The Knives Out Mysteries
A doughnut hole in the doughnut's hole
Happy Thanksgiving to all readers!
What You Need to Know
The Knives Out Mysteries is a series of mystery movies written and directed by Rian Johnson which star Daniel Craig as a Poirot-like detective, Benoit Blanc. The first movie, Knives Out, was released in 2019 and stars Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Christopher Plummer. The second, Glass Onion, is a brand new release this week and features Edward Norton and Janelle Monáe. It was produced by Netflix where it will be available to stream beginning December 23, 2022, and Netflix has the rights to a future third movie in the series.
Why it’s a Recommendation
As these are mystery movies, and I think a lot of the joy and entertainment is in finding out as you go along, I don’t want to reveal too much of the story here. What I will say is that both movies have an entertaining and compelling mystery at the center, a way of taking the story in a direction you don’t expect (earlier than you expect it), some truly laugh out loud moments, and a way of weaving in topical social commentary (in the case of Glass Onion it is so current it feels like it could have been written in the last month). They are basically the perfect modern whodunnits.
I have a soft spot for Daniel Craig because he’s the most famous export from my home town, a fantastic James Bond, and the guy who shows up on my Twitter timeline on Friday afternoons to announce the weekend. But he really is good in these movies and I bet he had a lot of fun filming it; Benoit Blanc has some iconic lines, and hilarious quirks. The rest of the ensemble casts around him also do a great job and they feel exceptionally well cast: in particular, Ana de Armas as the central beating heart of Knives Out, and Janelle Monáe as the mysterious estranged wife in Glass Onion.
All of the little details are there as well - the sets are fabulous (Glass Onion includes a free art history tour), the costumes are colorful and outrageous, and the music is a great accompaniment.
Both movies are watchable standalone and are everything you could want in a modern mystery film. The formula works perfectly, and I hope they continue to make these movies ad infinitum - if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.
Glass Onion is in cinemas for a limited one-week run, so please take the opportunity to go see it on the big screen while you can!
Learn More
Stream Glass Onion (from December 23rd)