Please read this with discretion as it includes spoilers.

Hollywood loves shady characters, billionaires and an intriguing plot. 

Unfortunately, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the sequel to the hit murder mystery Knives Out, only has two of the three. 

From the get-go, the movie plays up cliches: the main characters are a washed-up model (Birdie Jay), a far-right YouTube “bro” (Duke Cody) with his ditzy girlfriend (Whiskey), an incompetent politician (Claire Debella) and dubious scientist (Lionel Touissant). Oh, and of course, one illustrious tech billionaire (Miles Bron) to round it out. 

Bron invites a group of his old friends to play a murder mystery game on their annual travel getaway, but this year, he’s created a massive Greek island getaway: The Glass Onion. The odd name symbolizes how an onion has many layers but, if you really look, everything is perfectly clear. What an odd metaphor.

Throughout my viewing experience, I was extremely confused about the narrative. This eclectic group is drawn together because they’re all disruptors, or people who mess up the system wherever they go. This is a poor attempt to make this movie different and cool to younger people, and it instead comes off as weird and nonsensical. 

Normally, I think Rian Johnson is an incredible director. He writes plots that draw the viewer in and then throw you in the opposite direction; for example, Knives Out, which is one of the most critically acclaimed murder mystery movies in recent history. I never expected the twist at the end, and the movie leads you on several tangents before finally resolving. 

I guessed Bron is the real murderer within the first half hour, and the rest of the movie plays out just as predictably. He’s the only person who is not originally investigated, which is what makes it such an obvious twist. After the 20-minute mark, I could feel myself falling asleep, and even if I had, I wouldn’t have missed much. Watching a murder mystery movie with no mystery ruins the whole point of sitting there for two hours and 19 minutes.

Despite many flaws, the set and filming of the movie are extraordinary. It is filmed in a beautiful luxury resort called the Amonzoe on an area of mainland Greece called the Peloponnese. In fact, you can stay there–– it’s a fully decked-out 5-star hotel. The movie boasts vibrant colors and a distinct Mediterranean feel. If you are determined to watch the movie, this is one of the only redeeming qualities I would urge you to pay attention to. 

Besides those two positives, Glass Onion falls quite short, especially when held up to its predecessor. With a litany of odd extended metaphors and uninspired characters, the film dates itself with modern references, tries too hard to be trendy and has an easily predictable plot. 

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