Daniel Craig is back as Benoit Blanc in this sequel to Knives Out that can be viewed as a standalone film.

Miles Bron is a billionaire tech wizard who has invited his five closest friends to his private island near Greece for a fun weekend that will involve a murder mystery. However, the invite comes in a puzzle box and the five work together to solve the puzzle. The five are YouTube star Duke Cody, gubernatorial candidate Claire Debella, fashionista Birdie Jay, scientist Lionel Toussaint, and former partner Andi Brand. However, much to surprise detective Benoit Blanc was also invited to the weekend.

Miles announces to the group, which includes Duke’s girlfriend Whiskey and Birdie’s assistant Peg, that he will be “murdered” over the weekend, and it is up to them to discover who the killer is. When Benoit spoils the game, Miles is upset at first but decides to just have fun with his friends. However, when Miles announces another reason for the group coming is to invest in an untested mineral that will replace all forms, Lionel and Claire decide to go home. When Duke tells Miles of his YouTube blowing up, Miles offers him a job for his news company. During the celebration, Duke is poisoned and a real murder mystery begins for Benoit Blanc.

Another mystery for Benoit Blanc and another ensemble cast comes together in this standalone sequel to Rian Johnson’s hit 2019 murder mystery film. Out of respect for Johnson’s recent comments, I will be referring this as simply Glass Onion and not Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery as Netflix had marketed the film. However, this one is just as fun as the original as once you get into the film, it doesn’t feel like you’re watching a near two-and-a-half hour film.

Daniel Craig once again shines as Benoit Blanc, this generation’s Sherlock Holmes who needs no Watson. Well, he actually does in this case and finds one in someone who proves to be reliable. This mystery’s ensemble cast is great. Dave Bautista brings up some hysterics as Duke, the YouTuber who gets berated by his mother (played in a scene stealing role by Jackie Hoffmann) but has the energy of his iconic Drax from the Guardians of the Galaxy films. Kate Hudson is quite funny as the sometimes airheaded Birdie, a fashionista who has a smart mouth when it comes to social media and ignores warnings from her more level headed assistant Peg, played by Jessica Henwick.

Kathryn Hahn’s Claire is a tough gubernatorial candidate who is more concerned with keeping her mouth shut when it comes to Miles, an obvious play on Elon Musk, played by Edward Norton, who once again shines in a role of this caliber. Leslie Odom Jr.’s Lionel is the concerned scientist who actually found the material known as “Klear”, but is not happy when Bron wants to announce it without it actually being tested. If there is a title for a “femme fatale” like Ana de Armas’ Marta in the 2019 film, it can go down to two. In this case, it could go to Janelle Monae’s Andi, who has a beef with Bron after he legally cuts her off as the co-founder of their company; and Madelyn Cline’s Whiskey, who uses her “assets” to give Bron what he wants.

There is a nice twist that starts the third act, which takes the second act from a different perspective with said twist in play. The finale is quite explosive, in both a literal and figurative sense and overall, this is another fun adventure for Benoit Blanc.

Glass Onion is a fun standalone sequel to Knives Out that brings Daniel Craig’s detective to a new location with another great ensemble cast. This one is just as good as the original film.

WFG RATING: A

Netflix presents a T-Street production. Director: Rian Johnson. Producers: Rian Johnson and Ram Bergman. Writer: Rian Johnson. Cinematography: Steve Yedlin. Editing: Bob Ducsay.

Cast: Daniel Craig, Edward Norton, Janelle Monae, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odon Jr., Jessica Henwick, Madelyn Cline, Noah Segan, Jackie Hoffmann.