Rian Johnson’s sequel to the 2019 box-office hit Knives Out premiered for one week in theatres over Thanksgiving. I had the pleasure of seeing Rian Johnson’s next film which will premiere on Netflix Christmas weekend. It’s a true crowd-pleaser, full of shocking revelations and phenomenal character work. Daniel Craig returns to his instantly iconic role as the great detective, while standout performers Kate Hudson and Janelle Monáe deliver some of the year’s best performances. Glass Onion is a revelation from Rian Johnson who consistently delivers subversive and timely entertainment.

Glass Onion tackles themes of disruptive tech bro culture, the top 1%, and more. For a movie written two years ago, it’s shockingly relevant. It’s handling of the culture surrounding Musk and toxic masculinity is remarkably well-written. It’s sharp without being preachy, and smart without being pretentious. Johnson knows how to get audiences invested in the story through his well-written characters and timely commentary.

Daniel Craig has cemented himself as one of the greatest character actors working today. His reprisal of Benoit Blanc is delightful. He’s charming and smart, and instantly endearing. It’s hard not to fall for his southern charm and wise-cracking attitude. I could watch Craig play this character for years.

One of the standouts for many was the hilarious work from Kate Hudson. Her performance echoes some of her best work while being fully unique. It’s the best character she has played in decades. Her jokes and delivery had some of the biggest reactions from my audience.

Perhaps one of the best performances of the year was from Janelle Monáe. Her layered (intentional) performance was remarkable. A titanic, revolutionary performance that left me in awe. It carried the story forward; it elevated the mystery and provided an emotional core to the film. Johnson created an incredibly subversive character that Monáe elevated to brilliant heights.

Glass Onion is a masterpiece, a layered adventure that will delight and surprise you. It’s streaming on Netflix on December 23rd and I can’t recommend this enough.