‘Glass Onion’ Ending Explained: Unpacking the Mystery

Benoit Blanc, that slippery southern detective played by Daniel Craig, is back in “Glass Onion,” Rian Johnson’s follow-up to “Knives Out.” And his latest case is a real doozy.

Blanc is invited to attend a murder mystery party at the lavish Greek retreat of a self-obsessed tech billionaire named Miles Bron (Edward Norton). Besides Blanc, Bron’s small circle of friends is in attendance – online personality Duke (Dave Bautista), former model Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson), Connecticut governor Claire (Kathryn Hahn), Mile’s ex-business partner Andi (Janelle Monae) and Lionel (Leslie Odom, Jr.), Miles’ #1 scientist and BFF. Of course, what started out as a game soon turns very real and when one of the guests winds up dead, Benoit Blanc springs into action.

Of course, this being a whodunnit, the question remains: who did it? Read on as we unpack those twists and turns.

If you haven’t seen “Glass Onion” yet, turn back now! The following contains MASSIVE SPOILERS.

First question: who dies?

Duke (Buatista), the brawny YouTube star with the cutie pie girlfriend (Madelyn Cline), dies. He is seemingly poisoned.

Is that it?

Well, Andi (Monae) also dies … but it’s a whole thing.

Go on.

Andi actually died before the events of the movie take place. Her twin sister, seeking Blanc’s help, impersonates her throughout the visit in an attempt to uncover her killer. None of the other guests on Miles’ island know that Andi died. Except, of course, the killer. In the frantic search following Duke’s death, power on the island goes out (Miles had timed it for the “big reveal” of the murder mystery party, since he didn’t know that Blanc would figure that part out in about two seconds and that someone would actually die) and Andi is shot. But a well-placed notebook stopped the bullet and Blanc staged the scene to look like a murder (thanks, in part, to Jeremy Renner’s vanity hot sauce brand – always coming through in a pinch). Now “dead,” Andi’s sister is free to more fully explore who was responsible for her sister’s death … and Duke’s.

So, who did it?

Do you really want to know?

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Yes!

It was Miles Bron (Edward Norton). As it turns out, some evil billionaires are actually quite ruthless.

Why did he do it?

The whole movie is predicated around a lie: that Miles came up with the idea for his Google-style (or, if you will, Tesla-style) company by himself. This wasn’t true, of course. It was Andi’s idea. This ended up going to court a few months before the movie starts and all of Andi’s supposed friends testified that Miles came up with the idea, since Miles was able to exert pressure (political, financial, professional) on each of the once-good friends. Andi found evidence to prove his case wrong and invited him over to talk about it. While there, he poisoned Andi. He maintained control over the company and he maintained his control over his friends. But Miles (and the rest of the gang) didn’t expect for Benoit Blanc to show up at their party.

How does Andi’s sister ultimately get her revenge?

She destroys tons of Miles’ glass statues and his glass piano (once owned by Liberace). And, using an experimental type of clean-burning hydrogen fuel which – surprise! – is revealed to be much more dangerous than Miles is making it out to be, she destroys his island getaway, which he calls the Glass Onion after the old bar that the friends used to frequent. (“Glass Onion,” the very famous Beatles song, plays over the closing credits.) As Miles’ empire starts to burn and all of his once-loyal friends have turned on him, Andi’s sister takes one more thing.

Also Read:
Why Rian Johnson Swung the ‘Knives Out’ Series in a Different Direction for ‘Glass Onion’

What’s that?

Earlier in the movie, Miles shows off the Mona Lisa. The actual Mona Lisa. The movie takes place during the pandemic and he says that he got the Louvre to lease him the painting for a hefty fee. He has it up amongst his other works of art and all those glass statues. While any kind of movement or danger will encase the painting in an impenetrable box, Miles has also shown off that he had a workaround installed. Because, you know, sometimes he wants to stare at it, no matter what else is going on in the room. Andi’s sister trips the failsafe, the protection comes down and the Mona Lisa burns.

Wow.

Yep. Earlier in the movie Miles said he wanted to be remembered in the same breath as the Mona Lisa. Now, as Andi’s sister points out, he will be.

Sounds like great fun!

It is!

“Glass Onion” is now streaming on Netflix.

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