“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is the newest addition to the “Knives Out” franchise. After a group of unlikely colleagues are invited to tech billionaire Miles Brones’ (Edward Norton) private island, twists and turns lead these so-called friends on a wild goose chase for the truth. When mysterious packages appear on the doorsteps of Duke Cody (Dave Bautista), Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.), Andi Brand (Janelle Monáe) and Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), the group is sent off on a seemingly peaceful weekend vacation on the Greek island of Spetses. Old conflicts reappear and new secrets are made; this “weekend getaway” fantasy is far from reality. 

The movie’s Netflix debut on Dec. 22, 2022, will certainly be remembered — but not in the best way. The defining feature of a mystery movie is the “whodunnit” factor, but the predictable nature of this movie took that joy away. Fans have noted that they were trying to dig deeper when the “mystery” was surface-level all along. The majority of the film was spent exploring the motives of different characters; to have the killer be the most suspicious and questionable lead character seems mundane, to say the least.

As the writer and director of the “Knives Out” franchise, Rian Johnson has yet again created a modern mystery with a stacked cast to complement it. Johnson has also directed “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and “Looper.” These highly-rated movies are certainly confusing when compared to his newest project. The characters in “Glass Onion” were very enjoyable and complex, but the plot itself was cheap. To have an incredible actor such as Edward Norton be reduced to the classic “billionaire turned bad” seemed as though Johnson gave up on the writing after casting a group of A-listers. Even so, credit must be given to Johnson for receiving cameos from the likes of Ethan Hawke, Hugh Grant, Serena Williams and even Yo-Yo Ma. 

After the popularity that the first “Knives Out” garnered, the expectations for “Glass Onion” were certainly high. From the stacked cast to the anticipation for the return of the world-class detective, Benoit Blanc, “Glass Onion” was set up to be the perfect movie. But, like most mystery movie sequels, it fell short of what “Knives Out” fans had hoped for. Maybe it’s only in comparison its predecessor, but it seemed there wasn’t any complexity to the movie. In the first movie, the dynamic between Marta Cabrera (Ana De Armas) and Ransom Drysdale (Chris Evans) was one that couldn’t be matched, not even by the new duo of fitness blogger Whiskey (Madelyn Cline) and alpha-male Duke Cody.

The rating for this film is 3.5 out of 5 stars, mainly because the plot was hasty and predictable. The characters and actors’ portrayal of them were the most enjoyable part of this movie, making it not a complete waste of time. Johnson has confirmed a third “Knives Out” in the near future, but after the disappointment of “Glass Onion,” audiences should consider limiting their expectations.