Peeling back the layers of ‘Glass Onion’

Alexandra Wong, Entertainment Editor

Netflix’s new whodunit comedy, “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” reached the screens of millions of viewers overnight. Within the first ten days of its release, it became one of Netflix’s top ten most watched movies of all time.

IMAGE: NETFLIX

While the film is a sequel to “Knives Out,” it stands alone just fine. With the same director, Rian Johnson, but an entirely new cast and writing just as witty as its precursor, the film certainly doesn’t disappoint. The film follows an eccentric group of friends gathering for a weekend getaway hosted by tech mogul and buffoonish billionaire Miles Bron. The incredible ensemble cast including Daniel Craig, Madelyn Cline, Kate Hudson and Janelle Monae perfectly portray the parodic characters of modern day and take “Glass Onion” into a more contemporary landscape. Whereas “Knives Out” centers on old money and white pseudo-progressives, “Glass Onion” delves into the world of new money and social issues in the modern world. Ultimately, both “Glass Onion” and “Knives Out” are far more than just murder mysteries, they are layered with comedy and satire, and highlight the lengths that the uber wealthy will go to in order to sustain their image, money and status; spoiler- it’s murder.

It’s not at all difficult to recognize the references for Edward Norton’s character, Miles Bron, as an obvious depiction of present-day tech moguls such as Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerburg. Miles is supposedly a scientific genius, although we don’t know of any qualifications. This parallel becomes especially apparent when Miles dons a black turtleneck and jeans, a not so subtle nod to Steve Job’s iconic look. The genius of this costume decision makes Miles’s unoriginality all the more evident.

“Knives Out” and “Glass Onion” tell two different stories, but both portray working class women of color who solve the crime along-side Blanc and ultimately get their revenge on those who used them. In “Knives Out,” Marta is used as a pawn in Ransome Drysdale’s plot to kill his grandfather and inherit his wealth. Miles acquired his wealth solely because of Andi’s help, and later stole everything from her in order to keep it. Both films explore narratives of white men stepping over women of color to get their way.

We can peel back the layers of easter egg clues and social allegories all day but at the center of the Glass Onion, it’s just a fun movie about money and murder.