This article contains major spoilers for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.Themes of class were prominent within the story of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out, which highlighted the corruption and greed of the wealthy Thrombey family. And in the film’s recently released sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, those same critiques of the upper class are taken even further in a way that feels all too relevant to current events.
While the Thrombey family in Knives Out were a classic example of old money, Glass Onion instead focuses on new money — particularly the tech billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton), who feels very reminiscent of a certain infamous real-life CEO. In the process, the film’s social commentary proves to be just as biting as that of its predecessor. And while the film’s creators had no way of knowing what controversies would be in the news at the time of its release, Glass Onion nevertheless feels like it came out at the best possible moment.
The Genius Idiot
Before he’s even shown on screen, Miles Bron is established as the eccentric CEO of Alpha Industries, a massive tech company involved in everything from aerospace to cars to cryptocurrency. Right off the bat, it’s hard not to draw comparisons between Miles and Elon Musk. Musk has been a divisive figure for years now — he’s gained a devoted following among some thanks to his public image as a cool, meme-loving innovator, while also earning heavy criticism for his anti-union business practices and increasingly conservative political views, as well as the poor working conditions at Tesla facilities. Genius to some and narcissist to others, Musk has only become even more controversial following his recent takeover of Twitter and all the drama that’s ensued since.
As for Miles Bron, it quickly becomes clear after his introduction that he isn’t everything he’s hyped up to be. He attempts to come off as charming and approachable to Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), but his absurdly lavish island estate — the titular Glass Onion — shows how vain and egocentric he truly is. Miles passes himself off as a bold, rebellious visionary, a “Disruptor” in his own words, despite the fact that he’s one of the most powerful figures in the very system he claims to be against. However, it’s eventually revealed that there are even more layers to Miles’ corruption.
At the film’s climax, Miles is exposed as the murderer of Andi Brand (Janelle Monáe), despite the fact that he’s the most obvious suspect. Because as Blanc spells out in one of the film’s most entertaining moments, Miles is himself a sort of Glass Onion — seemingly layered and complex, but actually transparent and hollow. Despite his public perception as a brilliant genius, Miles’ only real talent is promoting that very image of himself. He’s incapable of creating anything on his own, with all of his best ideas being stolen from other people. He stole Alpha from Andi, he stole Klear from Lionel (Leslie Odom Jr.), and even his attempted murder of Helen Brand (Monáe) was inspired by an offhand remark from Blanc.
Not only is Miles Bron a talentless hack, he’s also willing to lie, steal, and even kill in order to protect his own status. He’s so caught up in his own hype that he would sooner release a dangerous, untested product than admit any kind of fault on his part. It’s easy to read Miles’ portrayal in the film as a direct attack on Elon Musk, especially when Musk has been garnering even more criticism than usual in recent months. However, there’s a bit more to the story than that, and director Rian Johnson himself has admitted as such.
Peeling Back the Layers
When asked in interviews about Elon Musk’s influence on Miles Bron, Johnson is quick to emphasize that Miles isn’t based on any single public figure. “I found that any time I started thinking too specifically about any one person, it got very uninteresting very quickly,” Johnson said in an interview with Yahoo Entertainment. Rather, his intent for the film was “exploring that uniquely American thing of mistaking great wealth for great wisdom,” through the lens of Miles and his fellow Disruptors.
But of course, Johnson is also well aware of the serendipitous timing of releasing the film during a time when Musk has become more infamous than ever. “There’s a lot of general stuff about that sort of species of tech billionaire that went directly into it,” Johnson said in an interview with Wired. “But obviously, it has almost a weird relevance in exactly the current moment[…] And that’s just sort of a horrible, horrible accident, you know?”
With this in mind, the true purpose of the film becomes clear. Rather than targeting any specific individual, Glass Onion is about the failings of society’s most powerful people in general. After all, look at what sort of people are in Miles’ inner circle: politicians, fashion moguls, and even Twitch streamers are among those lampooned by the film. It’s a story that takes the kind of people who are so often idolized in modern society, and explores how fallible, selfish, and corrupt they so often are. And in doing so, it raises the question of why these people are held in such high regard — and perhaps even if they should have so much power in the first place.
Indeed, the true “Disruptor” in Glass Onion isn’t Miles Bron, but Helen — the ordinary woman who’s determined to bring Miles to justice, even if it means burning down everything he’s built. And in a world where the most powerful people in society so often seem above the law, there’s a palpable catharsis in seeing a man like Miles face consequences for his actions. It may be a fantasy, but it’s the sort of fantasy that’s needed in times like these. And that, above all else, is why Glass Onion feels like it came out at the perfect time. But of course, the Twitter drama doesn’t hurt either.