How Glass Onion Again Subverted Audience Expectations

In a film already filled with stunning set pieces, Rian Johnson has revealed that the first reveal scene in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery required a fortuitous take to achieve. The sequel to the whodunit film features Daniel Craig’s quirky private detective Benoit Blanc, who joins a weekend Greek getaway hosted by tech billionaire Miles Bron, where a murder mystery game quickly becomes real. With an ensemble cast, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was widely acclaimed for Johnson’s script and direction, which required a bit of luck to come to fruition.

Several months after the film’s release, The Hollywood Reporter interviewed Rian Johnson to discuss the script of the first reveal scene in Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. The writer/director explained how the scene necessitated a magical take to capture the moment in which the fake arrow struck Edward Norton’s Miles Bron. Johnson said, “When our fantastic effects team set up the blood, and when our prop master Kris Peck rigged the arrow popping up, we got a kind of magical take. That was the only take we did. Everyone on set just started applauding, because that’s just the luck of the draw.”

The initial scene of Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery not only showcased a humorous exchange between Craig’s Benoit and Norton’s Bron but also set the tone for the film. Up until that point, the mystery seemed straightforward with Blanc invited by a mysterious second party and all of the guests having genuine motives for murder. Despite the build-up, the reveal scene defused tension for the faux mystery, with Blanc solving it quickly, thereby wiping the slate clean. However, the film did not lose momentum after this scene, as shortly after, Bautista’s Duke died from a drink he was allergic to, and Monáe’s “Andi” was seemingly killed. Before the ultimate killer was revealed, audiences learned that the person shot was Helen, Andi’s twin sister, who had disguised herself as her sister to investigate her murder among a group of old friends. Like its predecessor, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery did not slow down after the reveal scene.

While Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery followed a similar formula to the first film, with Blanc partnering with a key character to solve the case, it still managed to pack in plenty of surprises. The true killer, Miles Bron, was not caught through evidence but instead through the power of his friends’ testimony, and Blanc watched excitedly from a distance during the explosive finale. With director Rian Johnson aiming to do something unique with each installment, it will be intriguing to see how he shakes up the formula again in Knives Out 3.