r/movies • u/ICumCoffee will you Wonka my Willy? • Jul 09 '25
Media New Image of Josh O'Connor and Daniel Craig in Rian Johnson's 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery'
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u/rmarkmatthews Jul 09 '25
If Benoit Blanc fell for the “I got in the car and didn’t see you in the back seat” cliche, I’m going to be sad.
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u/IMERMAIDMANonYT Jul 09 '25
In Glass Onion he’s very open that his weakness is stupid things, I think falling for this would be on brand tbh
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u/PayneTrain181999 Jul 09 '25
He’s terrible at Among Us and hates the board game Clue but is simultaneously a master detective.
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u/Lucas_Steinwalker Jul 09 '25
I think the point is supposed to be that Among Us and Clue have nothing to do with real life detectiveing.
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u/Shnook817 Jul 09 '25
They did the bad at Clue thing in the Sherlock series, so I guess it's a detective trope now
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u/cumguzzlerxtreme Jul 09 '25
Knowing how these movies go it’s gonna play out like:
Josh O’Connor: surprise!
Benoit Blanc: I knew you were in the backseat and you’ve fallen for my carefully laid out trap!
O’Connor: I knew you’d know I was in the backseat and planned for your trap with a counter trap!
Benoit blanc: didn’t see that one coming, it’s so obvious.
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Jul 09 '25
…but Benoit also knew that O’Connor knew that Benoit knew that O’Connor was hiding back there. Benoit knows O’Connor needs to feel he has the mental edge. Which he does not. Or does he!?
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u/Maggie_Farmer Jul 09 '25
Inconceivable!
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u/AWildEnglishman Jul 09 '25
Josh O'Connor fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous of which is, ‘never get involved in a land war in Asia,’ but only slightly less well-known is this: ‘Never lure Benoit Blanc into a car when your freedom is on the line’
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u/Tarantio Jul 09 '25
I'm trying to figure if it's out of character.
He's great at deduction, and observation. But he doesn't know everything, and he doesn't always immediately understand the relevance of the things he notices.
He's talented, but fallible.
I think it could work.
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u/Lucas_Steinwalker Jul 09 '25
He's also not great at being aware of his surroundings when he's not in detective mode.
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u/Tarantio Jul 09 '25
That's right, I forgot about the scene with the headphones in the first movie.
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u/tommangan7 Jul 09 '25
Seems fairly on brand considering some other slip ups he makes. He's not some beneflip cumbershag level of mind palace nerd detective.
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u/Mad_Rascal Jul 09 '25
My most anticipated film this year. Wonder if O’Connor will be the Ana de Armas of the movie. Either way, cannot wait.
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u/alexiovay Jul 09 '25
I never seen an Knives Out movie so far, should I rather watch it alone or with company? Like is it funny or deep?
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u/Narretz Jul 09 '25
They're funny and suspenseful, but not deep
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u/enataca Jul 09 '25
Kind of reminds me of a stage performance. Eccentric over the top characters and detailed almost whimsical costumes. I think they strike a good balance between the seriousness of the crime and whodunnit while keeping the films light. As opposed to a lot of darker crime shows nowadays.
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u/alexiovay Jul 09 '25
So maybe kinda like "Mac is a Serial Killer" (IASIP)?
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u/Narretz Jul 09 '25
I don't know that episode but the humor is definitely not as out there as IASIP. Lots of it however does stem from the characters being eccentrics.
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u/ASoCalledArtDealer Jul 09 '25
First one is better than the second (IMO) but both can be watched with or without company. Lots of tiny details
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u/Optimal-Bag-5918 Jul 09 '25
While I have a new appreciation for the second movie now that I have watched it a few times... I was disappointed with my first viewing and did not enjoy it at all! The bad guy was obvious from the beginning, and it had none of the amazing personality or atmosphere of the first... I am hoping the third will be closer to the first!
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u/Montigue Jul 09 '25
No imo about it. The first one is way better. Both are great and JGL is the best in the second
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u/saurdaux Jul 09 '25
Fun little mysteries with a clever private detective to solve them. A lot like Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot, if you're familiar with the works of Agatha Christie.
They're not comedies, but they do have a sense of humor. The kind of movie that's funny because it has fun, quippy dialogue from good comedic actors, not because it's packed with jokes and gags. A bit like the first Ghostbusters in that sense. Also, not much depth to them, but only because that's not what they're going for.
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u/crespoh69 Jul 09 '25
Do you have any other recommendations you could maybe watch with a younger audience?
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u/saurdaux Jul 09 '25
The Knives Out series has some sexual themes, violence, a bit of blood, lots of swearing, no nudity. PG-13, suitable for a teen. The recent Hercule Poirot movies are also good for that age bracket.
For tweens and younger, the Enola Holmes movies are reasonably fun, with the understanding that they're pitched for a younger audience. All-time greats? Nah, but still a good watch.
You could also look at animated movies, like The Great Mouse Detective. If they like anime, the Ace Attorney series is reasonably kid-friendly, plus Case Closed/Detective Conan has a billion episodes.
If they're particularly serious kids, you could get them into the old classic mysteries. Sherlock Holmes is timeless and great at breaking down the reasoning behind solving the mystery. Older Agatha Christie adaptations are good, too. If it was on Masterpiece Theater, you're golden.
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u/Kallistrate Jul 10 '25
They are most definitely not deep. They're occasionally funny, but I wouldn't describe them as comedies.
I don't think it really matters if you watch them alone or in company. I found them to be Agatha Christie-style mysteries for people who don't read a lot of mysteries. They're decent but they're not mind-blowing.
They're movies I enjoyed watching the first time, but they weren't so magical I feel the need to ever see them again.
YMMV, obviously.
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u/amccune Jul 09 '25
Old Mercedes. But where did the rearview mirror go?
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u/doctorhoohoo Jul 09 '25
I noticed the age of the car, lighting, and his hair and wondered if this take will place prior to the other two.
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u/Shadow_Clarke Jul 09 '25
Man wtf is this title seriously lol
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u/JaesopPop Jul 09 '25
Netflix insists on keeping the Knives Out branding
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u/MetalBeerSolid Jul 09 '25
Retro brand the first one to ‘Knives Out: A Knives Out Mystery’ for consistency ya fucking cowards
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u/berober04 Jul 09 '25
Knives' Outs
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u/TemporaryImaginary Jul 09 '25
“: A Benoit Blanc Mystery” would have been classier.
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u/Renovinous Jul 09 '25 edited Jul 09 '25
I believe this is what Rian johnson wanted before Netflix said nuh-uh.
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u/Daimon5hade Jul 09 '25
I'd be willing to bet it's so the franchise isn't as closely tied to it's it's leading man for contract negotiations
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u/_Verumex_ Jul 09 '25
It doesn't even have to be though. It's literally a trope in these mystery series that the lead changes actors.
It even sounds like something Johnson would play with, announce that someone else is playing Benoit Blanc in the new one, and then have Craig turn up at the end of the first act to call out the imposter.
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u/sameth1 Jul 09 '25
It's more likely for the title recognition. They want a clueless viewer to recognize the title from that other movie that they heard their coworker say good things about.
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u/JimboTCB Jul 09 '25 edited Jul 09 '25
Yeah but every time they say "Benoit" everyone is just going to think "balls".
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u/MandoDoughMan Jul 09 '25
Knives Out 3: Glass Onion 2: Wake Up, Dead Man: A Benoit Blanc Mystery available on Netflix.
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u/pussy_embargo Jul 09 '25
to be fair, Knives Out is a very good franchise name
this is how we got Game of Thrones, and not A Song of Painfully Generic Fantasy Terminology
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u/JaesopPop Jul 09 '25
Games Of Thrones makes sense as a title. Knives Out doesn’t, unless you really stretch it.
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u/res30stupid Jul 09 '25
The Benoit Blanc films all take their names from music. Knives Out is a Radiohead song, Glass Onion is a song by the Beatles and Wake Up Dead Man is a song from U2.
They also fit the theme of each film; Knives Out because the Thrombeys will backstab anyone the second they think it is in their best interests, Glass Onion because despite having many layers and twists in the story, the depth of the case is superficial and is really easy to solve, and while we don't know the full story of Wake Up Dead Man yet, the song is about begging Jesus to come back to save us and the film is said to be Southern Gothic and involves religion in the Deep South.
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u/Substantial_Wave4934 Jul 09 '25
The U2 song isn't about begging Jesus to save us; it's a personal song about Bono losing his faith and that he's dead spiritually, so he's telling himself to wake up
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u/Obvious-Water569 Jul 09 '25
Bono? Talk about himself?
You must be crackers.
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u/KittensAndDespair Jul 09 '25
Taking the title literally, I'm thinking Wake Up Dead Man will be about a guy who survived an attempted murder, passing out in the process and waking up after everyone thought he was dead. He doesn't remember who tried to kill him, so he seeks the help of Benoit Blanc to catch the killer.
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u/Maskatron Jul 09 '25
My mind went to Megadeth’s “Wake Up Dead.” But yeah U2 makes more sense.
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u/Dduckster Jul 09 '25
I'll let you off, it's 4 in the morning
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u/TheUmbrellaMan1 Jul 09 '25
About that Jesus coming back bit -- there is indeed a shot in the teaser where a character is in some kind of an open grave during night time. I won't be suprised if this is the character who everyone will assume to be dead but then there he is, coming out of the grave.
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u/Lore86 Jul 09 '25
The producers imagine that people will say: "what is this movie about!? It doesn't make any sense! Oh wait, it's a knives out mystery, I shall give them money!"
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u/WeNotAmBeIs Jul 09 '25
They might as well call them "Glass Onion: The Sequel To 'Knives Out'" and "Wake Up Dead Man: The Sequel To Both 'Knives Out' and 'Glass Onion'"
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u/StupidAstronaut Jul 09 '25
There was a theory posted on here some time back that the knives out movies have song lyrics in their titles, which hints at the plot in some way
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u/ICumCoffee will you Wonka my Willy? Jul 09 '25 edited Jul 09 '25
It will premiere on Oct 8 as opening night gala of the 69th BFI London Film Festival. Releasing worldwide December 12th on Netflix
Full Cast:
- Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc
- Josh O’Connor
- Glenn Close
- Josh Brolin
- Mila Kunis
- Jeremy Renner
- Cailee Spaeny
- Daryl McCormack
- Thomas Haden Church
- Kerry Washington
- Andrew Scott
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u/dskoziol Jul 09 '25
Can't wait for the all star ensemble cast when we get to the "White Lotus: A Knives Out Mystery" crossover
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u/Throwawaylikeme90 Jul 09 '25
The Community movie is only talking so long cause they have a …A Knives Out Mystery cast reunion sketch to film that Abed is gonna be playing for his students on one of those little rolly A/V carts.
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u/reno2mahesendejo Jul 09 '25
Crossed with the Kenneth Branagh Agatha Christie films
In my head they run together anyway, but Blanc and Poirot teaming up would be either way too chaotic or a beautiful melting pot.
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u/PayneTrain181999 Jul 09 '25
We just need Poirot to freeze in the ice ala Steve Rogers for 80 years.
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u/reno2mahesendejo Jul 09 '25
Uh ghosts exist in the Poirot Cinematic Universe
(I didn't pay much attention to A Haunting In Venice)
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u/laundryparade Jul 09 '25
Jeremy Renner on the cast after the name drop in Glass Onion is amazing hahah
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u/PayneTrain181999 Jul 09 '25
Wonder if they’ll make a quick joke about that, IIRC there wasn’t any direct reference to any specific plot points from the first movie in the second one, but a little continuity nod like this would be nice, ala Serena Williams reading Gravity’s Rainbow.
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u/Flabby-Nonsense Jul 09 '25
Loved the first one but thought Glass Onion was a big downgrade, hope this is a return to form
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u/seanrm92 Jul 09 '25
Yeah Knives Out was great because it was a good balance of mystery, comedy, and satire. Glass Onion was heavy on the satire and comedy, but the mystery aspect was weak. It didn't feel as clever as Knives Out.
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u/WeNotAmBeIs Jul 09 '25
I think it not being as clever was the point, much to the chagrin of Benoit Blanc. I'm not saying it was the right choice but I do think it was on purpose.
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u/-Nicolai Jul 09 '25 edited 14d ago
Explain like I'm stupid
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u/Particular_Ad_9531 Jul 09 '25
Glass Onion was two hours or Rian Johnson sniffing his own farts; he was more concerned with being clever than making an enjoyable movie.
Guess some people liked it though
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u/seanrm92 Jul 09 '25
Yeah I realize the characters not being clever was part of the plot, I mean the movie writing itself was also not as clever.
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u/dvlsg Jul 09 '25
It was definitely on purpose. A glass onion has lots of layers, but you can just see right through them.
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u/rugbyj Jul 09 '25
It wasn't. All the major plotpoints seems so forced.
- They handwave keeping the news of Andi's death secret for over a week
- Benoit invites himself, isn't immediately told to kick rocks
- Convincing Helen to pretend to be Andi throughout, and her just pulling it off
- Fake Andi successfully faking her own death when she got shot right in that book by the assailant (i.e. couldn't have been planned) and just managing to wing a hotsauce fakeout with benoit on the spot with no discussion
- The whole hydrogen explosion showdown was just silly and unnecessary
It was still enjoyable just from how fun the characters were. But the whole mystery of the first one was just a pill-switcheroo and a bit of sneaking about. I feel like they tried to overcomplicate this one to be smart and just made it a bit messy.
I'll give it a pass because it's still fun and COVID was kind of ruining everything at the time.
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Jul 09 '25
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u/lonesoldier4789 Jul 09 '25
right it's clearly a genre piece but some people analyze it like a true crime podcast.
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u/Kallistrate Jul 10 '25 edited Jul 10 '25
If you apply the same level of criticism, the first film falls apart too.
I agree with this. I didn't particularly enjoy the first one because I found it forced and overhyped after all of the praise people heaped on it as being brilliant and witty. I enjoyed the second one more because my expectations were a lot lower. Was it clever? Not particularly. Was it brilliantly written? Wouldn't say so. Was it a kind of silly fun that didn't take itself seriously? Yeah. And that's totally fine as a goal for a 2 hour piece of entertainment. It doesn't have to be a brilliant mind-twister or thought experiment to earn the right to be watched.
I do think the hype around the first did the second a disservice. People were saying it was brilliant, revolutionary, as good as Agatha Christie, the funniest thing since Airplane! and the cleverest twist since Citizen Kane...and it was an okay comedy with a mystery that hinged on a really poor understanding of how medication administration works (which, I will say, was definitely not a flaw of Agatha Christie's). It should have been described as an enjoyable mystery with a new style to it (which it was), and I don't think the second would have been as negatively viewed (as it was largely the same sort of thing).
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u/rugbyj Jul 09 '25
If you apply the same level of criticism, the first film falls apart too.
I don't think it does. Which is why I said as much in my comment when I compared them. If you'd like to suggest otherwise, I'd be happy to hear what you thought didn't hold up in a similar manner in the original?
The film was supposed to be a fun genre piece, and I think it did that quite well.
As noted, I did have fun, so we can agree there :)
I really don't get why people put this film under such scrutiny.
Boredom maybe, but if something just doesn't make sense (fake andy's fake death circumstances) or seems too outlandish (weeks long twin impersonation) it can simply be hard to ignore for some.
It's a "whodunit" film, it's pretty much baked into the genre that unbelievable things happen.
Unlikely things, sure. Unbelievable though is the opposite of what these stories all work on, which is that in the "reveal" the MC connects the dots that allow us to believe it.
The things that were unbelievable here weren't the dots of the murder plot, which was genuinely fine, they were just a kind of cumbersome setup for some jeopardy in the story.
The whole twin thing, and somehow hiding Andi's death, was unnecessary when the plot literally has a character (Duke) that:
- Arrived to Andi's post-mortem but before authorities arrive
- Has an ulterior motive to secretly threaten Miles but not have him locked up
- Dies off early enough to explain not spilling everything in due course
He could have sent Blanc Andi's box wanting him to turn up to scare Miles, but not wanting to reveal that he's the one fucking with him, and not wanting the police to arrest Miles before he can get what he wants out of him.
Blanc would still be in jeopardy (being seen as a threat by Miles), the reveal of Andi not being there due to being dead would still be a mid-game plot twist when people find out (as if she was haunting the killer), and then it'd all still tie up with Miles being revealed as a masked simpleton.
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u/heysuess Jul 09 '25
This subreddit hates fun.
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u/street593 Jul 09 '25
The first one was fun and the second one wasn't. It doesn't have to be deeper than that if you don't want it to be.
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u/KittensAndDespair Jul 09 '25
I definitely like the first one more, but I think Glass Onion was almost just as good. The reason I think the first one was better is mostly due to the atmosphere of the movie, I like the "rich old family" aspect and the darker colors in contrast to the "wacky influencers" and the brighter setting of the second. The new one seems to be more like the first one, so I'm happy.
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u/paul_having_a_ball Jul 09 '25 edited Jul 09 '25
I am not really into detective stories where the reveal is that the detective has a bunch of pre movie knowledge that we did not know that is driving his character.
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u/Faulty_Plan Jul 09 '25
Agree. I didn’t finish Glass Onion. Felt like an Entertainment Tonight pulp piece. The first one was interesting enough to watch multiple times.
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u/EdgarAllanLovecraft Jul 09 '25
I'm in the same opinion. I hated Glass Onion when I saw it. Seems like too much of a downgrade.
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u/monty_kurns Jul 09 '25
If you haven’t watched it again, I’d say give Glass Onion another go. When I saw it in theaters during its super limited run, I thought it was good but not up to par with Knives Out. Two years go by and I watch it again at home with a friend and all of a sudden I think it might actually be the better of the two!
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u/Alive_Ice7937 Jul 09 '25
Will have to give it a rewatch as a film rather than as a mystery film. To me, if a mystery film has glaring issues that stand out while you're actually watching the film, then it's not a great mystery film.
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u/xaendar Jul 09 '25
It's interesting how many people seemed to hate Glass Onion. I thought it was a really strong sequel and you really felt like you were there with Benoit Blanc unlike the first movie where you felt closer to Ana De Armas' character.
It's incredibly difficult to make such a ridiculous cast work into the plot and Daniel Craig's character being completely stumped by how deluded some of those rich people really tied everything together. Also calling out the ridiculousness of a whodunit mystery was perfect with a villain who think he's too smart for everyone else.
Almost as good as the first one but I'm mostly going off the vibes and colors of the first movie when I say it's a bit better.
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u/Optimal-Bag-5918 Jul 09 '25
I loved the characters of Glass Onion and thought individually, everyone was amazing and played their parts so well! Norton, Bautista, Monet, and Hudson shined bright for me... but the overall movie was lacking in atmosphere and did not hit like the first one did...
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u/mucinexmonster Jul 09 '25
Calling them "Knives Out Mysteries" instead of "Benoit Blanc Mysteries" is one of my biggest disappointments with this franchise.
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u/SatisfactionActive86 Jul 09 '25
Holly, this isn't Ocean's Eleven, where you get together with all your friends and just have fun and don't care about how it turns out.
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u/GurpsWibcheengs Jul 09 '25
I still think they should be calling them "a Benoit Blanc mystery" but I'm hyped, the first two were fantastic.
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u/Duchess0612 Jul 09 '25
They came out of nowhere, but these Knives Out mysteries are just such fun romps.
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u/Bircka Jul 10 '25
Arguably the best role Daniel Craig ever played, I love his character in these movies so much.
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u/ClintBruno Jul 09 '25
I'm not saying this makes any sense.....but a Knives Out Muppet Movie NEEDS to happen.
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u/Bruhmangoddman Jul 09 '25
Hope it delivers. Johnson struck gold with Knives Out and platinum with Glass Onion. A trifecta would be a most desired outcome.
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u/theblakesheep Jul 09 '25
Vice versa for me, the first was gold, the second was silver.
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u/PushPullLego Jul 09 '25
I thought glass onion was a scrap of tin in comparison to the 1st one.
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u/Hunterrose242 Jul 09 '25
Absolutely. Why he thought following up a great mystery with a sequel where there is no mystery was a good idea.
It wasn't clever satire. I was as disappointed as the main character was that there wasn't an actual mystery.
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u/Nrksbullet Jul 09 '25
Yeah the first was a much stronger classic mystery and more enjoyable overall, but I did like Glass Onion too.
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u/ithilis Jul 09 '25
Knives Out was great, but I actually thought Glass Onion was quite disappointing.
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u/AhhhSureThisIsIt Jul 09 '25
Check out Brick, Brothers Bloom or even Poker Face if you want a similar retro whodunnit.
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u/theblakesheep Jul 09 '25 edited Jul 09 '25
I love Brothers Bloom, though I wouldn’t really call it a whodunnit.
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u/AhhhSureThisIsIt Jul 09 '25
Same. When it came out, I said it was a perfect film and saw it like 5 times shortly after, and I haven't watched it since.
I'm almost afraid to go back as it might not be as great as I thought.
It's more of a globtrotting caper/romp. I thought it was perfect because the story, acting, and directing were all engaging, but it nailed the comedy and romance while keeping it interesting.
Brick is cool, and I get why people love it. When it came out, I was in high school and loved it, but I feel fewer people know about Brothers Bloom.
Also, I'm biased as my 2 favourite types of movies are prison movies and conmen movies.
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u/dbreezey111 Jul 09 '25
Glass Onion was ass first one was gold hoping this third installment holds up
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u/Yasihiko Jul 09 '25
I love how each iteration of this series Daniel Craig is progressively more disheveled. At some point he'll look homeless.
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u/Tha_Watcher Jul 09 '25
Scrolling without reading, I swear I almost thought Daniel Craig was John Ritter; but then I was like how!?!
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u/urgasmic Jul 09 '25
I came away from both films disliking it but i do just enjoy Craig’s performance enough to keep coming back.
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u/Afrodite_33 Jul 09 '25
I hate it when companies want to stick with awkward names for brand recognition. A Knives Out Mystery is god awful I would rather they retitled Knives Out as a Benoit Blanc Mystery if they really had to but I'd also rather just none.
A similar example is the John Wick spinoffs. It's so goddamn painful to read.
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u/monty_kurns Jul 09 '25
Part of the problem is Lionsgate has the first film while Netflix has 2 and 3. I don’t think Lionsgate wants to take the time for a retitle if Netflix just gives them a check to use “A Knives Out Mystery”. Meanwhile, Netflix wanted to cash in on the name of the first to draw attention.
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u/person1234man Jul 09 '25
Man how you gonna wake up dead?