Glass Onion: A Covid-Era Mystery

On September 10, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was released on the platform Netflix. Following the critical acclaim of its predecessor, Glass Onion was a follow up to 2019’s Knives Out. The film followed the unexpected death of the patriarch of the Thrombey family, as each family member is interrogated for their suspected motive. The main character of these movies, world-renowned detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), helps fight crimes at every unexpected twist and turn.

In 2022’s second installment, we follow an eclectic group of friends as they gather on a Greek island to solve a mystery with the backdrop of Covid-19. In the first 20 minutes, we watch as they each handle quarantine differently, some having lavish parties, some self-isolating with masks, and others having zoom calls with colleagues. They are each treated before they board the boat, preventing a “mask-filled” movie, as described by director Rian Johnson. 

Miles Bron (Edward Norton), invites his friends onto his private island off the coast of Greece to play a murder mystery game in a yearly tradition of them meeting up to partake in a crazy adventure. Ex-model Birdie (Kate Hudson) parties through the pandemic and yearns for the old days, Duke (Dave Bautista) and girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline) run a successful YouTube account as “alpha influencers”, Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.) is a scientific genius, and Claire (Kathryn Hahn) is a cynical local politician. As the movie unravels, it is revealed that another unexpected guest was invited, Bron’s former business partner Andi (Janelle Monae). She is still bitter over Miles taking credit for their company’s entire idea, when she was one of the founding members. As night arrives, Blanc and the group attempt to figure out what is happening on the island quickly, especially when one of them is killed. This hybrid of And Then There Were None and Clue highlights classic mystery tropes, but with a modern twist we can all relate to. This exotic retreat provides a much needed change especially in the midst of the pandemic.