I enjoyed the first Knives Out mystery perhaps a little less than some. It was a fun film full of great actors and a twisty plot, but it didn’t quite feel like the classic locked room whodunnit I was hoping for. But it was still fun and I was looking forward to this sequel… which I think is a bit better than the first.

Glass Onion brings master detective Benoit Blanc into the orbit of a bunch of rich “disruptors” for a murder mystery party on a private island. Before you can say Ms. Marple, one of them has been murdered and it’s up to Blanc to suss out the killer before more bodies hit the floor.

I was very iffy on the first act of this film… it felt tonally off, Daniel Craig’s character was acting out of character, and I genuinely wasn’t feeling the suspects or their interactions. But, as with the original film, that which the audience doesn’t know is voluminous.

When the onion starts to peel and we learn more facts preceding the party, the movie suddenly comes to life. Weird interactions start to make sense, Craig’s character suddenly becomes that crafty sleuth we were looking for, and the overall tone and energy of the movie shifts dramatically. It, in fact, becomes wicked fun.

The film has a very twisty little mystery with interesting characters played by a great cast (Kate Hudson, Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Janelle Monae, and more). I’d say the characters weren’t as fun or memorable as the gang of arguing ninnies from the first film, but the overall mystery was quite a bit better.

Unfortunately, while the whodunnit reveal at the end of the flick was good, I was really turned off by the chaotic follow-up. I wanted something more crafty and clever instead of a weird temper tantrum. Plus, given what we know about the characters, I see no logical reason why they turned the way they did… nor any reason they won’t turn back.

But the whip smart film was otherwise very sly and fun… and while I didn’t like the intro, there is a clever reason it was operating on that level. And the resolution is fun and holds together… even if the aftermath did not not. But it’s still a very good film that I’d recommend, especially if you liked Knives Out.

Score: 86