Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Screen writers discuss their opinions on the newest addition to the Knives Out universe

FOLLOWING the reputable success of the first film, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery immediately has big shoes to fill. However, the film manages to take this daunting task in its stride. In one of the beginning scenes, Daniel Craig is shown to be playing Among Us in the bathtub. For me, this brief (and quite cringey) scene perfectly encapsulates the fact that this film seeks to not take itself seriously. Here, we have an actor mostly associated with his famed role as James Bond, playing an online game associated with teens and pre-teens. This comedic technique is also used for the rest of the starstudded cast as it places them in ridiculous scenarios, frequently making their superficiality the butt of the joke. An example of this is Edward Norton’s egotistical grand portrait of himself hanging in the background of the central room of the onion. This shows how the film’s greatest weapon is the fact it doesn’t take itself too seriously.

BRIEF...SCENE that this is not a typical murder mystery is then accepted, it proves an enjoyable watch. Personally, I think this decision to deviate from the traditional layout of the genre allows Glass Onion a unique opportunity to be more experimental. For example, at one point in the film, the lights go out in the glass onion and a lighthouse effect is created with the lighting to briefly illuminate characters periodically before quickly descending into darkness. This creatively conveys the disarray and confusion within the scene as characters scramble around the setting either avoiding or searching for each other. This shows how the film uses its esteemed reputation to allow it the freedom to find new and interesting ways to play with film.

Madison Sohngen, Screen Editor

THE release of the new Knives Out film on Netflix, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery , just before the start of the New Year, has received multiple glowing reviews for its interesting plot. Only three days after its release, the murder mystery film was number one around the world, with 35 million household views from over 93 countries. Its popularity is partly due to the attraction for its audiences to follow along with the mystery and figure out the whodunit with returning character Detective Benoit Blanc played by Daniel Craig. Yet, the plot of the newly released film has interested its watchers, with its twist being that the truth behind the murder is the obvious choice. This annoyed some viewers as it destroyed the whole point of the killer being someone they never expected it to be. However, the interesting feature of the plot is that it follows the structure of its setting that mimics a glass onion. The answer is clear to see in the centre of the glass onion, yet like an onion the truth has many layers around it.

Further, it is clear that the film establishes that it is not Knives Out 2. Once the fact

An interesting part of the film was the backstory of the character Andi (Janelle Monáe) and how her twin sister Helen then became involved in the murder mystery with the help of Blanc. This plot was debatably not as highly regarded as the plot of the first Knives Out film, as viewers found it frustrating that the film followed predictable choices. However, the whole point of the film was that it was supposed to mislead you into thinking that its narrative couldn’t be this obvious, but in reality, this was the case; thus becoming the twist to the plot. Although most people preferred the first Knives Out film, myself included, the second instalment was still entertaining and put a clever twist on the fabrication of murder mysteries.

Livvy Mason-Myhill, Deputy Editor