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Rian Johnson's whodunit Glass Onion premiered 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.
Glass Onion features an ensemble of eccentric characters played by some heavyweights in the industry, from Edward Norton to Kate 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.
10 Duke Cody
Slowly but surely, Dave Bautista has become one of the best wrestlers-turned-actors. Versatile and willing to experiment with different genres, Bautista is building an impressive resumé. In Glass 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.
9 Birdie 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.
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.
8 Whiskey
Whiskey, played by Outer Banks' breakout Madelyn 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 in Outer Banks, one of the many shows that highlight Gen-Z culture, but Glass Onion proves she is ready for the big leagues by elevating an otherwise forgettable role.
7 Peg
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 in The Gray Man, the Russo 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.
6 Claire Debella
Emmy-nominee and comedic genius Kathryn Hahn plays Claire Debella in Glass 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.
5 Miles Bron
Edward Norton has delivered many great performances throughout his career. In Glass 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.
4 Helen Brand
Janelle Monáe has the hardest task in Glass 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 on Jared Leto's kombucha drink. Helen also improvises on the spot during the film's climactic third act, ultimately succeeding in bringing down Bron.
3 Lionel Touissant
Emmy and Oscar nominee Leslie 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.
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.
2 Benoit Blanc
The first Knives Out movie already proved how intelligent Benoit Blanc is. His mind is privileged, allowing him to solve the most intricate mysteries in no time. Glass Onion finds 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 Craig plays Blanc with a fair share of silliness, but he never loses sight of the detective's brilliance.
1 Andi 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 in Glass 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.