Glass Onion continues an important Knives Out trend (and makes it even better)

The writing of Glass Onion is on par with Wilderness Action and continues to create more modern and progressive protagonists for a new generation of suspense films.

Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery!

^ The Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion, picks up important trends from the original. Glass Onion launches on Netflix in December 2022, a few weeks after a brief theatrical run, to rave reviews. Audiences and critics alike agree that the murder mystery sequel lives up to its predecessor, and are now eagerly awaiting the third installment in the Knockout series. While The Glass Onion is a standalone sequel with a new all-star cast, it still has many similarities to the first Knockout movie, aside from the return of Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc.

"Knockout" and "The Glass Onion" are both Agatha Christie-style murder mysteries with similar tropes, but they are later subverted and the film reveals plot twists that shock audiences. Both films in the Knockout franchise boast all-star casts, witty humor and subtle political commentary. However, the film's choice of characters is an incremental change from the suspense genre. The villains, heroines of Knives Out and Glass Onion, and now Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc, are presented in more modern, progressive narratives, with future Sequels could continue to expand on it.

The famous detective Benoit Blanc in Knockout The mission is to solve the murder of famous author Harlan Thrombey. When he immediately deciphers that Harlan's nurse Marta Cabrera is involved, Blanc decides to team up with her to solve the mystery. In doing so, Knives Out focuses more on Marta, played by Cuban actress Ana de Armas. The movie ends up focusing more on her story than Blanc's, making a woman of color the star of a murder mystery. This dynamic in Knives Out is mirrored in Glass Onion.

Benoit Blanc Teams Up With Another Woman Of Color In Glass Onion

In the sequel film, Benoit Blanc teams up with black actress Janelle Monáe's Helen Brant to help solve the murder of her sister Andi. Once again, the focus shifts from Blank to women of color, allowing her to shine as an equal protagonist in the film. However, Helen is not a carbon copy of Marta either. Both are kind-hearted and intelligent, but they are easily distinguished, Marta trying her best to cover up crimes she did not commit, while Helen is good at pretending to be her twin sister. Their unique personalities allow both female characters to shine through.

Another progressive trend in the Knives Out series are these women People of color face off against villains who have the right to be white. In Knockout, Marta goes head-to-head with Chris Evans' Ransom Drysdale, who is revealed to be the Knives Out movie's first killer. Ransom tries to frame Marta for Harlan's murder so he can still get the inheritance, but ultimately fails because Marta is not in his game. Instead of killing Harlan as Ransom planned, Marta outwits him by having him incriminate himself.

Women Of Color Take On Knives Out Villains Who Are Entitled White Men

Meanwhile, in The Glass Onion, Helen uncovers the truth that Miles Brown killed her sister Andy after stealing her company so he could continue his dangerous hydrogen-based fuel, Kreer. When her sister's other former friends still sided with Miles out of cowardice, Helen reversed their "destroyer" mentality and used Claire to burn the Mona Lisa, destroying Miles' home and reputation single-handedly . Both women represent what real women of color are up against spoiled rich white men, and showing these women winning fights is a refreshing take on the murder mystery genre.

^ Glass Onion reveals Hugh Grant's Benoit Blanc's boyfriend in a brief cameo, but it is another contribution to the progressive trend that the Knives Out movies are becoming known for. Many world-famous detective characters, like Hercule Poirot in the Agatha Christie novels, and even Bruce Wayne/Batman, were notoriously lonely. It's a very common and stereotypical description that they often prefer to be alone due to the loss of someone they love, whether it's a wife or a girlfriend. Some readings of another world-renowned detective, Sherlock Holmes, have suggested that he was either asexual or gay, but this has never been the case.

By acknowledging Blanc's sexuality in Glass Onion, he sets himself apart from similar characters that have appeared before, and is a big step forward for LGBTQ+ representation. With Knockout 3 in development, the next sequel would be the perfect opportunity to further the series' progressive writing and expand on Blank and his boyfriend's relationship. Many movies and franchises have tried to progress, only to fall short by making "tokens" instead of characters. Knives Out and Glass Onion are perfect examples of how movies can both tell compelling stories and create LGBTQ+, BIPOC and feminist characters that are relatable, interesting and never unraveling mysteries in front of them.

Confirming Benoit Blanc’s Sexuality Continues Knives Out’s Progressive Writing

More: Why Glass Onion's Daniel Craig isn't on-screen with his lover