Rian Johnson’s critically-acclaimed “Knives Out” sequel will open from November 23-29 in more than 600 theaters. It’s basically a one-week sneak preview before the film starts streaming a month later on December 23rd. The film now also has a new full-length trailer.
Netflix are going full-bore in campaigning “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” They know they have a major hit in their hands. The film is also their only Best Picture contender this year, unless you believe “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” has a shot (I kind of do).
I had a blast watching the film at TIFF a few weeks ago. It’s such a movie-movie, all it wants to do is entertain you and the filmmaking is slickly rendered by Johnson. The more I think about it and the more I prefer this one to the original.
This sequel is outrageous in its implausibility, but I didn’t care. Johnson infuses such slick style and invention to the film that it’s too infectious not to be caught up in its peeling onion narrative. The writer-director has built up a considerable fanbase over the last decade or so with “Looper,” “The Last Jedi,” and “Knives Out.” This sequel should expand it.
“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 too much, but your eyes are always glued to the screen. It’s infectiously slick
Back in August, I way ahead of everyone else in terms of this film’s Oscar potential and the planned theatrical run. I had been tipped that it was Netflix’s top priority even before “Bardo,” “White Noise” and all the others were seen.
Do I believe “Glass Onion” will get Best Picture nominated? Maybe? It’s very hard to figure out. The film is much more over-the-top than the original, but it’s also, in effect, more entertaining. It’ll need a few late-year releases to fail critically.