Lucas Findling

My disappointment is immeasurable and my day is ruined. Netflix has besmirched the good name of the Knives Out 'franchise'. Witty dialogue has been replaced with pop culture references and fan service that will age terribly. Foreshadowing clues and Chekhov's gun have been replaced with the same old cliches, unreliable flashbacks, jokes that never land, irrelevant motif's and without a doubt the most deflating deus ex machina I have ever seen in a movie. If this was a standalone movie it may have squeaked 2 stars if it had attempted to create it's own identity, but after such a brilliant masterpiece of Knives Out, this is appalling let down as a shameless cash grab exploiting the original success. The plot literally hinges on stupidity, denial and plagiarism. The characters are so inconsistent that the movie's first act is irrelevant if not deceptive, in the hope for some unsatisfying reveal at the end where it all 'ties together'. Don't expect iconic characters like in the last movie, these are all just factory clones of each other with different jobs. I wish there was something commendable or noteworthy about the acting. This movie spits in the face of the brilliant cinematography from the first movie, promising but never delivering. I should have been warned from the title, it's a glass onion; you expect and want the layers of complexity and nuance, instead it's completely transparent and robs you of it's very purpose. BUT IT'S NOT EVEN TRANSPARENT BECAUSE THE ORIGINAL COMPELLING PREMISE OF THE MOVIE, WHAT IT'S ALL HINGED AROUND IS CASUALLY SWEPT UNDER THE RUG FOR A MUCH WORSE STORY. You've been warned, you can either keep your innocence and live in a world without this sequel, or you can watch the literal destruction of an artistic masterpiece.