Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mysteryreleased on Netflix late last year to a rousing reception, highlighting just how much audiences have taken to this new franchise. Much like the Agatha Christie Books it’s inspired by, one of the core strengths of these twoKnives Outfilms is their modern setting and real world commentary that accompanies them.
Starring Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, and Daniel Craig once again as the detective Benoit Blanc,Glass Oniontells the story of a group of friends reuniting on a private island in the Pacific Ocean. This marked a truly distinct setting from the first film, which took place in the fall on the east coast of the United States. Any more details on the plot of this unique, unpredictable murder mystery would give away the many twists and turns planted by writer-director Rian Johnson.
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Johnson has made it clear that he has been directly inspired by the murder mystery novels written by Agatha Christie, one of the most famous and popular authors of the 20th century. The enclosed setting, cavalcade of supporting characters,all of whom turn into suspects as the story goes on, the unexpected murder(s), and the convenient presence of a detective were all hallmarks of Christie’s books that are now seen in theKnives Outfranchise as well.
Christie’s novels were also, as stated, products of their time. They regularly included social and political commentary on the state of society in England during the 20th century, and strayed away from the period pieces of Sherlock Holmes and other stories. A story situated in the past is something that is often thought of when it comes to murder mysteries, particularly because of the popularity of Sherlock Holmes and Christie’s novels,but it’s easy to forgetthat the latter especially are certainly modern tales for their time.
The same exact thing can be said about theKnives Outfranchise,and this is ultimately one of its biggest strengths.Glass Onion, for example, was set during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in May of 2020, with characters wearing masks and practicing social distancing as the virus spread during its initial stages. Despite not really impacting the story in any significant way, the pandemic serving as a backdrop for this murder mystery meant that this film is truly situated in the modern day. Moreover, it opens the door forexcellent social and political commentary, just as Agatha Christie did in her writing.
Although unstated, the fact that a group of rich individuals gathered on a luxurious private island to escape from the pandemic-ridden world, something that most of the population would have wanted to do at that time, is a direct commentary on the privilege of the most elite and powerful individuals in society. Among the tight-knight group were tech billionaires (heavily inspired by Elon Musk), politicians, actors, and internet celebrities,highlighting this point that Johnson was trying to make.
There is, of course, the clear Elon Musk metaphor for the character of Miles Bron, played by Edward Norton, that highlights another example of Johnson’s take on some of the hottest topics in the world today. In this regard,Glass Onionseemed to release at the exact right time, especially given Musk’s purchase of Twitter and the many conversations (and controversies) that have ensued from that.
Johnson is also a clear fan of real world references as a point of humor, something that is made possible by the modern setting.One of the strengths of these two films is the humor, and jokes surrounding the Hamilton musical, the family political debate about the 2016 presidential election in the U.S., and more are all prime examples of that in the firstKnives Out. InGlass Onion, this kind of humor was even more evident; Ethan Hawke’s cameo featuring an unknown shot into the throat of the guests to prevent the spread of COVID-19 while on the island is another example (especially given that many had some wild theories as to how to defeat the virus at that time).
There’s also the repeated jokes at the expense of Jeremy Renner and Jared Leto, two of the most well known and famous actors on the planet, that stand out as highlights. Rian Johnson’s films always have a healthy amount of humor, but the modern setting allows this comedy to truly thrive here.The Last Jedi,another Johnson film, was full of humorous moments and jokes to break up the many dense and serious scenes, but even then the space setting prevented the director from implementing a core component of his style. Here in theKnives Outfilms, Johnson is allowed to run with it and write a story that is well and truly his.
All of this ultimately makes theKnives Outfranchise more relatable and approachable for a modern audience. For better or worse, some audiences simply aren’t going to gravitate towards period pieces and stories set in the past simply as a matter of personal taste. However, this modern setting takes the murder mystery genre and retools it for today’s society. It doesn’t have the atmosphere or mystique of the old Sherlock Holmes stories set in 19th-century London, but theKnives Outfranchise has a more familiar setting that arguably makes it more appealing to viewers,particularly those who are turning on Netflixto find something to watch.
Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig signed a two film deal with Netflix, meaning that a thirdKnives Outfilm is on the way. Johnson recently stated he has already begun to write the film, so it hopefully won’t be too long before the third releases.
