Netflix Movie Review: ***^ Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)

This is a very good Netflix film.  It is part of the Knives Out franchise and has the same detective, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig).  However this is a different case, and a different bunch of suspects.  Blanc invites himself to a murder mystery party at the request of Helen Brand (Janelle Monáe), the twin sister of Andi Brand.  She suspects Andi was murdered, she did not commit suicide.  They are sure someone at the party is responsible.  Helen also is coming to the party as Andi to help with research.  The party is hosted by Miles Bron (Edward Norton).  The invited friends are: Claire (Kathryn Hahn), Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.), Duke (Dave Bautista), Peg (Jessica Henwick), Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) and Whiskey (Madelyn Cline).  They are all enmeshed with Miles, and lied for him in court so he could take over Andi's business.  However she found some information that would prove the case, and that is the night she was murdered.  Claire is a politician dependent on Bron for support, Duke is an internet personality and hopes Bron will put him on t.v. news, whiskey is his girlfriend, but she sleeps with Bron and it is known to Duke.  Peg is Birdie Jay's assistant.  She is negotiating with Bron about a mistake Birdie Jay made.  Birdie Jay is a former model, now fashion designer and her business is dependent on Bron.  Lionel is a scientist and working on a new energy source.  Bron announces that he has used this new volatile source in his home.  Lionel protests for the lack of testing.  It was this source of energy that lead to the split between Andi and Bron.  Andi did not believe it was a viable product.  So there are a set of people who would benefit from Bron's death, here to play a game of Bron's murder.  Turns out Duke saw Bron leaving Andi's house, and so he is murdered via pineapple to which he is highly allergic.  He steals Duke's gun and shots Helen, but a book in her pocket stops the bullet.  Helen finds the evidence in Bron's glass onion room; but Bron burns it.  Sounds like everyone will lie for Bron again, so Helen starts to destroy his things, and everyone joins in.  The energy source explodes.  Everyone makes it out, and it sounds like Bron's friends are remembering things and appear willing to testify.  Money cannot buy everything forever.   

Movie Review: ***^Murder on the Orient Express (2017)

This movie represents a fascinating look at the Agatha Christie classic.  The cast of character is also very interesting.  Kenneth Branagh plays our detective hero, Hercule Poirot.  Bouc, his traveling companion is played by Tom Bateman.  And then the other passengers on the train, who all become the subject of an investigation as Poirot is called upon to solve a murder where a passenger is stabbed a dozen times and killed.  Other actors include: Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer and Daisy Ridley.  Kenneth Branagh also directed.  Each of these characters comes together with the other is a most peculiar way, which is what makes for the twist at the end of the movie.  I can't say I enjoyed this version better than the original from the 1970s.  However it does see true to the story, and the mystery.