Rian Johnson’s whodunitGlass Onionpremiered on Netflix over the Christmas weekend. The film brings back stylish detective Benoit Blanc for another round of mystery and murder, this time while on a secluded private island while billionaire tech entrepreneur Miles Bron hosts a private party for his friends.
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Glass Onionfeatures an ensemble of eccentric characters played by some heavyweights in the industry, fromEdward NortontoKate Hudson. And while each main character is unforgettable in their own way, a few are decidedly smarter than others, making for a chaotic but always entertaining viewing experience.
10Duke Cody
Slowly but surely,Dave Bautistahas becomeone of the best wrestlers-turned-actors. Versatile and willing to experiment with different genres, Bautista is building an impressive resumé. InGlass Onion, he plays Duke, a men’s rights activist and video game streamer on Twitch and YouTube.
Duke is, for lack of a better word, a creep. He uses Whiskey to manipulate Bron into doing what he wants and panders to incels with his sexist tirades on the internet. Duke is not particularly bright — he barely does anything to solve the puzzle box; instead, his mother does most of the heavy lifting. He is also dumb enough to think he can blackmail Bron, ultimately leading to his untimely death.
9Birdie Jay
Academy Award-nominee Kate Hudson plays the vapid and hedonistic Birdie Jay. A former model turned fashion designer, Birdie is controversial, politically incorrect, and talks without thinking, leading her to make several blunders on social media.
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Thanks to Hudson’s performance, Birdie is more than a stereotypical dumb blonde. She is clever enough to use Miles for his money and stay in his good graces. However, she isn’t particularly smart either; for example, she thinks sweatshops are where they make sweatsuits, leading to a child labor controversy.
Whiskey, played byOuter Banks' breakoutMadelyn Clyne, is Duke’s girlfriend, who is seemingly two-timing him with Miles. Whiskey has a relatively small role, as she is an outsider to the group.
Far from simple arm candy, Whiskey is surprisingly perceptive. However, she has the least to do out of all the main characters, spending most of her time as a victim of Duke and Miles' power plays. Clyne already proved her talent inOuter Banks, one of the manyshows that highlight Gen-Z culture, butGlass Onionproves she is ready for the big leagues by elevating an otherwise forgettable role.
Birdie’s long-suffering assistant, Peg, is responsible for cleaning up Birdie’s numerous mistakes and putting up with her eccentricities.Jessica Henwick, who also starred inThe Gray Man,theRusso Brothers' most recent project, plays Peg as the ultimate overworked and overstressed millennial.
Like Whiskey, Peg has nothing to do other than support her boss. However, she is clearly an intelligent and ingenious young woman; she solves Miles' puzzle box while Birdie watches and spends her days figuring out ways to keep Birdie’s reputation from going down the drain.
6Claire Debella
Emmy-nominee and comedic geniusKathryn Hahnplays Claire Debella inGlass Onion. Claire is the governor of Connecticut and an old friend of Miles. Running for Senate, Claire is being strong-armed by Miles to support the unstable alternative fuel “Klear,” risking her reputation and core voters.
Claire is obviously an intelligent woman. Although her political career is barely mentioned, it takes an impressive person to become governor. Claire is also aware of Miles' threat and chooses to play nice with him, knowing that turning her back on him would mean endangering her career and Senate bid.
5Miles Bron
Edward Norton has delivered many great performancesthroughout his career. InGlass Onion, the three-time Oscar nominee plays Miles Bron, a narcissistic tech entrepreneur and the film’s de facto antagonist.
Bron is a manipulator and cheat. However, he is also charming and cunning, using his friends to do his bidding while keeping them financially dependent on him. Bron stole Alpha from Andi but was sufficiently intelligent to maintain the company’s success — for a while, anyway. However, Bron is less intelligent than he fancies himself, as Blanc proves during his monologue explaining the murder. “Klear” won’t work, potentially endangering Alpha and Bron’s legacy. He is the equivalent of a bully who forces everyone to worship him because he knows he doesn’t have what it takes to earn their respect organically.
4Helen Brand
Janelle Monáehas the hardest task inGlass Onion,playing two incredibly different characters and making it look convincing. She spends most of her time as Helen, Andi’s twin sister, who pretends to be her to discover the culprit behind her sister’s murder.
Despite being a school teacher, Helen proves remarkably insightful throughout her investigation at the Glass Onion. Even Blanc is impressed by her sleuthing abilities, which become increasingly sharper after getting drunk onJared Leto’s kombucha drink. Helen also improvises on the spot during the film’s climactic third act, ultimately succeeding in bringing down Bron.
3Lionel Touissant
Emmy and Oscar nomineeLeslie Odom Jr.plays Lionel Touissant, Alpha’s lead scientist and the man behind the “Klear” project. He knows the dangers of “Klear” but still risks his reputation by supporting it after Miles convinces/forces him to do it.
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At a purely intellectual level, Lionel is among the film’s most intelligent characters. After all, he is the lead scientist of a massive international company responsible for creating world-changing innovations. Lionel easily solves Miles' puzzle box, further proving his intelligence. However, his willingness to serve Miles and his attitude to “Klear” make it clear that he lacks enough vision to truly become a leader.
2Benoit Blanc
The firstKnives Outmovie already proved how intelligent Benoit Blanc is. His mind is privileged, allowing him to solve the most intricate mysteries in no time.Glass Onionfinds him at the center of another mystery, traveling to Greece to discover the truth behind Andi Brand’s apparent suicide.
Blanc is a brilliant detective. Astute, observant, and creative, Blanc is able to build entire scenarios in his head, discovering all the necessary clues to answer questions no one else could. However, he is also incapable of seeing things that might be apparent to others, and he admits so himself.Daniel Craigplays Blanc with a fair share of silliness, but he never loses sight of the detective’s brilliance.
1Andi Brand
Monáe also plays Andi Brand, although briefly and only in flashbacks. Andi is Alpha’s true creator, who writes the idea for the company on a napkin that becomes a major plot point in the film. After opposing Miles' dangerous “Klear” technology, Andi gets ousted as CEO, losing a high-profile court case after their friends perjure themselves to support Miles.
Although Andi plays a minimal role inGlass Onion, she is the true genius in the story. Her vision created Alpha and turned it into a multi-billion dollar corporation. Without her, Alpha succumbs to Miles' stupidity, with “Klear” threatening to destroy the company and everything they worked for.
