefs—surveys this crew with his characteristically cool gaze. First he pretends to have no idea what Bron’s intent might be, stammering out suppositions in his delightful Foghorn Leghorn drawl. Then you realize he knows exactly what’s happening—and after that, the story begins to unfold in spiraling swirls that swerve forward only to double back on one another.

The pleasures of Glass Onion don’t go much beneath the surface, but at least that surface is a delectably shiny one: Bron’s mansion features a massive common room filled with delicate crystal sculptures just begging to be shattered. Hudson’s Birdie shows up with suitcases full of rich-hippie clothes, including a mesmerizing polychrome swirl of a dress that nearly hypnotizes the other guests into a stupor. And there are some great gags, including a robot recording that chastises Blanc every time he tries to sneak off for a smoke. Clean living, it seems, will be the death of us all.

There are a few downsides to Glass Onion, things it doesn’t have that its predecessor did: No Christopher Plummer as a cantankerous patriarch. No Chris Evans in a chunky sweater . And sometimes the characters’ endless clever quips run in exhausting circles. Glass Onion at times works overly hard to remind us how much fun we’re supposed to be having. It also loses some steam in the wrap-up: in building the story, Johnson introduces so many loose ends that tying them up takes some doing, and the labor shows. But following along is still enjoyable enough, right down to Benoit Blanc’s last sardonic squint. Glass Onion ‘s motives are transparent—it seeks only to entertain. But then, that’s what we came for, no matter how you slice it.

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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery review: "Almost as sharp as the first"

Gamesradar+ verdict.

Murder, mystery, money: impaling one-percenters, the second Knives Out movie is almost as sharp as the first.

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

Super-sleuth Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is sitting in the bath, in just a fez, playing an online mystery game with friends. He loses. He’s been in the bath for a week. It’s May 2020, mid-lockdown, and he’s going out of his mind. "I need a great case," he drawls in that, er, 'colorful' Southern accent. And at that moment a locked hardwood puzzle box arrives...

Rewind. Why not? We’re taking our c(l)ue from Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, a film that further complicates its fiendishly layered murder mystery with multiple flashbacks. So, it’s late 2019 and Rian Johnson’s Agatha Christie-alike mystery Knives Out is a smash, critically and commercially. Along with Kenneth Branagh’s rather more staid Murder On The Orient Express, it will relaunch a genre, with Only Murders In The Building, See How They Run, The Afterparty, Reunion and Retreat to follow. It will also, naturally, launch a franchise, with Netflix paying a whopping $469 million for two sequels.

Glass Onion is the first of those sequels – and like most sequels, it goes bigger, broader, brasher. Knives Out was set in the gloomy mansion of a murdered author, who of course wrote mystery novels to add to the meta fun. Glass Onion takes place on the private island of Elon Musk-alike tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton), who’s invited his inner circle of friends to stay for a few days to solve his own murder. No, this isn’t some spin on classic noir D.O.A., in which a poisoned man with only days to live sets out to find who killed him. Miles has merely set up a murder-mystery game, written for him by none other than Gillian Flynn; the invitation to each guest resides deep inside the hardwood puzzle boxes he sent out.

We’re back in Blanc’s bath. Soon, he arrives at the island with seven fellow guests: governor of Connecticut Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn); former model turned canceled fashionista Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) and her long-suffering PA, Peg (Jessica Henwick); toxic influencer Duke Cody (Dave Bautista), who swims with a very big gun tucked in his very small trunks and is accompanied by girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline); genius scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.); and Miles’ former business partner Andi Brand (Janelle Monáe), who’s still smarting from "the trial". Why he invited her – and why she said yes – is a mystery. So, it transpires, is Blanc’s attendance, with Miles swearing he wasn’t on the guest list.

Such is the set-up, but it’s not long before events take a dramatic turn and Blanc finds his services required for real. To say more would be to take away from the ingenious plot – a corkscrew wrapped in a riddle packaged in an enigma, and all tied up with a Gordian knot – but it’s no spoiler to say everyone has a motive and everyone’s a suspect.

Everyone’s also clearly having a riotous time. Hudson relishes Birdie’ tendency to say outrageously un-PC things. Norton’s in a groovy groove as a filthy-rich, neo-hippie jerk who could be the long-lost cousin of Fight Club’s Narrator (a self-proclaimed “disruptor”, Miles says the fun is in escalating the chaos: “You break more things, bigger things; nobody wants you to break the system itself, but that is what true disruption is”). And a clenched Andi sits tight on secrets primed to hatch. As for Craig, well, he - naturally - is having the most fun of all, upping the Southern- gentleman charm and bumbling gratitude and ridiculous outfits that camouflage Blanc’s genius. Columbo is a touchstone, but might there also be a hint of Roger Moore’s florid, tongue-in-cheek Bond, after Craig himself played 007 with a harder edge? One thing’s certain: Craig yelling “Shitballs!” is one of the year’s highlights.

There will certainly be viewers who find Glass Onion too much, who respected the intimacy and intricacy of Knives Out and will wonder why every sequel must be supersized. They’ll have a point. But it’s better to rock up to this beautiful island and enjoy all that’s on offer, from the ridiculous mansion topped by a huge transparent bauble that looks like – you guessed it – a glass onion, to the ludicrous postmodern furnishings, to the twisting, turning, looping, jack-knifing, knowing plot. "So legit" is Miles’ catchphrase, and Johnson’s screenplay is certainly that, as cleverly entertaining as Christie’s tantalizing tales, as well as an exercise in genre deconstruction – one that also finds time to skewer privilege and white male entitlement as it rattles along.

It’s the filmic equivalent of a Penn and Teller magic trick: amaze, show the mechanics, amaze again. So while Miles’ friends are accused of holding on to his "golden titties", a similar charge can’t be aimed at Johnson. Netflix might have written him a Blanc cheque, but he delivers. Roll on the third installment.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is on Netflix from December 23. For more viewing options, check out the best Netflix movies out now.

Jamie Graham is the Editor-at-Large of Total Film magazine. You'll likely find them around these parts reviewing the biggest films on the planet and speaking to some of the biggest stars in the business – that's just what Jamie does. Jamie has also written for outlets like SFX and the Sunday Times Culture, and appeared on podcasts exploring the wondrous worlds of occult and horror. 

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Making a sequel is hard. If the first film is good, there's the expectation that the follow-up must be just as good, if not better, than the original. Knives Out was the crowd-pleasing whodunit mystery hit of 2019 and there was some worry that director Rian Johnson's sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story , wouldn't live up to it. However, Johnson has still got the magic. Glass Onion is wildly entertaining, endlessly charismatic, and somewhat ridiculous. Combined with a fabulous ensemble cast, this whodunit follow-up to Knives Out (which takes a dig at the beloved Clue game) is deeply enjoyable.

Miles Bron (Edward Norton), a tech billionaire with lots of ideas, invites his friends to his private Greek island for a weekend of fun and a murder mystery he put together. His friends are an eclectic bunch, to say the least. Birdie (Kate Hudson) is a model who always says the wrong things on social media, leading her assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick) to take away her phone lest there be any more damning evidence, Claire (Kathryn Hahn) is politician whose campaign is being funded by Miles, Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.) is a tech whiz who is often tasked with working on Miles’ wild ideas that he faxes to him in the middle of the night, Duke (Dave Bautista) is a men’s rights Twitch streamer who is dating Whiskey (Madelyn Cline), who is trying to make it in the influencer business by appearing in Duke’s videos. Then there’s Cassandra Brand (Janelle Monáe), who co-founded the company Alpha with Miles, but who was eventually cut out of the equation and the friends group. Where does Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) fit into all this? Well, he also gets an invitation to Miles’ island, though the reason why is a mystery itself.

Related: Rian Johnson's Most Exciting Murder Mystery Isn't What You Think

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story delivers on many levels. It's surprising and has a well-plotted story. It's also a crowd-pleaser that doesn't drop the ball when it comes to its story and characters. The film has an abundance of enjoyable twists and turns, and a finale that will amuse as much as it will have audiences cheering. What’s crucial here is that Johnson doesn’t pull from the same well as Knives Out ; he moves on to new ideas, though the core theme about rich people and power remains the same. This time, however, the film is about new money and what people will do to keep it (though they know very little about what to actually do with it). Johnson includes a message about the environment and the layers of corruption that affect how it’s treated. The film handles all of these elements rather well, all without forgetting about the characters’ dysfunctional relationships with each other, as well as what ultimately brings and keeps them together. Glass Onion doesn’t attempt to mimic the complicated family dynamics of Knives Out — rather, it turns its focus to a group of friends who have their own fair share of problems and quibbles. It makes for a highly effective, intriguing, and unhinged film.

Perhaps the film's biggest hiccup is that it goes on a bit too long. The first film went by at a pace that felt just right, whereas Glass Onion could have easily shaved off several minutes of its runtime without losing anything. However, that doesn’t at all deter the film or slow it down. The sequel remains engaging and Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc charming. The ensemble cast is top tier, with everyone putting in the work to make their characters and their complex dynamics believable and seamless. While the entire cast is fabulous, Janelle Monáe is a particular standout. The singer-turned-actress is a definite scene stealer, with all the gumption she’s got flowing into the role. The cast looks like they enjoyed filming Glass Onion and getting to play incredibly exasperating, engaging, and sometimes even dimwitted, characters. They have great chemistry together, and it helps the audience buy into the idea that these very disparate people could ever be friends in the first place.

From the opening scene, which involves split scenes and a memorable introduction to each character, Glass Onion is immediately interesting and full of humor. It doesn't at all take itself seriously as the mystery unfolds. The audience will find there are plenty of treats to be found throughout, notably when it comes to all the chaos that ensues. Benoit Blanc's involvement in the (admittedly messy) proceedings is delightful as he puts a wrench in the seemingly perfectly planned weekend getaway. There is never a dull moment and Johnson leans into the absurdity with panache.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out mystery is a strong and fulfilling sequel. It will leave fans wanting even more of the charismatic detective and the situations that bring him into the middle of enticing whodunits that put his mind to work. The cast, the writing, and the twists and turns the story takes will leave the audience intrigued right up until the very end. The fact that Johnson doesn't try to recreate the magic of the original gives the sequel an edge, and viewers will walk away pleased with the result.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2022. The film will be released in select theaters in November and will be available to stream on Netflix December 23.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery follows Detective Benoit Blanc's continuing detective work in Greece. When tech billionaire Miles Bron invites his friends to his private island, Benoit Blanc must step in to solve the case when one of them is killed.

Key Release Dates

• Movie Reviews
• 4 star movies

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) Review

A mystery unravels.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

To say that Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery improves upon its predecessor is something of a simplification. Rian Johnson, who returns to write and direct after blowing critics and audiences away with his Benoit Blanc led murder mystery that revealed both killer and cause of death within 45 minutes of its over 130-minute runtime, once again gives us a simplistic story whose richness is due to the sheer breadth of the layers which he peels away at his leisure.

Yes, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is both clue and an indicator that the various threads only appear complicated. But suppose there’s anyone best suited to unearth them. In that case, it’s celebrity detective Benoit Blanc, once again played with comedic grace under pressure by Daniel Craig , complete with a southern accent that’s all the more amusing for its obvious falseness. Who but Rian Johnson would dare to choose an actor so synonymous with one of the most famous British characters of all time to portray the ultimate ideal of a compassionate Southern Gentleman for today’s world?

Rian Johnson is also aware that any mystery taking place in our current moment will feature the root of all evil when all is said and revealed. In Knives Out , that face could convincingly be a self-made elderly man who is determined that his children would throw off the entitlements of modern wealth, which has trapped each of them in various forms of arrested development. 

But in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , Johnson finally has the playground he needs to give us a portrait of today’s wealthy, complete with a remote location and various attendees who have all gathered due to the golden handcuffs they’ve locked themselves into. It’s essentially a tribute to Johnson’s genre inspirations, with Agatha Christie references abounding, including an early cameo by Angela Lansbury .

In Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , the main architect of the shackles is billionaire Miles Bron ( Edward Norton , in full sleazebag mode), who has invited his inner circle of friends he’s dubbed the disruptors, and their closest employees and/or hangers-on, to his remote private island for a murder mystery party. It contains some of what we’d expect, from many of the elite services designed to most amaze and rattle us, including robot servants, and the most symbolic, the building designed after the glass onion, which also acts as a living reminder of the bar of the same name where Miles got his start and met many of the disruptors for the first time.

There’s also the familiar Christie setup which handily supplies a motive to all of the players and a mystery over how our viewpoint character got his invite. Typically standouts emerge, but what exactly is a standout when you have the cast, which includes Kathryn Hahn as a state Governor, Dave Bautista as a misogynistic fitness influencer, Kate Hudson as a fashion designer and former model, and Leslie Odom Jr. as a brainy scientist? Even relative newcomers Madelyn Cline and Jessica Henwick as the long-suffering girlfriend and assistant, respectively, shine as they attempt to navigate the moneyed egos.

“There’s so much to appreciate with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery …”

The key area where Johnson departs from his influences with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is that they typically depend on a status quo to give audiences some escapism in an uncertain world. At the same time, Rian Johnson’s sympathies lie with those who are typically denied access to power. There’s the shrewd use of the setting for one, which is during the height of the 2020 pandemic, which sees Benoit nearly going insane with boredom. Once they arrive at the island, a mysterious spray which indicates the all-clear for masks during their fiddling-while-Rome-burns luxury retreat.

The one with the potential to burn it all down is Janelle Monáe as Miles’s former business partner Andi Brand, who was pushed out after she had a few moral objections to their company’s latest product. On the nose? Perhaps, but nobody will mind once Monáe digs into her role. She is the key to the reckoning which awaits the wrongdoer and by extension, the system itself.

Her dynamic with Craig is the reason the story unfolds like a platonic twist on The Handmaiden with more sympathetic male characters . Not to mention more cameos, with Serena Williams, Stephen Sondheim, Natasha Lyonne, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Yo-Yo Ma all showing up to play themselves, and that’s not counting Hugh Grant and Ethan Hawke in a few small roles, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt lending his voice to a massive clock’s hourly chime.

There’s so much to appreciate with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , in fact, that the mystery becomes somewhat beside the point. Unlike what Miles creates, it’s high quality, with cinematographer and frequent Rian collaborator Steve Yedlin lending everything a polish that makes the obscene wealth feel almost aspirational, at times even tasteful. There’s no concealing the rot at its core which affects every aspect of our culture, though, with each of the disruptors unwittingly acting as living avatars for how far its reach extends.

How exactly does one bring the one responsible to justice? As Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery darkly suggests, it may be too late to go through official channels. But people tend to find a way at the right moment, especially when the filth becomes so infectious that even those who benefit most may find complicity too big a risk.

Final Thoughts

Andrea Thompson is a writer, editor, and film critic who is also the founder and director of the Film Girl Film Festival. She is a member of the Chicago Indie Critics and runs her own site, A Reel Of One's Own, and has written for RogerEbert.com, The Spool, The Mary Sue, Inverse, Wealth of Geeks, and The Chicago Reader. She has no intention of becoming any less obsessed with cinema, comics, or nerdom in general.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something, CGMagazine may earn a commission. However, please know this does not impact our reviews or opinions in any way. See our ethics statement.

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Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Review: Rian Johnson Outdoes Himself With A Hilarious New Benoit Blanc Whodunit [TIFF]

Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" was a wonderful breath of fresh air — an original film with a stellar cast and a funny, engrossing mystery with twists and turns. It reminded us that movies could be, ya know,  fun . Seemingly the moment the movie ended, audiences wanted more. Specifically, they wanted the return of Benoit Blanc, the gentleman sleuth with the deep-fried accent, played to perfection by Daniel Craig. Sure enough, Netflix came calling, plunking down a huge chunk of change for Johnson to make not one but two more Benoit Blanc movies. But could Johnson ever match the mystery magic he created in the first film?

The answer is a resounding yes. With "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," Johnson has brought back Blanc for an even bigger, funnier, twistier whodunnit. Not only does Johnson recapture what made the first flick so special, he actually outdoes himself. Yes, "Glass Onion" is even better than "Knives Out." The key ingredient to that success is that Johnson doesn't try to remake the first film. Yes, Benoit Blanc is once again knee-deep in a murder mystery and surrounded by a cast of suspects, but Johnson isn't interested in giving us the same old same old. Instead, he goes bigger, building a complex mystery that towers over the first film's crime.

But best of all, Johnson has ramped up the humor. "Knives Out" was plenty funny, but "Glass Onion" is loaded with huge belly-laugh moments and the types of ultra-clever jokes that will make you want to cheer. What I'm getting at here is that this Rian Johnson fellow is very good at making movies. 

A new cast of suspects

"Glass Onion" begins by introducing us to our new cast of characters/suspects. There's high-strung Senate candidate Claire (Kathryn Hahn); immensely clueless model turned fashion designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) and her assistant Peg (Jessica Henwick); Duke (Dave Bautista), a men's rights activist with a huge online following; Duke's girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline); and Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.), a scientist who works for a billion-dollar tech company. The tech company is owned by billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton), who is connected to all of these characters. And then there's Andi (Janelle Monáe), Miles' former business partner who had a falling out with Miles that resulted in a nasty court case. 

All of these characters are invited to Miles' private island for a weekend getaway. This is something he does with this group of friends every year, and this year, he wants to stage a murder mystery party. And who better to invite along than Benoit Blanc? Johnson plops the film firmly in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, and Blanc, who has been sheltering in place (remember when we did that?) has grown restless. He needs a case, and he jumps at the chance of heading to Mile's island, even if it's for a fake murder. 

You can probably guess where this is going: the fake murder turns into a real one. But who gets bumped off, and how, I shall not say. The joys of "Glass Onion" involve the plot twists and shocking-but-hilarious revelations Johnson keeps throwing at us at breakneck speed. Every scene is loaded with lightning-sharp wit coupled with a genuinely engrossing mystery. Like Blanc, we're hooked on the idea of solving this mystery. 

Daniel Craig's best performance yet

In addition to the successful humor, Johnson also creates memorable set pieces that demand to be seen on the big screen. At one point, the lights go out at Miles' massive compound, with a nearby lighthouse flashing occasional beams of light in the darkness as various characters scramble about. 

Speaking of those characters, one of the draws of "Knives Out" was the ensemble cast, with Ana de Armas being a particular standout. But while the cast of that first film was swell, some of the characters felt undercooked or underused. With "Glass Onion," Johnson remedies that by giving everyone a moment to shine. Hahn is her usual wonderful self, chewing her dialogue with gusto. Monáe is a huge standout, with a particularly tricky role. But everyone around her is also firing on all cylinders. Norton is particularly grand as the billionaire, playing the character with just the right amount of smug self-righteousness. And Hudson garners huge laughs with her dimwitted character. But make no mistake: this is Daniel Craig's movie.

It might seem odd to claim that Craig's best performance is in a "Knives Out" sequel; in fact, you might consider that hyperbole. But I stick by it. I have always enjoyed Craig's work, but I have never enjoyed him as much as I did here. Blanc is even funnier this time around, and Johnson allows Craig to engage in some brief but uproarious slapstick. Forget James Bond — this was the role Craig was born to play. I can't wait to see what case Benoit Blanc gets mixed up in next.

/Film Rating: 9 out of 10

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery Review: A Clever Crowd-Pleaser

• Clever and engaging script
• Daniel Craig returns to form as Benoit Blanc
• Janelle Monae steals the show
• Unnecessary pandemic setting
• A few too many cheap name-dropping jokes

When a movie takes off as quickly and organically as "Knives Out" did, a sequel is all but assured. But there are some very real minefields to navigate in putting together that follow-up film. Will director Rian Johnson be able to recreate the magic that made "Knives Out" so refreshing, or will "Glass Onion" be just a tired retread of its greatest hits? Will a character like Benoit Blanc be reduced to just a caricature, filled with catchphrases that ring more hollow every time we hear them? Will a sequel with only one returning cast member garner the same level of goodwill? The quality of "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" was never guaranteed, but rest assured: The Rian Johnson-helmed sequel, which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, is near-perfect, telling a very different story but capturing the same playful contempt for social elites that gave "Knives Out" its bite.

A good old-fashioned murder mystery

Really, the less said about the actual plot, the better — everyone deserves to go into the film unspoiled. "Glass Onion" exchanges the cozy aristocratic manor house for a glitzy Greek private island: Less "The Mousetrap," more "Death on the Nile." Miles Bron (Edward Norton, in a send-up of tech bros like Elon Musk) invites a group of his closest friend to a glamorous weekend getaway in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown. The theme is "murder mystery," and his guests (among them, a prominent scientist, a politician, a model-turned-fast-fashion-mogul, and a men's rights activist with a thriving social media following) must solve his "murder." Predictably, things soon take a lethal turn. But not to worry: Benoit Blanc ( Daniel Craig, returning and having the time of his life ) has received a mysterious invitation to this party, and is soon on the case.

To say much more would give too much away, but suffice it to say, "Glass Onion" captures so many of the elements that made the first film an unexpected hit. Although it features a different visual language, moving from the world of an eccentric WASP's over-stuffed New England mansion to a cold and, at times, absurdly modern Mediterranean estate, it is unwavering in its commitment to skewering the elite. The heart of these films is in its framing of the ruling class as hypocritical and inherently corrupt. Where the murder mystery genre that "Glass Onion" pays tribute to often glamorizes the wealthy elite (even while shining a light on their social ills), "eat the rich" is very much the lens through which to view both of these films.

A worthy successor to Knives Out

The entire cast is excellent, although some members of the crew aren't quite as well-developed as others — Kathryn Hahn and Leslie Odom Jr. feel particularly underutilized. But as a whole, "Glass Onion" succeeds in finding a worthy group of social elites to lampoon, their livelihoods allowing Rian Johnson the ability to broaden his scope, taking on many of the different destructive forces that run society. Still, although this political undercurrent is obvious throughout the film, it never gets in the way of the unique sense of humor Johnson cultivates. "Glass Onion" is every bit as funny as "Knives Out," and just as full of surprises. The temptation with these types of films is to try to solve the murder along with Benoit Blanc — Johnson supports these efforts, all while cheerfully undercutting them over and over again.

To its writer's credit, "Glass Onion" is an emotionally satisfying movie to watch, a quality that contributed to the success of its predecessor. It's not quite perfect, though. The decision to frame the story within the COVID-19 pandemic gives the film a slow opening before it's allowed to get to the good stuff and might make it come across as dated earlier than it would otherwise (especially since it doesn't really need the presence of the lockdown for the film to make sense). There is occasionally an over-reliance on name-dropping and pop culture references that borders on laziness, and if you felt like "Knives Out" was on the nose with its political commentary, you will probably experience that feeling again.

The Benoit Blanc Cinematic Universe

Overall, though, these are small complaints, and they take little away from the final product. "Glass Onion" represents Rian Johnson's unique and singular vision, proving that it is possible to make a compelling follow-up to a massive crowd-pleaser. With a cast of effortlessly talented dramatic and comedic performances — chief among them Janelle Monae, who steals the show and never looks back — they are able to bring to life a film that at once pays tribute to its genre while also casting a playfully malevolent eye on the stakeholders in modern society. 

Daniel Craig has gone on record saying that he would play Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson movies for as long as he can, and it's clear that he finds this some of the most creatively engaging work he's been involved with for quite some time. Far from the character becoming just an exaggerated version of himself (Jack Sparrow-ized, if you will), Craig finds new notes to the plucky detective that make him even more compelling. With a clever script, characters that perfectly satire the modern ruling class, and the crowd-pleasing antics that won over "Knives Out" audiences, "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" is a pure delight.

The 10 Best Mystery Movies on Netflix

Whether you're an armchair sleuth or simply looking for a thrill, Netflix has a movie to scratch that investigative itch.

Sometimes, all we want out of our moviegoing experience is a feel-good, low-maintenance boost of serotonin for 90 minutes straight. And there’s no shame in turning to the screen to clear your head. Of course, there are other times when we want to put a little legwork into our watch. After all, there are few things more satisfying than trying to keep a step ahead of a story.

And what better genre is there than mystery when it comes to flexing those mental gymnastics? With guaranteed suspense and addictive storylines, mystery movies highlight one of the greatest storytelling techniques in film: leaving something for the imagination. By the end, you’ll either find yourself dumbfounded by the truth, clinging to the edge of a cliff-hanger, or high-fiving yourself for calling it from the start.

So why not follow those footsteps to the TV and investigate Netflix’s mystery movies? We’ve already covered you when it comes to the best picks to get you started. Finding the missing link to your perfect movie night is elementary, dear reader. Follow our lead.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

If Daniel Craig played the southern detective Benoit Blanc for the rest of his career, I think most of us would be OK with that. Rian Johnson’s follow-up to Knives Out deftly navigates the mystery genre with great laughs and genuine surprises—even if you consider yourself an amateur detective.

Missing is an exceptional thriller, thanks in part to its “screenlife” framing—which means that the movie takes place from the perspective of its character’s computer and phone screen. In the film, June—played by Storm Reid—has to use all digital means at her disposal to try to find her mother, who disappeared after going on a week-long vacation in Colombia.

Luther: The Fallen Sun

If you can’t stand any other TV detective besides Idris Elba’s unstable (but brilliant) John Luther, check out the sequel to the BBC series. The film sees Luther on the run from the Serious Crimes Unit after he’s prosecuted for the corrupt and illegal acts he committed as a police officer. Luther has to break out of prison to track down the serial killer David Robey, who is played exceptionally well by Andy Serkis.

The Nice Guys

If you’re in the mood for a zany mystery, Shane Black’s buddy comedy The Nice Guys absolutely fits the bill. It captures the spirit of the ‘70s and ‘80s action comedies that preceded it. Plus, as the writer of Lethal Weapon , Shane Black knows a thing or two about the genre. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe complement each other perfectly as a private eye and enforcer who become entangled in a Los Angeles conspiracy—which is entered around the disappearance of a young environmentalist.

Enola Holmes

As Sherlock Holmes’s younger sister, Enola, Millie Bobby Brown breathes tons of life into a well-trodden character. The mystery? On Enola’s 16th birthday, her mother vanishes. The positive reception to Enola Holmes also spurred a sequel in 2022, which was just as well-received.

This crime drama from Dune director Denis Villeneuve is about as dark as it gets, showcasing one of Hugh Jackman’s best performances on screen or stage. In Prisoners , two daughters of the Dover and Birch family go missing when the families are celebrating Thanksgiving. Eventually, Jackman’s character grows dissatisfied with the police’s investigation, and the mystery ensues.

This psychological period film stars Florence Pugh , who plays a nurse sent to investigate a “fasting girl”—who has become famous in her small Irish town for supposedly living for months without eating. Above all, this atmospheric and philosophical Netflix Original sees Pugh deliver one of the best performances of her incredibly strong career.

I Am The Pretty Thing That Lives in The House

In this gothic supernatural horror film, a young woman is assigned to take care of an elderly man in Massachusetts whose health is rapidly declining. However, she quickly learns that they might not be alone in the house.

Hold the Dark

Jeffrey Wright stars as a wolf expert and writer who is called to a remote Alaskan village to investigate the recent disappearances of three young children. While residents suspect that the children were taken by wolves, the expert quickly realizes that there might be more than what meets the eye.

Directed by acclaimed documentarian Liz Garbus and featuring performances from Amy Ryan, Thomasin McKenzie, and Lola Kirke among others, Lost Girls tells the true story of one activist’s pursuit to bring justice to the unsolved string of murders against sex workers on Long Island.

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'Knives Out 3': Everything we know about 'Wake Up Dead Man'

Benoit Blanc will attempt to crack another case in 2025

"Knives Out 3" will reunite us with Daniel Craig's Southern super-sleuth for what's sure to be a thrilling third mystery... and we just got a big progress update about the threequel!

Officially titled "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery", this is the second of two sequels to Rian Johnson's 2019 murder mystery ordered by Netflix . We're big fans of the franchise at Tom's Guide: In our "Glass Onion" review , we called the previous installment "one of the best Netflix movies ever," so it should come as no surprise that we're looking forward to the next chapter, too.

Whilst our writer-director is keeping mum about the plot of "Knives Out 3," we've already learned a fair bit of info about the movie. We know it's coming our way next year, who's in the ensemble, had a first look at Benoit Blanc's new hairdo, and Rian Johnson just revealed that filming has wrapped!

Here's everything we know so far about "Knives Out 3."

'Knives Out 3' release date window

As of our latest update, we only know that "Knives Out 3" will be coming to Netflix at some point in 2025, as confirmed in the recent title announcement video. 

The preceding movie, "Glass Onion," did enjoy a brief theatrical run before it was made available to stream at home, and it's possible (though unconfirmed) that "Wake Up Dead Man" will follow this pattern. 

If you need more mysteries to keep you entertained whilst you wait for more info, check out our list of the 7 best movies like "Knives Out" and "Glass Onion."

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Production on the movie officially began on June 10, as confirmed by Rian Johnson . Alongside this announcement, we also got our very first look at Daniel Craig in costume as Benoit Blanc. This stylish shot shows Benoit Blanc will be sporting a new look; check out that hair!

Thanks to another post on social media, we now know that filming on the project has wrapped. Rian Johnson confirmed the news on Instagram , with a black-and-white snap of a sign in a graveyard and a short comment that reads: "Aaaaaand that’s a wrap on "Wake Up Dead Man". 

"Thank you to the best crew in the world and the most brilliant cast. This shoot was a VERY special experience, I cannot wait to put this thing together and show you all what we’ve got."

A post shared by Rian Johnson (@riancjohnson) A photo posted by on

'Knives Out 3' cast: Who will star in 'Wake Up Dead Man'?

The last two "Knives Out" movies have boasted some truly killer ensembles, and it looks like "Knives Out 3" will be no different. 

Naturally, you can't have a new "Knives Out" mystery without Benoit Blanc, and we already know that former 007 Daniel Craig will be back in action to solve the next murder, whoever the target[s] may be.

Since the movie's title was revealed, there was a steady stream of casting announcements that confirmed Craig will be joined by another set of stars. The new "Knives Out" ensemble already includes a number of big names, including " Dune Part 2 " star Josh Brolin, screen legend Glenn Close, " Challengers " actor Josh O'Connor and many more. The downside? We don't know anything about the characters any of them are playing. 

Here's the confirmed "Knives Out 3" cast list so far. 

• Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc
• Josh Brolin
• Thomas Haden Church (as reported by The Wrap )
• Glenn Close
• Josh O'Connor
• Daryl McCormack
• Jeremy Renner
• Andrew Scott
• Cailee Spaeny
• Kerry Washington

One actor we know won't be appearing in the movie is " Venom: The Last Dance " star, Tom Hardy. Although there were rumors that claimed he'd joined the cast earlier in the year, Hardy put them to bed while speaking to ET Online .

"Nobody's called me about this", Hardy said. "This came out in the Google machine this morning, even I was like, 'What's this?' Someone's gotta ask me. Sounds cool, but no one' asked me. That's showbiz, right? Maybe I am in it!"

'Knives Out 3' plot

Given the "Knives Out" movies have all been murder-mystery movies, we know precious little about the plot, and that doesn't seem likely to change anytime soon. 

All we really know at the time of writing comes from the title announcement video (embedded below), wherein Craig's master detective proclaims this new investigation "my most dangerous case yet." Could that mean the body count will be higher this time around? Or maybe Benoit Blanc himself will be in harm's way?

Whatever happens in "Knives Out 3", director Rian Johnson has hinted this third 'whodunnit' will feel a bit different from its predecessors, which again makes us think this threequel could well end up being a bit darker. On Twitter (X), he stated that getting to explore the genre's 'tonal spectrum' is, in his words, 'one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies'  

At the same time, Johnson confirmed that the crew was about to enter production on "Knives Out 3" in late May. Hopefully, we'll get some more concrete info about the next chapter before long. 

We’re about to go into production on the 3rd one, and I’m very, very excited to share the title, which gives a little hint of where it’s going. May 24, 2024

Is there a 'Knives Out 3' trailer yet?

Not yet! So far, all we've seen in the trailer department for "Knives Out 3" is the title announcement video, which revealed that Benoit Blanc's third case would officially be known as "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery". 

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Martin is a Streaming Writer at Tom’s Guide, covering all things movies and TV. If it’s in the theaters or available to stream somewhere, he’s probably watched it… especially if it has a dragon in it. Before joining the team, he was a Staff Writer at What To Watch where he wrote about a broad range of shows that stretched from "Doctor Who" and "The Witcher" to "Bridgerton" and "Love Island". When he’s not watching the next must-see movie or show, he’s probably still in front of a screen playing massive RPGs, reading, spending a fortune on TCGs, or watching the NFL.

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Knives Out 3: Wake Up Dead Man : All About the Star-Studded Netflix Film

From the cast to the director, here's what we know so far about the Netflix sequel starring Daniel Craig

Benoit Blanc has even more mysteries to solve.

Following the release of Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , a third film for the murder mystery franchise is currently in the works.

The upcoming sequel was first announced in March 2021, when Netflix bought the rights to the Knives Out franchise in a reported $400 million deal that included a second and third film .

Filming for the movie wrapped in August 2024, and several details have already been teased by star Daniel Craig and Rian Johnson , the writer and director of the first two films. Fans also believe that the second film offers a major clue about the plot of the third film.

On May 24, Netflix revealed the third installment is officially titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery . Plus, the streamer announced when fans can expect its release.

From the returning cast to the potential release date, here's everything to know about Knives Out 3 .

Who is in the Knives Out 3 cast?

Craig is slated to reprise his role as detective Benoit Blanc in the upcoming film. Seeing as Johnson has described the film trilogy as an anthology, it's unlikely that any other cast members from Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will return.

In May 2024, several new cast members were announced, including Fleabag actor Andrew Scott, Challengers actor Josh O'Connor and Priscilla actress Cailee Spaeny.

Glenn Close is among those joining the cast of Wake Up Dead Man, and she called filming the movie " truly one of the best experiences of my life " when talking to PEOPLE in August 2024.

“I'm filming in London with Rian Johnson,” she said. “He's such a fine human being. He's kind, he's brilliant. He has a great laugh!”

She went on to praise Johnson for creating a "cast from heaven."

“This coming two weeks, we have scenes where all of us are in the same room, and I just can't wait to see what he does and what he does and what she does. It's so much fun," she said.

What will Knives Out 3 be about?

An official plot for Knives Out 3 hasn't been announced yet, though some fans believe the second film includes an Easter egg about the storyline for the upcoming movie.

In one of the early scenes from the film, when everyone is surprised to see Benoit Blanc at the dock, Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn) asks, "Did you solve the murder of — oh — whatshername — the ballet dancer thing, that's you?" Fans believe this is a hint that the third film could actually be a prequel about one of Benoit Blanc's earlier cases.

In a clip shared by Netflix announcing the official title, a voiceover states that this will be Blanc’s “most dangerous case yet.”

Who is directing Knives Out 3 ?

Johnson, who directed both Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , will return to direct the third film. He will also pen the script for the upcoming movie.

When will Knives Out 3 begin filming?

As casting announcements started rolling in in May 2024, Variety reported that production was expected to begin very "soon."

As Johnson revealed on X (formerly Twitter) , filming began on June 10 and wrapped on Aug. 17.

"Aaaand that’s a wrap on Wake Up Dead Man. Went so fast! Best crew, incredible cast, this was a really special shoot and I cannot wait to put it together," he wrote .

When will Knives Out 3 be released?

In an interview with Deadline published in November 2022, Johnson revealed that he is still in the early process of planning the third film, meaning that a release date is still far away.

"[It's] the idea of figuring out how it can be completely different from this one as well as the first one," he said, noting that he will likely start penning the script in early 2023.

"I've got a Moleskine notebook that I carry everywhere and I'm constantly jotting stuff down in it. The first 80 percent of the process, for me, is scribbling in notebooks and structuring it all out. I'm trying to get ahead," he continued. "Even when I'm doing all the publicity for this film, I'm trying to start building up a structure, an idea, so that after New Year, when it's time to actually get to work, I'm hopefully not just staring at that horrible blank page. But you always are, I guess."

On May 24, Netflix revealed that Knives Out 3 will begin streaming in 2025.

Will there be a Knives Out 4 ?

While Netflix hasn't greenlit a fourth film, Johnson is on board to make more movies if the script is right. "If each one of these can really be what Agatha Christie did, if it can be not just in a totally new location and a new cast, but also trying something exciting, I'll keep doing it as long as Daniel [Craig] and I are having a good time. I'll keep making these as long as they let me," he told Variety .

Craig echoed those same thoughts while speaking with Deadline , adding, "If people are interested, then we'll make them. But if there ever came a point where either Rian and I thought we were just churning them out, I think we would back away. I mean, I just don't think that's what either of us want to do in life. Unless people are getting genuine fun out of them, forget it."

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The 15 Most Watched Movies on Netflix, Ever

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Netflix keeps its ratings fairly confidential, but with millions of subscribers worldwide and a culture dedicated to marathon-binging sessions, it’s safe to say they’re putting up some pretty staggering numbers. The platform is both a streaming service and a movie studio; its original content ranges from Oscar-nominated to critically panned. But while accolades are nice, Netflix’s movies exist for one reason and one reason only: to rack up those viewing hours.

Netflix has compiled a list of their top ten most popular English-language films based solely on hours viewed in their first 28 days of release. As Netflix's selection of films continues to grow, so does the number of viewing hours that determine the most watched movies on the platform. The most watched movies on Netflix of all time now include more recent releases like Leave the World Behind , which has been viewed thousands of times within 28 days of its premiere.

15 Enola Holmes (2020)

189,000,000 hours viewed.

The little sister of Sherlock Holmes, who has just as much if not more observational prowess as her brother, goes on a puzzling adventure to find her missing mother. The film stars Millie Bobby Brown as Enola, Henry Cavill as Sherlock, and Helena Bonham Carter as their mother, Eudoria.

Enola Holmes was released to positive reviews, with critics praising its entertaining and smart plot as well as a great cast that was able to uphold the latter. With great reviews, the movie was given a sequel, Enola Holms 2, with all the actors reprising their roles in another fun adventure movie.

Enola Holmes

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14 6 Underground (2019)

205,400,000 hours viewed.

An action-packed vigilante thriller directed by Michael Bay , 6 Underground is about a group of people who fake their deaths to become vigilantes and take down a corrupt dictator. The film stars Ryan Reynolds as One, the leader of the group, as he recruits others with similar special skills to take on reckless missions.

Similar to Ocean's Eleven , 6 Underground features a team of people with singular special abilities that add up to an unstoppable force. The movie was met with moderate to negative reviews and was considered brainless and flashy in ways that did not contribute to its lack of a complex plot.

6 Underground

13 the kissing booth 2 (2020), 209,250,000 hours viewed.

Based on the books of the same name by Beth Reekles, The Kissing Booth 2 is the second installment in the trilogy and the most watched. Joey King stars in this romantic teen comedy. Elle (King) starts her senior year of high school as she juggles grades, college applications, and a long-distance relationship with Noah ( Jacob Elordi ).

It's surprising that this movie has been viewed so much, as critics and audiences have given it highly unfavorable reviews. While most did not agree with its direction, the movie does have a lighthearted take on teen drama, and it's an easy watch if all you're looking for is to turn your brain off.

The Kissing Booth 2

12 the irishman (2019), 214,500,000 hours viewed.

This crime movie follows a truck driver, Frank Sheeran ( Robert De Niro ), as an old man in a retirement home recounting his time as a hitman for the Bufalino crime family and eventually working for Jimmy Hoffa ( Al Pacino ). This movie marks the ninth collaboration between Martin Scorcese and Robert De Niro. Most of the actors in the film have also collaborated on multiple projects in the past.

The Irishman received highly positive reviews from critics and audiences many saying it's one of Scorcese's best movies and one of the best movies of the 21st century . While the movie was nominated for ten Academy Awards and five Golden Globes, it failed to win a single one.

The Irishman

11 the unforgivable (2021), 214,700,000 hours viewed.

Upon her release from prison after 20 years for the murder of a sheriff who came to evict her and her five-year-old sister, a woman ( Sandra Bullock ) must confront the court of public opinion as she tries to rebuild her life. It's the second most viewed Netflix movie starring Bullock, next to Bird Box .

The movie was met with moderate reviews, with most saying that the movie was unrelentingly grim and deserves at least some moments of positivity, but does not deliver. Angelina Jolie was originally chosen to star in the film way back in 2010, but as production began, Bullock was chosen to star, and she was also announced to be a producer of the film.

The Unforgivable

10 'extraction' (2020), 135,700,000 views.

The son of an incarcerated Indian drug lord is kidnapped, but his father refuses to pay the ransom. Instead, black-market mercenary Tyler Rake ( Chris Hemsworth ) is called in to pull off a miraculous extraction. He would have succeeded, too, if not for a last-minute double-cross that throws everything into chaos.

Despite being among Netflix's most popular movies , this film is flawed when it comes to plotting or characterization. Fans watch for one reason only: the action. First-time director Sam Hargrave leans heavily on the throttle in Extraction by filming car chases strapped to the front of cars and immersing audiences with an eleven-and-a-half-minute continuous one-take action sequence.

9 'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery' (2022)

136,300,000 views.

Daniel Craig reprises his role as the now-iconic charming detective Benoit Blanc in the sequel to the massively popular whodunit, Knives Out . The 2022 film thrusts viewers into a luxurious getaway on a private Greek island owned by eccentric tech billionaire Miles Bron ( Edward Norton ) who extends the invitation to his closest and most successful friends (played by Janelle Monáe , Kathryn Hahn , Kate Hudson , Dave Bautista , Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline ).

With a stellar ensemble cast masterfully guiding audiences through the film's increasingly dangerous twists and turns, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery manages to be a worthy sequel to the fan-favorite first movie . The dialogue is witty, the mystery smart and the revelations genuinely unpredictable – it's a great time from start to finish.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

8 'the mother' (2023), 136,400,000 views.

Among the most popular Netflix movies, 2023's The Mother is an action thriller that leans heavily on Jennifer Lopez 's star power . Lopez plays the titular character, a former US Army operative who comes out of hiding and partners with an FBI agent to pursue the criminals who have taken her daughter.

The Mother relies on the usual genre tropes and doesn't do much to change the formula. While there's fun to be had in watching the protagonist be an incredibly talented assassin in the movie, it feels like wasted potential for Lopez, who falls short of becoming an iconic action hero.

7 'We Can Be Heroes' (2020)

137,300,000 views.

What untouchable film did not need a sequel ? The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D – but We Can Be Heroes is here anyway. Directed by Robert Rodriguez , the film revolves around a group of superheroes' kids, who team up and work together to save the planet after their parents are kidnapped by alien invaders.

To be fair, it is more of a standalone superhero film than a legacy sequel. It has divided critics and fans, as adults can't fully appreciate its zany elements, which were clearly designed for children. That said, We Can Be Heroes is a kid-oriented movie that has a lot of heart and accomplishes what it set out to do : to entertain young audiences and inspire them to embrace their own world-changing potential.

We Can Be Heroes

6 'the gray man' (2022), 139,300,000 views.

The Russo brothers deliver another gripping action movie through The Gray Man , which follows the disillusioned CIA agent "Sierra Six" ( Ryan Gosling ) who discovers a dark secret about his agency. He's soon pursued by the bloodthirsty and reckless former agent, Lloyd Hansen (Chris Evans), who will destroy whatever and whoever is in his path in his pursuit of Six.

With its almost comically evil villain, absurd action sequences, and over-the-top narrative, The Gray Man barely gives audiences time to breathe between its most exciting parts. It's rightly among the most liked movies on Netflix, in large part likely due to Gosling's incredible performance as a mysterious and bold action hero.

The Gray Man

5 'leave the world behind' (2023), 140,100,000 views.

Directed by Sam Esmail based on the 2020 novel by Rumaan Alam , Leave the World Behind is an apocalyptic psychological thriller told from a unique perspective. It's centered on a family enjoying their vacation in their Airbnb on Long Island, but soon notice some strange events around them. When two strangers knock on their door, things turn even weirder.

Leave the World Behind depicts a slow-burn apocalypse , with the breakdown of phones and other gadgets hinting at some terrible yet unknowable danger looming in the distance. Viewers who aren't quite comfortable with not knowing all the answers should steer clear of this one, as Leave the World Behind has numerous unanswered questions . Its popularity suggests that fans don't mind a more ambiguous portrayal of the end of the world – that and a great performance from Julia Roberts as the paranoid protagonist, Amanda Sandford.

Leave the World Behind (2023)

4 'bird box' (2021), 157,400,000 views.

Five years after the world is invaded by some insidious species that drives people to suicide, Malorie (played by Sandra Bullock ), a mother to two young kids, has been hiding in a safe house along with a random selection of other survivors. The predators can’t hurt those who don’t see them, so blindness keeps you safe. It’s now time to move on, but a treacherous escape down a river must be undertaken blindfolded, and even the slightest peek could be deadly.

Bird Box delivers genuine thrills and haunting possibilities. Bullock carries the film on her tense shoulders, but a talented ensemble including Sarah Paulson , Trevante Rhodes , John Malkovich , Jacki Weaver , Danielle Macdonald , and Lil Rel Howery brings flavorful nuance and new angles of terror to an already heart-stopping film.

3 'The Adam Project' (2022)

157,600,000 views.

Twelve-year-old Adam Reed is grieving the recent loss of his father when he stumbles upon a bleeding pilot who just happens to be a time-traveling older version of himself. Twelve-year-old Adam takes an instant dislike to Big/Future Adam, played by Ryan Reynolds, but is convinced to help him out when he learns the mission involves going even further back to find their father ( Mark Ruffalo ) and set things right.

Fans of Reynolds’ unique blend of charm, sarcasm, and muscles will find much to like about The Adam Project , though fans of sci-fi may find it a little wanting. Director Shawn Levy manages to find the film’s heart, hiding amongst as many clever Easter eggs as the viewer cares to hunt. Levy and Reynolds have previously collaborated on Free Guy and will again on the upcoming Deadpool 3 .

The Adam Project

2 'don't look up' (2021), 171,400,000 views.

Two lowly astronomers, played by Jennifer Lawrence and Leonardo DiCaprio , discover a comet is hurtling toward Earth, set to extinguish all life when it hits in about six months. When neither the president ( Meryl Streep ) nor her chief-of-staff son ( Jonah Hill ) appears to care, they decide to take it to the media themselves. People’s reactions to this wildly divisive movie are mixed, with a lot of the rhetoric reminiscent of pandemic paranoia and anti-science discourse.

The Oscar-nominated funnyman, writer-director Adam McKay, may have built his career on raunchy comedy, but he’s taken an incisive turn toward political satire . Don't Look Up elicits interesting performances from an ensemble including Cate Blanchett , Tyler Perry , Rob Morgan, Mark Rylance , Timothée Chalamet , Himesh Patel , and Melanie Linskey . Lifting a disheartening mirror to toxic anti-science culture and impending doom has never been so funny.

Don't Look Up

1 'red notice' (2021), 230,900,000 views.

FBI Agent John Hartley ( Dwayne Johnson ) is investigating the theft of one of three eggs once given to Cleopatra by Marc Antony. Johnson recovers the missing egg from notorious art thief Booth (Ryan Reynolds), but another thief, Black, disguised as one of the strike team, swaps out the real egg for a fake. Agent Hartley is blamed for the egg’s theft, and he and Booth are imprisoned together. Black ( Gal Gadot ) asks Booth to help her steal the next two eggs. He declines, but he and Hartley ultimately hatch a plan to steal the second egg from under Black and then try for the third, whose whereabouts only Booth seems to know. Let the double-crossing begin.

It’s clear that Reynolds' name is a big draw for Netflix audiences. Johnson proves the perfect receptacle for Reynolds’ quips and barbs; the chemistry between them means their buddy film almost capsizes the intended one. Gadot is a welcome addition, but despite megawatt star power, Red Notice barely rises above mediocre . It has got serviceable action and a premise decent enough to bring together three of today’s biggest movie stars. The film isn’t any more than that, but Netflix audiences didn’t seem to mind. The most-watched movie on Netflix already has two sequels planned .

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