'Glass Onion' review: Daniel Craig and Rian Johnson charm and surprise audiences with 'Knives Out' sequel

• Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc in "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery," in theaters Wednesday.
• The mystery at the heart of it is simpler than in the first movie, which might frustrate some fans.

Daniel Craig and director Rian Johnson are back again with another incredible murder mystery with "Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery."

The first movie already won over many fans with a thrilling mystery, amazing ensemble cast, and poignant social commentary about elite families. "Glass Onion" does the same in a way that doesn't feel like Johnson is trying to recreate the magic of the first film.

In fact, Johnson breaks every murder mystery rule in the book while filling the film with several blink-and-you-missed-them references to the genre's hall of fame.

The mystery in 'Glass Onion' is simpler than in 'Knives Out,' but the movie is still worth watching

A big part of the appeal of "Knives Out" was the ingenious murder mystery and multiple plot twists that kept the audience confounded until the end. That feat would have been hard to follow up in the first place but Johnson does not appear to be attempting that with "Glass Onion."

Instead, he provides multiple mysteries, some simpler than others, that ultimately fit this central contradictory metaphor of a glass onion: Something simple that actually turns out to be very layered or something layered that turns out to be very simple.

In the sequel, Benoit Blanc is invited along with a group of wacky celebrities to a murder mystery on an island in Greece.

Many of the cast adopt the well-known roles of a murder mystery which has been slightly updated for the modern age. The bumbling fool is now an oblivious internet celebrity (Kate Hudson) who makes several insensitive tweets. The chauvinistic man is now a men's rights streamer (Dave Bautista) who carries a gun everywhere.

However, just when you think you know where the story is heading a twist occurs that turns all these iconic murder mystery elements on their head. By the end, it feels like Johnson has been taunting us throughout the journey, leaving obvious breadcrumbs before distracting you.

Despite numerous spell-bounding performances from the ensemble cast, Janelle Monáe and Kate Hudson are the clear stand-outs

Often satires fail by making the characters become the message. Whatever commentary the writer is trying to convey supersedes anything about the character that could make them feel genuine and relatable. Instead, the "Glass Onion" cast and Johnson's script does well in making each character more complicated than they first seem.

Hudson's Birdie Jay is sure to be a fan favorite, but not only because she wears gorgeous outfits in every scene. Hudson is hilarious and has several moments where the mask drops allowing the audience to see the character's truth in very moving scenes. The same sort of layer-peeling occurs with all the characters. Craig plays a more laid-back and fun Blanc but we still are left in the dark about the character's background making him a distant lead character.

Janelle Monáe's performance was my personal favorite due to the range she brings to Cassandra Brand, the outcast of the celebrity group. She starts out as stoic and cold but later on you truly feel her anger and betrayal and want to root for her.

'Glass Onion' is on a bigger scale than the first movie but does not forget its roots

The sequel is more ambitious than its grounded first movie with its numerous cameos and almost outlandish plot. Yet, the social-political commentary is still strong in "Glass Onion."

Instead of rich families, Johnson targets pop culture celebrities from tech leaders to "progressive" politicians. He breaks down their mythos in such an entertaining way and exposes the simple truth that they are all stupid, flawed humans like the rest of us.

With stunning cinematography and scores which heighten the tension in crucial scenes, Johnson creates a more thrilling thought-provoking ride with his "Knives Out" sequel. A simple but cleverly layered puzzle audiences will love over the holidays.

"Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery" is in theaters for a limited time from Wednesday. It arrives on Netflix on December 23.