A film some call the “perfect murder mystery” is hard to follow. Even before its release, all eyes have been on Rian Johnson’s Glass Onion to see if the sequel lived up to Knives Out, the first Benoit Blanc mystery. The story follows detective Blanc, who, after his experience with the Thrombey family in Glass Onion’s predecessor, receives a mysterious invitation to a billionaire’s island with his eclectic group of friends. Blanc attends the island getaway, where host Miles Bron had planned a clue-like party game revolving around his murder. But when the game becomes all too real, Blanc must investigate to find out who he can trust. With a stellar cast including Daniel Craig, Leslie Odom Jr. and Janelle Monet, this movie delivers a shocking plot line while commentating on the excessive wealth of the top one percent and the betrayal often seen in the entertainment industry.
But does it live up to Knives Out? Senior Drew Marshall thought so. “The two are honestly very different styles of mysteries,” he said, “I would put them at the same level of quality but for completely different reasons.” Alexis Allen, another senior and the FFA president claimed, “I really liked the plot twist, it was really good.” In comparison to Knives Out Alexis claimed, “In a competition of 2, Glass Onion would be 2, I think Knives Out was better done.” Glass Onion still earned a “⅘ stars” from Alexis, as well as junior Lizzy Chernowski. “My favorite character was Whiskey, and I liked the idea of Blanc being gay, I think it fits his character really well,” Lizzy stated. Overall the general consensus was that in terms of mystery, aesthetic, and storytelling, Knives Out and Glass Onion are very different, but both excelled in many distinct ways. All three interviewees recommended the film, and the official Letterboxd rating is a 3.7– that’s a hit to me!