Why Rian Johnson Is Calling His Knives Out Sequel A 'Horrible Accident'

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Rian Johnson is a genius.

 

 

 

 

Light spoilers for Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery lie ahead, so read at your own risk.

With the release of Glass Onion, writer/director Rian Johnson is now two for two when it comes to his entertaining series of whodunit movies. The Knives Out sequel has been praised by critics for a plethora of reasons thus far, with many singling out the razor-sharp humor and pitch-perfect performances by the cast. There’s also the spot-on social commentary, which was also present in the film’s 2019 predecessor. Johnson seemingly doubled down on that this time around, and there’s one specific element that’s causing him to refer to the flick as a “horrible accident.” 

Glass Onion features various characters who mirror specific figures within our society, and that’s especially when it comes to Miles Bron – who’s played perfectly by Edward Norton. Bron is established as a tech magnate and a bit of an eccentric, and that’s led many viewers to compare him to Elon Musk. The SpaceX founder has been in the news a lot as of late due to his pricey Twitter takeover. Additionally, many continue to take notice of Musk’s somewhat “unconventional” social media messages. In Netflix’s mystery movie, Bron also has his share of quirks, such as his tendency to use made-up words. 

When one considers all of the information above, it’d be easy to think that Rian Johnson was looking directly at Elon Musk’s mannerisms while developing Bron. However, as the clever filmmaker explained to Wired, that couldn’t be further from the truth:

" There’s a lot of general stuff about that sort of species of tech billionaire that went directly into it. But obviously, it has almost a weird relevance in exactly the current moment. A friend of mine said, ‘Man, that feels like it was written this afternoon.’ And that’s just sort of a horrible, horrible accident, you know? "

So it would seem that the Looper director just so happened to release his latest movie at a time at which the wide-ranging influence of tech billionaires is extremely relevant. Though the filmmaker refers to this whole situation as an “accident,” I applaud him. Because it’s further proof that he’s just naturally tuned into the pop culture zeitgeist and society as a whole in a way that only a few of his peers are.

Glass Onion is definitely filled with great twists and includes some excellent cameos and name-drops. However, it’s the manner in which it accurately (and outrageously) portrays our social climate that impressed me the most. As mentioned, specific archetypes are highlighted through the characters, like those of reunited stars Kate Hudson and Kathryn Hahn. One plays a politically incorrect fashion mogul, while the other portrays a cut-throat politician. Though in real life, I still don’t believe I’ve encountered anyone who’s quite like Daniel Craig’s impressive Benoit Blanc. 

Rian Johnson is currently hard at work on the third Knives Out movie, and I’m just already anxious to see what he concocts. It wouldn’t be the least bit surprising if the movie – like its predecessor – features a character that unintentionally mirrors a notable person. In the event that it happens, Johnson may once again refer to it as a “horrible accident.” But I prefer to call it a wonderful coincidence – one that should better the film. 

After you check out the movie using a Netflix subscription, be sure to check out the thoughts we had while watching Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery!