Format: Movie

Released: 2022

Written and Directed By: Rian Johnson

Run Time: 131 minutes

Character: Benoit Blanc. Helen “Andi” Brand

New Role: Blanc becomes an observer to Miles Bron’s group of disruptors. Helen becomes an undercover detective and avenger of her sister.

Plot summary of the Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery continues below…

Story Structure Analysis: Glass Onion

DRAMATIC PHASE ONE: THE SETUP

All of the main characters are introduced. The story world and its mechanics are established. Foundations are laid for the main throughline, subplots and central conflict.

ACT ONE: DEALING WITH AN IMPERFECT SITUATION

A character in an Imperfect Situation faces Oppressive Opposition as he pursues an Initial Goal. But when there is a Disturbance to his routine, he faces a Dilemma regarding his situation and must assume a New Role.

Detective Benoit Blanc is losing his mind from boredom (the imperfect situation) due to the pandemic lockdown (oppressive opposition) and his desire for a stimulating case (initial goal). But when tech billionaire Miles Bron sends puzzle box invitations to his circle of friends (the disturbance), Blanc receives one of the boxes (the dilemma) and is invited to Miles’ island as a guest (the new role).

The Imperfect Situation: The world is in pandemic lockdown. Birdie is fresh off a race-related Twitter scandal. Miles is pushing Lyle to approve a volatile energy source. Blanc is going stir-crazy, spending hours on end in the bath. Behind the scenes, Andi was betrayed by her business partner Miles and their group of friends who lied to the court on his behalf. Shortly before the movie starts she was found dead.

Initial Goal: Blanc needs a case to occupy his prodigious mind.

Oppressive Opposition: The COVID-19 pandemic is in full swing and the world is in lockdown.

Turning Point Catalyst – The Disturbance: 10 minutes (7.6%) – While the film opens with all of the disruptors enthusiastically receiving a mystery box from Miles, when “Andi” receives her box she is instead enraged by it. Instead of solving it, she smashes it to pieces with a hammer, revealing the invitation card from Miles.

Turning Point One – The Dilemma: 11 minutes (8.3%) – Blanc plays Among Us (poorly) with celebrities. As he laments that he’s going insane from not having a case to stimulate his mind, he receives a mysterious visitor with a box.

The full extent of this turning point isn’t revealed until the Moment of Truth at the end of Act Three when we learn Helen Brand hires Blanc to go to Miles’ island.

The New Role: On the surface, Blanc becomes a guest on Miles’ island. In actuality, he and Helen become investigators in the death of Andi Brand.

Act Run Time: 13 minutes (9.9%)

ACT TWO: LEARNING THE RULES OF AN UNFAMILIAR SITUATION

The character Learns the Rules of an Unfamiliar Situation and faces Incidental Opposition in pursuit of a Transitional Goal. But when he receives a Reality Check, he makes a Commitment to his New Role.

Act Start Time: 13 minutes (9.9%)

Blanc doesn’t know or fit in with Miles’ friends (the unfamiliar situation) and seems to be out of his depth (incidental opposition) as he tries to learn why he was invited (transitional goal). But when Miles reveals he didn’t invite Blanc (the reality check), Blanc seems to suspect someone had an ulterior motive for bringing him to the island (the commitment).

The Unfamiliar Situation: On the surface, Blanc is the odd man out at an exclusive gathering of a wealthy group of celebrities and industrialists.

Transitional Goal: Initially it seems Blanc simply wants to know why he has been invited to Miles’ island when the two have never met. Surreptitiously, He and Helen are trying to determine which of the disruptors had sufficient motive to kill her sister.

Incidental Opposition: Blanc appears to be out of place with these rich celebrity types. Thinking she is Andi, all of the disruptors are outright hostile to Helen.

Turning Point Catalyst – The Reality Check: 24 minutes (18.3%) – Shortly after everyone arrives on the island, Miles pulls Blanc aside and reveals he didn’t send him an invitation.

Turning Point Two – The Commitment: 31 minutes (23.6%) – Miles explains to Blanc why their group is called the disruptors, obliviously offending them. Andi gives a counterargument about how they’re all in debt to Miles. No one objects and she storms off. Afterward, Claire tells Lyle something is off with Andi. Peg confronts Miles about the statement he wants Birdie to make, but he makes it clear she has no other choice. Blanc is revealed to have been hiding within earshot. He next sees Duke running through the garden. He spies on Duke watching Miles and Whiskey have an affair behind his back.

Although we’re treated to a couple of big speeches from Miles and Andi for dramatic purposes, and witness Miles and Whiskey’s affair, the true Commitment turning point and goal change of this act aren’t revealed until about the 85-minute mark in Act Four. In between the pool scenes and the murder mystery dinner, we learn Helen gathers evidence that each of the disruptors had a motive to back Miles. Blanc tells her whoever has the envelope killed her sister and that she has to find a legitimate reason to storm out of the dinner party to search everyone’s rooms.

Act Run Time: 27 minutes (20.6%)

DRAMATIC PHASE TWO: CONFRONTATION

The character is thrown in the middle of the Central Conflict and is placed at direct odds with the forces of antagonism. He undergoes a series of successes and failures as he works toward resolving the main throughline.

ACT THREE: STUMBLING INTO THE CENTRAL CONFLICT

The character stumbles into the Central Conflict and faces Intentional Opposition in pursuit of a False Goal. But when there is a grave Turn of events, he has a Moment of Truth.

Act Start Time: 40 minutes (30.5%)

Blanc is put at odds with a murderer (the central conflict), who seems to be willing to kill anyone (intentional opposition), to preserve their identity (false goal). And when Duke is violently poisoned and Andi is shot (the turn), Blanc reveals there’s more to his being on the island than he led on (the moment of truth).

The Central Conflict: Blanc and Helen vs. the murderer

False Goal: Blanc would seem to be trying to figure out who invited him to the island and why, but unbeknownst to the audience, he and Helen are trying to determine which of the disruptors killed Andi. Helen is tasked with finding the napkin envelope.

Intentional Opposition: Miles demonstrates he is willing to kill again to protect his interests. He kills Duke to conceal what he now thinks was his attempted murder of Andi and attempts to kill Andi again.

Turning Point Catalyst – The Turn: 53 minutes (40.4%) – After dinner, with Miles’ mystery game ruined, everyone debates whether to leave the next day. Miles enthusiastically convinces everyone to stay and party. Shortly after Duke shows Miles something on his phone, the former begins choking and dies suddenly and acutely. Due to the nature of his death, Blanc suspects foul play.

Lionel informs the group the police can’t come until dawn because of Miles’ non-buoyant, below-tide dock. Miles points out to the group that Duke drank from Miles’ glass and suspects he was the intended target. The group notices Duke’s phone and gun are missing before the lights shut off as a part of what Miles says was part of the mystery game. Blanc finds Andi outside but before he can explain what’s happening she is shot and killed by an unseen assailant. He rounds the remaining guests back inside and begins sharing his theory on who killed her.

Turning Point Three – The Moment of Truth: 70 minutes (53.4%) – The story flashes back to Blanc in the bathtub. Andi’s twin sister Helen arrives at his house with the news of her sister’s suicide which she believes was murder. She uncovered an email Andi sent to the disruptors a day before she was murdered. She wants to hire him to go to the island but Blanc proposes she go with him, posing as Andi.

When they meet in Greece, Helen tells Blanc how Andi brought the friend group together when they were all struggling to accomplish their goals and how Miles played a part in kickstarting their careers, culminating in Andi and Miles founding Alpha. Miles eventually cuts Andi out of the company when she refuses to back his interest in Klear and pays the disruptors to lie on his behalf under oath that he came up with the founding idea for Alpha. Andi loses the case, but afterward, finds the original napkin with the company idea and emails the group threatening to expose their perjury. Blanc tells Helen they need to find out which of them had a strong enough motive to commit murder for Miles and to determine each of their whereabouts on the night of her death. Helen admits she’s afraid. Blanc tells her this is her last chance to back out.

Act Run Time: 30 minutes (22.9%)

ACT FOUR: IMPLEMENTING A DOOMED PLAN

The character implements a Doomed Plan and faces Self-Inflicted Opposition in pursuit of a Penultimate Goal. But when an unthinkable Lowpoint occurs, he pulls himself together and discovers a Newfound Resolve.

Act Start Time: 85 minutes (64.8%)

Helen and Blanc find clues pointing to everyone (the doomed plan) when Helen comes to the island disguised as her sister (self-inflicted opposition) to find a motive for Andi’s murder (penultimate goal). But when Helen doesn’t find the envelope and is seemingly shot and killed (the lowpoint), Andi’s journal stops the bullet and Blanc fakes her death to buy her time to search the glass onion (the newfound resolve).

The Doomed Plan: Helen’s investigation seems to end in her failing to find the envelope and being murdered.

Penultimate Goal: Figure out which of the disruptors had a motive to kill Andi.

Self-Inflicted Opposition: Helen willingly goes to a private island posing as her twin sister who one of the guests tried to kill.

Turning Point Catalyst – The Lowpoint: 100 minutes (76.3%) – Helen commences ransacking rooms but is interrupted by messages on her phone informing her news of Andi’s death has broken. Whiskey stumbles upon Andi in her room and attacks her when she thinks Andi killed Duke. Helen runs away and into Blanc, who tells her they only need one more piece of information, but Helen is shot and seemingly killed by an unseen gunman.

Turning Point Four – The Newfound Resolve: 105 minutes (80.1%) – Helen is revealed to have survived the gunshot thanks to Andi’s diary. Blanc has the idea to use Jeremy Renner’s hot sauce to convince the would-be killer that Andi is dead. He will take the others inside and distract them, giving Helen time to search the glass onion for the napkin.

Act Run Time: 21 minutes (16%)

DRAMATIC PHASE THREE: RESOLUTION

The character and the forces of antagonism engage in a final confrontation to resolve the Central Conflict. The main throughline and all additional subplots are resolved. The new status quo is established.

ACT FIVE: TRYING A LONGSHOT

The character tries a Longshot and faces Ultimate Opposition while trying to accomplish the Ultimate Goal. But just when it seems All is Lost, he makes a Final Push against the forces of antagonism and either succeeds or fails.

Act Start Time: 106 minutes (80.9%)

Helen searches the last remaining room in the house (the longshot) while Blanc unravels all of the clues from a seemingly intelligent killer (ultimate opposition) in order to expose them with evidence (ultimate goal). But when Miles destroys the napkin and Helen’s proof (all is lost), she uses his wonder fuel to destroy the glass onion and the Mona Lisa, exposing him as a fraud (the final push).

The Longshot: Helen searches the last room the envelope could be in, the glass onion itself. Blanc uses the clues to piece together the identity of Andi’s killer

Ultimate Goal: Find the envelope and expose the killer.

Ultimate Opposition: Helen and Blanc expose Miles but he destroys the evidence and convinces his loyal followers to continue to lie on his behalf.

Turning Point Catalyst – All is Lost: 117 minutes (89.3%) – Gloating, Helen shows Miles Andi’s napkin, which he promptly uses a lighter to incinerate. Despite himself, Blanc tells Helen that without that evidence they don’t have a case and none of the disruptors will agree to back her story.

Turning Point Five – The Final Push: 120 minutes (91.6%) – Blanc gives Helen a drink for courage and reminds her why Andi left the company in the first place. Helen begins smashing up all the glass figurines placed around the room. After a beat, the others join in but Helen doesn’t stop. She begins destroying larger and larger things before taking Miles’ lighter and setting the bar on fire. She reveals Blanc also gave her the sample of Klear and tosses it into the fire. The hydrogen gas ignites the ventilation system and blows up the glass onion. With the room in flames, Helen moves to deactivate the fire shield on the Mona Lisa. Miles and the others try to stop her, but she presses the safety override destroying the painting.

Act Run Time: 22 minutes (16.7%)

ACT SIX: LIVING IN A NEW SITUATION

Having accomplished (or failed to have accomplished) the Ultimate Goal, the character is shown living in a New Situation.

Act Start Time: 128 minutes (97.7%)

Helen and Blanc solve the mystery of Andi’s murder, Miles Bron is ruined, and the disruptors turn on him to save themselves (the new situation).

The New Situation: Helen explains to Miles that his career and legacy are ruined since his fuel of the future just destroyed the most famous painting in the world. The other disruptors turn on him, saying they will expose his lies and murders. As the police boats approach the island, Helen tells Blanc that they got the SOB.

Act Run Time: 128 minutes (97.7%) – A furious Miles confronts Helen outside. She congratulates him on his fuel of the future barbequing the most famous painting in the world and tells him he is ruined. The other disruptors admit to seeing Miles burning the napkin, taking Duke’s gun, and driving away from Andi’s house the night she was murdered.

Six Act Structure.

Story Structure Simplified.