2022 Netflix

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr 19min

Comedy ~ Crime ~ Drama ~ Mystery ~ Thriller ~ Whodunnit

Starring: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monáe, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson, and Dave Bautista.

Bad people. Beautiful places. Brilliant detective.

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery transports the action to a luxurious private island owned by tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton), where a group of his handpicked “disruptors” gathers for a murder-mystery game that turns deadly real. Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is back, invited under mysterious circumstances, poking at the egos and secrets of this elite crew amid opulent parties and elaborate puzzles. As Blanc unravels the threads, it becomes clear that Bron’s inner circle, each with axes to grind and alibis to fake, is hiding more than just bad ideas behind their success stories.

At the story’s core is Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), Bron’s ditzy fashionista girlfriend with a heart of fool’s gold, alongside the sharp-tongued scientist Cassandra Brand (Janelle Monáe), loyal assistant Peggy (Jessica Henwick), and others like the YouTuber Duke (Dave Bautista) and his suspicious girlfriend Whiskey (Madelyn Cline). These characters orbit Bron like planets around a black hole of charisma, their loyalty tested when a key death upends the weekend getaway. Blanc’s quiet observations cut through the flash, turning the group’s self-congratulatory vibes into a powder keg of resentment and deception.

As the investigation heats up, Blanc navigates booby-trapped sets, hidden motives, and a script-flipping pace that keeps everyone guessing, all while the island’s isolation amps the stakes. Bron’s right-hand man Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.) and the enigmatic Helen step into pivotal roles, forcing everyone to confront how far they’d go to protect their slice of the empire. The mystery builds through wild reveals and chases, with Blanc piecing together a puzzle that’s as much about ego as evidence.

Daniel Craig doubles down on Blanc’s charm, blending that drawling Southern wit with sharper impatience for nonsense this time around, gone is some of the goofiness, replaced by a steely focus that makes him feel even more like the genre’s new king. His physical ticks, like the fidgety hands and piercing stares, evolve into a more commanding presence, shedding any lingering Bond shadow while owning the detective’s theatrical flair amid absurdly rich suspects.

Janelle Monáe commands as Cassandra/Helen, channeling raw grief and intellect into a role that flips from overlooked genius to force of nature, her every glance loaded with unspoken fury. She nails the duality, vulnerable yet unbreakable, making her the emotional anchor in a sea of caricatures, with chemistry opposite Blanc that sparks like flint on steel.

Glass Onion amps the satire, swapping family dysfunction for tech-bro hubris and influencer excess, using the whodunnit to skewer “move fast and break things” culture, fake innovation, and loyalty bought with NDAs. Rian Johnson twists the formula harder, early reveals shift suspicion to deeper lies, blending Clue’s playfulness with Ocean’s Eleven polish for a mystery that’s gleefully meta yet brutally on-point about power and privilege today.

Glass Onion is highly recommended for fans of clever twists, ensemble chaos, and Blanc’s brainpower, sharper and splashier than the original with 92% on Rotten Tomatoes!

Turn off the lights and devices,

Make some popcorn,

Grab a beverage,

and

Stream This Movie!

2023 Saban Films

Rated: R

Length: 1 hr 40min

Comedy

Directed by: Michael Maren

Starring: Michael Shannon, Kate Hudson, Don Johnson, and Zach Braff.

“I only wonder if your little deception plays out as a comedy or a tragedy……… Is there any difference?”

Michael Shannon stars as Shriver, an alcoholic handyman living in an apartment building in New York City. One day he receives a letter from Acheron University in California, sent by an English Professor and organizer of the school’s annual Literary Festival Simone Cleary (Kate Hudson). She had sent numerous letters to different Shriver’s around the country trying to contact the writer C. R. Shriver. C. R. Shriver was infamous for writing a very popular novel titled The Goat twenty years ago and then disappearing without a trace. She has invited Shriver to attend their annual Literary Festival as the main guest, all expenses paid.

Shriver decides it is worth a free trip even if he must impersonate a writer and has never written anything in his life. As the movie progresses we see Shriver argue with his alter ego about his lie and deception. Shriver drinks a lot and becomes drinking buddies with another of the school’s faculty T. Wasserman (Don Johnson). As the deception continues and Shriver is threatened by exposure, the drama and comedy grow. The question you ask as the plot thickens is, Who is the real Shriver? Is it Michael Shannon? Or is he just a drunk imposter? The other writers at the literary quickly realize that their is something off about the man who says he is the writer Shriver.

Shriver in German means writer, a bit of tongue in cheek in the plot. The movie is based on the 2013 Novel by Chris Belden titled Shriver. It is a bit of a satirical look at writing and fame, and all the pompousness of being a “Writer”. I loved watching Michael Shannon in this, he kept me guessing as it played out. And it was definitely a different role for him. Don Johnson is ………typical Don Johnson, Kate Hudson was good as Simone Cleary. It was nice to see M. Emmett Walsh as Professor Arthur Baldwin and Peyton List was interesting as Sophie Firestone.

It starts out a little slow but I couldn’t look away wondering where it was all going. As it moves along it keeps you wondering who is the real writer Shriver. It is a comedy and a funny look at the world of writing. I liked it. I really liked Michael Shannon in this as well as the familiar faces of Don Johnson, Kate Hudson and M. Emmet Walsh.

Is it a Hollywood Blockbuster? No. Is it for everyone? No. But if you have any interest in writing, reading Novels or Michael Shannon it is worth a watch.

So what is that? One or two thumbs up? Or how about a pair of eyes…..worth a watch? A New rating system is mandatory……….so says I

Bobby