Glass Onion

As a huge fan of Knives Out, I have been looking forward to the sequel Glass Onion for what seems like forever!  I was able to see it yesterday as the first in yet another double feature (there are so many movies on my list) and I loved it!  An eccentric tech billionaire named Miles Bron (Edward Norton) sends an elaborate puzzle to his long time friends Claire Debella (Kathryn Hahn), a politician running for the Senate, Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom, Jr.), an idealistic scientist, Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), a supermodel turned fashion designer, and Duke Cody (Dave Bautista), a YouTuber known for his misogynistic viewpoint, as well as Cassandra "Andi" Brand (Janelle Monae), his disgruntled former business partner, inviting them along with Peg (Jessica Henwick), Birdie's assistant, and Whiskey (Madelyn Cline), Duke's girlfriend, to his private Greek island for a murder mystery party with himself as the victim.  Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is also mysteriously sent one of the puzzles and travels to the island where he is immediately invited to participate.  Blanc easily solves the murder mystery before the game even begins but he has more difficulty when an actual murder occurs because everyone on the island seems to have a motive.  Where Knives Out is an indictment against inherited wealth, this installment takes aim at celebrity culture and it is a lot of fun.  Just when we get to know all of the characters and their relationship to one another, there is a huge twist that changes everything we think we know and it is so clever.  Then there are even more twists and turns that lead to a shocking, but satisfying, ending.  The ensemble cast is outstanding, with Monae as the standout, and I loved all of the cameos, including Stephen Sondheim and Angela Lansbury in their final roles and a hilarious Ethan Hawke among others.  The production design is fantastic, featuring an exotic island location and a gaudy mansion decorated with glass, and the costumes are completely over the top!  This movie is so entertaining and, even though it will stream on Netflix beginning on December 23, I recommend seeing it in a theater with a large audience!