Rating: 3.9 stars

SPOILER-FREE

“Ladies and gentlemen, there has been a murder and the killer is in plain sight.”

In 2019, actor Daniel Craig had audiences on the edge of their seats in the American mystery “Knives Out.” Stacked with a stellar cast, “Knives Out” is a dark, dramatic mystery filled with family feuds and fraud that had fans begging for more. Fast forward three years and fans have been blessed with the newest film, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” 

“Glass Onion” takes place in 2020, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Miles Bron — played by Edward Norton — is a wealthy playboy that invites his strung-out friends to an annual party; this year, the theme is murder mystery. To fit the theme, Bron also invites the world’s greatest detective: Benoit Blanc, portrayed by Craig. Blanc shows up to this high-dollar party in an appreciative mood but quickly finds himself immersed in what could be an actual murder mystery.

From the beginning, it is clear that director Rian Johnson wanted to go in a completely different direction with “Glass Onion” and leave “Knives Out” in his rearview mirror. Where the first film features gothic manors and forests buried in fog, the second film bathes its characters in beachy colors and private islands. The change in scenery is an immediately eye-catching difference that makes the audience feel hopeful for the rest of the film, though the same cannot be said for the characters. 

While “Glass Onion” follows the first film’s success in casting high-profile actors, their on-screen characters seemed like they were randomly thrown together without a stitch of genuine connection. The film details the backstory of each character, yet it still feels like something is missing. Despite Johnson’s attempt to nudge the audience in caring for the ensemble, one cannot help but feel like the cast is nothing more than a backdrop to Blanc’s place as the detective. 

It is upsetting to say, but “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” was not the film that fans anticipated. Seeing as how it lacked depth and character connection, this film was unable to compete with the attention of the first film and therefore left fans feeling indifferent. While it deserves to be watched because of the funky setting and shocking plot twist, it is not a film that needs to be rewatched.