Now that Rian Johnson’s “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” is streaming on Netflix, what did you think? It’s currently #10 on Gold Derby’s Best Picture charts.
Back in September, I had zero expectations going into the TIFF world premiere and was pleasantly surprised. I had a blast watching the film. It’s such a movie-movie, all it wants to do is entertain you and the filmmaking is slickly rendered by Johnson.
Do I have any desire to watch it again. Nope. This sequel is outrageous in its implausibility, but I didn’t care. Johnson infuses such slick style and invention to his film that it’s too infectious not to be caught up in its peeling onion narrative.
“Glass Onion” is a mystery wrapped in deception after deception. Johnson goes back and forth in time. There’s a non-linearity to the film that keeps you guessing. In a way, this is a deconstruction of the murder-mystery genre, constantly shape-shifting into something else at every turn. It can all be a little too much, but your eyes always stay glued to the screen.
It’s obvious that Netflix sees major Oscar potential with this film. It needed a few late-year releases to fail critically, but that’s exactly what’s happened. Do I believe “Glass Onion” will get Best Picture nominated? Maybe? It’s very hard to figure out those last two available slots.
“Hope,” Na’s first film in ten years — his last one being the exemplary “The Wailing” —is a gloriously messy, blood-soaked sci-fi epic that may become a cult classic despite—or because of—its polarizing nature.