Chapter two of the Benoit Blanc mysteries, following in the footsteps of Knives Out with an (almost) entirely new cast that scarcely misses a beat. Just like its predecessor, Glass Onion is stuffed with brash characters, crafty double-crosses, silly scraps of intrigue and light-hearted japes at the expense of high society. Like a great magician, it delights in pulling the wool over the audience's eyes, but doesn't rely on cheap tricks or lies to conceal the truth. We're merely convinced to avert our gaze each time the murder weapon stands exposed.

As with the original film, the first hour is a riotous joyride that's often laugh-out-loud funny. The setup is ingenious and magical, a puzzle so deeply layered that, at first glance, it can be tough to discern when the real game has actually begun. It delights and surprises with wit and charm, wrenches the wheel every time we get comfortable, rewinds and revisits and rebuilds the facts to upend the truths we once held sacred. The home stretch gets a bit too crafty for my taste, continuing its erratic course when I was long-since ready to quit playing around, but that's a problem I had with Knives Out, too, and I should've expected nothing less. It's very much a case of more-of-the-same, and the lack of creative drop-off is impressive considering the plot's complexities and the massive casting churn. Jamie Lee Curtis and Chris Evans might have gone missing, but Edward Norton, Kathryn Hahn and Dave Bautista are more than adequate replacements. And, now that I've grown accustomed to the accent, Daniel Craig's southern sleuth serves as a superb master of ceremonies. Tons of fun.