Warning! This article contains spoilers for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.Knives Out, in more ways than one. Following the success of Knives Out, the first film of the series, in 2019, it was announced that two sequels would follow Knives Out, with Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the first of these sequels, coming out in late 2022. The idea of the series is to follow detective Benoit Blanc as he investigates new mysteries in the sequel movie Glass Onion, and possible future sequels after this one. Although the two films in the Knives Out series tell two very different stories, the second one includes many parallels to its predecessor in its characters and plot twists.
Glass Onion is a separate film from Knives Out, so much so that the former barely even references the first movie of the Blanc series. In fact, audiences will not need to have watched the first film to watch the second one as Glass Onion features a different cast, with Blanc the only recurring character from Knives Out. However, the two films have more in common than the audience may initially think, which may be one of the reasons why both films have proven to be successful: here are all the ways in which Glass Onion mirrors Knives Out.
Benoit Blanc Was Not Meant To Be In Both Knives Out Movies
The detective's presence is a key aspect of any whodunit film; therefore, without Blanc, the Knives Out movies would not exist. However, a closer look at both films would reveal that Blanc was not meant to be in either Knives Out or its sequel Glass Onion. In fact, in Knives Out Blanc is anonymously hired to investigate Harlan's death but, initially, the police were in charge of the case. Similarly, Blanc was not invited to Miles' private party and only s because he was hired to investigate Andi's death by her twin sister, as revealed by the shocking Glass Onion.
This means that in both Knives Out movies, Blanc is not solving the murder because he has to but because he wants to. In Knives Out and Glass Onion, he has actively chosen to be involved in the investigation as he accepts these cases. Blanc is also the element that ties Glass Onion and Knives Out together, as the audience sees the detective investigating a new crime but with the usual style and method that now characterizes him, with the help of a hero of the film in both Glass Onion and Knives Out.
Glass Onion's Hero Is Another Outcast
Blanc is not the only main character in the Knives Out series. In fact, throughout both movies, his investigations are aided by another key character. The latter happens to be, in both Knives Out and Glass Onion, a woman of color who does not seem to fit in with the rest of the characters. In Knives Out, Ana De Amas' Marta assists Blanc in his investigation. Marta also stands out as an outcast from Harlan's family. Not only because she is not part of the family but because she is not included as part of their rich, wealthy, white, and privileged group.
Much like in Knives Out, the hero in Glass Onion is an outcast too. In fact, while Andi used to be part of the Miles' inner circle, the Disrupters, but got excluded after her falling out with Miles. Moreover, Helen, who has taken her sister's place, is even more of an outcast as she has never belonged to the world of the Disrupters, as a teacher from Alabama. Throughout the film, Helen is constantly excluded by the exclusive group of white rich individuals as a Black woman from a less privileged background, just like to her twin Andi.
Glass Onion & Knives Out Reflect On Deeper Issues
Although the films in the Blanc series are entertainment, they do much more: Knives Out end up reflecting on deeper issues in their plot. For example, they both reflect on racism towards their protagonists. In particular, this is evident in Knives Out in the racism towards Marta who faces a series of aggressions from the of the family who constantly forget where she is really from and openly state their hate towards immigrants and of refugee camps, thus indirectly referring to Trump's immigration politics as the movie came out in 2019.
Similarly, Glass Onion is set in May 2020 during the Covid pandemic which is referenced multiple times throughout the film, although hardly ever directly mentioned by the Glass Onion characters. This is another example of Glass Onion reflecting on real-life issues indirectly, such as the many celebrities who had huge parties in lockdown like Birdie did or the rich people who were able to fly across countries during a pandemic. By subtly including references to our contemporary issues, the Knives Out movies modernize the whodunit genre and bring it into the 21st century.
Money Is The Most Powerful Motive In Both Knives Out Movies
In fact, not only do the heroes of Knives Out and Glass Onion mirror each other, but the villains of the two films also parallel each other as well. Both are white, privileged, and rich men who are willing to do anything to become even richer. Although Glass Onion's Miles is a billionaire, he will do anything to keep his empire and his money, including murder. Similarly, Ransom in Knives Out is ready to kill his own family member to avoid getting disowned, just like his entire family is angry upon finding out she is the sole beneficiary of Harlan's will.
As movies that reflect today's society, it only makes sense that Knives Out and Glass Onion feature money as the prime motivation of their villains. In fact, many viewers may be inclined to believe that these types of villains are likely to exist. As criticism to this money-oriented society arises, seeing these privileged and rich characters ultimately fail in Knives Out and Glass Onion could even be a satisfying and entertaining experience as they symbolize an elite that may be starting to feel increasingly distant and unachievable to a majority of the audience.
