Benoit Blanc is back! This time the mystery to solve is trickier than before since, as per the title, the solution is right there where all can see it but who the culprit is hides behind all the layers planted to deceive and obfuscate.
Much like Knives Out, Blanc needs to resolve an Agatha Christie-dense whodunnit (or whowilldoit) plot involving motives for all guests, an insufferable victim and resolve it with the same panache as Columbo. This time out, he is accidentally invited to a party on a remote Greek island hosted by Miles Bron, a spot-on synthesis of all the asshole billionaire geniuses the Media raves about and are now currently crashing to earth thanks to Meta tanking, Twitter foundering and cancer, which equalizes all humans in death. Bron has planned a murder-mystery party on his remote island with his dear friends: a governor running for a US senate seat, a scientist Bron’s employs, an idiot men’s rights influencer, and a washed-up model-turned influencer with a big mouth. The influencers have their girlfriend or assistant in tow respectively. They’re obvious stand-ins for the usual clods on YouTube, TikTok or the Media gobbling up needless attention. Blanc isn’t the only wild card though, Bron’s former partner Andi Brand has chosen to appear. She represents the Winklevoss twins Zuckerberg screwed over except Andi is likable and Miles did it for more than money as you’ll see.
Johnson does it again! Making me forgive him even more for The Last Jedi unwatchable after a couple viewings. He has another dream cast: Kathryn Hahn, Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson (heavy makeup), Leslie Odom Jr., Janelle Monáe and Edward Norton. Norton is perfect as the billionaire faux genius too. He spouts off the usual cringeworthy clichés we’ve heard for the last 20 years about disruption, changing the world, blah blah…when we all know it’s about making these dough nozzles today’s Robber Barons. I loved how Benoit takes him to task for the malapropisms, some genius. What worries me is Norton’s tendency to sabotage the work he does, demonstrating how he didn’t need to study Musk, Zuck or Bezos for the role, he’s just naturally a dick. Anyway, Onion is funny, clever and terribly amusing, namely for when Benoit reveals all his cards a la Agatha Christie to the suspects and audience.
The downside is how Onion was in theaters for just a week. It’s a Netflix production you can watch at your leisure. I chose to do the Alamo thing to show my support, plus I have suspended Netflix for a while to save money as it has little to justify the sub now; the Disney bundle is kicking its ass via Disney and Hulu. I do insist on watching this in one sitting too. Don’t pause it unless you need to hit the potty. Pay attention, don’t be folding laundry while it’s on neither, this isn’t Hallmark. Now I cannot wait to see what the third installment of Benoit Blanc’s sleuthing will be.
Alamo Extras: Half was recycled from Knives Out so I’ll just list what was unique. Trailers for Gosford Park, The Mirror Crack’d, And Then There Were None, Murder at the Gallery, Evil Under the Sun and The Last of Sheila; Commercials for game such as Clue on a VCR, Electronic Detective plugged by Don Adams, The Museum Caper Game and Clue II on a VCR; lastly, someone made a music video for the song “Glass Onion,” by the North Korean Dictators of Pop, The Beatles.