Glass Onion

Directed by Rian Johnson, Glass Onion follows Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc as he’s invited to a private island and subsequently finds himself drawn into another murder mystery. Filmmaker Johnson, armed with his own screenplay, delivers a briskly-paced and perpetually unpredictable endeavor that benefits from the surprising storyline and raft of above-average performances – with, in terms of the latter, John eliciting stellar work from such top-notch periphery players as Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, and Kate Hudson. (Craig’s playful and endlessly charming turn as the brilliant protagonist remains an ongoing highlight, to be sure.) It’s clear, too, that Glass Onion‘s success is due in no small part to Johnson’s continually irreverent approach and penchant for upending the viewer’s expectations at every turn (eg Benoit solves the elaborate mystery concocted by his host almost immediately), and there’s little doubt, as well, that the movie’s intricate structure, particularly as the narrative doubles back on itself more than a few times, goes a long way towards sustaining the viewer’s interest even through an often palpably overlong running time – which does, in the end, cement the picture’s place as an agreeable and entertaining piece of work that would probably fare even better upon repeat viewings.

*** out of ****