Script Analysis: “Glass Onion” — Scene-By-Scene Breakdown

Here is my take on this exercise from a previous series of posts — How To Read A Screenplay:

After a first pass, it’s time to crack open the script for a deeper analysis and you can do that by creating a scene-by-scene breakdown. It is precisely what it sounds like: A list of all the scenes in the script accompanied by a brief description of the events that transpire.

For purposes of this exercise, I have a slightly different take on scene. Here I am looking not just for individual scenes per se, but a scene or set of scenes that comprise one event or a continuous piece of action. Admittedly this is subjective and there is no right or wrong, the point is simply to break down the script into a series of parts which you then can use dig into the script’s structure and themes.

The value of this exercise:

• We pare down the story to its most constituent parts: Scenes.
• By doing this, we consciously explore the structure of the narrative.
• A scene-by-scene breakdown creates a foundation for even deeper analysis of the story.

Today: Glass Onion (2022). You may read the script here.

Written by Rian Johnson.

Plot summary: Tech billionaire Miles Bron invites his friends for a getaway on his private Greek island. When someone turns up dead, Detective Benoit Blanc is put on the case.

Glass Onion
Scene-by-Scene Breakdown
by Michael Korican
GoIntoTheStory.com

Scene 1–3: We meet Connecticut Governor CLAIRE DEBELLA, 30s, as she prepares for a Zoom interview during the early days of the pandemic. Super: May 13, 2020. She gets a package at the door; it’s a wooden box from “Miles.”

Scene 4–5: The CNN interview continues as we meet scientist LIONEL TOUSSAINT, 30s, in the midst of a Zoom meeting with fellow scientist as he also gets a wooden box from his boss Miles Bron, a tech giant.

Scene 6–7: Establishing shot of Central Park, New York. The CNN interview continues in a crowded loft apartment and we meet fashion designer BIRDIE JAY, 40s, and PEG, late 20s and Birdie’s assistant, as she also gets a wooden box.

Scene 8: Split-screen between Claire, Lionel and Birdie as they brainstorm how to open up their individual boxes from Miles. Birdie asks if anyone has heard from Duke.

Scene 9: We meet very fit YouTuber DUKE CODY, 40’s, his girlfriend WHISKEY, 22, and his MOM who tells Duke he has a delivery.

Scene 10–14: Duke joins the split-screen as his Mom says, “It’s a stereogram.” Lionel runs with this and opens the box, revealing various board games. The group works together to solve the riddles, including Yo-Yo Ma who tells them about the music box fugue. More riddles are solved and then — an invitation appears, to Myles’ private island for a mystery weekend to solve “my murder.”

Scene 15: We meet a WOMAN in her 30s staring at another wooden box. She uses a hammer to smash the box, finds the invitation and reads it.

Scene 16: We meet BENOIT BLANC playing a video game in his bathtub with Zoom pals ANGELA LANSBURY, STEPHEN SONDHEIM (both in their last film roles,) KAREEM ABDULJABBAR and NATASHA LYONNE. (Curiously, Blanc’s first appearance is not capitalized, nor is he described, but we can forgive this as we met the detective in a previous film.) He’s terrible at the game and the group is concerned for him. He says he needs a great case when off-screen he hear, “There’s someone here with a box.”

Scene 17–20: The main title appears over glistening waves, tilting up to reveal Blanc sitting at the end off a Grecian harbor jetty. Lionel, Claire, Birdie and Peg show up. Lionel recognizes Blanc, the detective. He in turn recognizes them. Duke and Whiskey drive in on a motorcycle. The group is curious about Blanc’s invitation and asks him if he knows Miles — nope. Lionel proffers, “Oh I get it, the murder mystery game!” EFFICIENT MAN explains that the yacht will take them to Miles’s island in two hours and shoots an aerosol virus treatment into their throats — and we learn that Duke is allergic to pineapple. (Their treatment means the pandemic can be safely ignored for the rest of the film.) As they’re getting on the boat, a car pulls up on the jetty and the Woman steps out. Birdie says, “Andi! Hi! Holy. Shit.”

Scene 21: As they cruise, Blanc asks Lionel about Andi and we learn that she (CASSANDRA BRAND) was Miles’ partner from ten years ago and the birth of their company; Miles used a legal move to cut her out completely.

Scene 22–25: We meet MILES BRON playing Blackbird on “Paul’s guitar.” He greets each guest in turn. DEROL, 30s hippy, wanders through the scene. Blanc wonders who will bring the luggage. Andi introduces herself to Blanc and says, “This rich people shit is weird.”

Scene 26–27: Miles gives everyone a tour of his villa, The Glass Onion, including its massive glass dome, while Boston Dynamic Robot Dogs deal with the luggage. He sends them to their various rooms and keeps Blanc back for a chat. In his office, Miles asks Blanc why he’s there because he didn’t invite him. Blanc shows him the invitation and Miles suggests someone must have reset the box and sent it to him. He’s amused and officially invites Blanc and dares him to solve the mystery.

Scene 28: Poolside, Blanc asks Miles to explain “Disruptors” and what brought them all together. Miles relates how each of them disrupted a different part of society. Andi calls Miles out on that and explains that he’s actually propping everyone up by bankrolling them: “And every one of you will stab a friend in the back to hold on.” He storms off; “Dinner is at eight.”

Scene 29–31: Claire confides to Lionel that something’s off with Andi. / Peg implores Miles not to force Birdy to release a statement on Bangladesh. (?) Blanc tries to smoke but sets off loudspeakers. / Duke runs through the gardens but spies Whiskey on top of Miles making out. Blanc spies Duke getting upset.

Scene 32–34: That night, Miles hands out customized drinks to everyone. Claire spots a Mona Lisa poster in the atrium but Miles corrects her: he has the real painting on loan from the Louvre while the pandemic is on. He says, in a week, it will be the backdrop to an announcement he’ll be making about Klear, a limitless hydrogen fuel he has bankrolled. Miles explains the murder mystery that should take all weekend. Blanc promptly describes the murder in detail, solving it. An archery arrow pops up on Miles’s chest and fake bloods pumps out.

Scene 35: Miles and Blanc chat in his office at the top of the Glass Onion. Blanc expresses how good it felt to solve the mystery but Miles is pissed that the weekend is spoiled. Blanc confides that he is concerned that each of the weekend guests has a genuine reason to kill Miles. Blanc spots a napkin with a doodle of “Alpha” and a Polaroid of the original gang at the real Glass Onion bar. Miles says, “It’s all fake smiles now…. God. I miss that bar.”

Scene 36: Meanwhile, the guests are lounging about after dinner, drinking and wondering if they should leave tomorrow. Andi speaks and Claire turns on her. Accusations about the past and present fly. Andi storms off. Miles and Blanc enter and Blanc revives the party. Duke’s Google alerts blow up and Miles suggests a toast. They all drink to Duke but he gasps and falls down, dead. Blanc asks for the Police because the death was so sudden and violent.

Scene 37: In the radio room, Lionel radios for help but learns that no one can attend until tomorrow.

Scene 38–40: Lionel runs into the atrium and relays that the boat can’t dock until 6 a.m. at the earliest. Blanc suggests everyone lock themselves into their rooms until then. (Andi and Whiskey have left.) Miles spots an empty tumbler on the floor, with HIS NAME. In a flashback we see Duke reach for Miles’s drink right before he died. Blanc gets very frightened. As folks are looking for Duke’s phone, they realize the gun he always carries in his belt is missing. The hour strikes 10 and Miles freaks out more as, on cue, all the lights on the island are turned off. Everyone freaks out. Whiskey runs in with a spear gun, accuses Andi of killing Duke and that she ransacked their room. Miles runs away.

Scene 41–50: In darkness, Miles runs through a hallway. In the atrium, Peg turns on her phone’s flashlight to discover no one else there. Blanc runs through the kitchen and discovers that a large knife is missing from the knife block. He runs into Andi outside and tells her he only needs one more piece to solve this. From inside the house, a gloved hand uses Duke’s gun to shoot Andi. A running gag, a glass shield covers the Mona Lisa while she smiles. The lights come back on to reveal Blanc standing over Andi’s blood-soaked body. Everyone stares at her and Blanc orders them inside.

Scene 51: They’re all confused and Lionel asks Blanc to explain it all. Blanc says he can pull back the layers but “only one person can tell us who killed Cassandra Brand.”

Scene 52–55: Backstory! Andi knocks on a white wooden door and asks if Benoit Blanc is home. Hugh Grant invites her in. On a balcony high above the city Andi gives Blanc the remains of a shattered puzzle box and the invitation to the Greek island. He asks her to start at the beginning. She reveals she is HELEN BRAND, Andi’s identical twin. Two days ago she was informed her sister committed suicide. Blanc says he recognizes the name, offers his condolences and asks what he can do for Helen. She’s convinced Andi was murdered and one of the Disruptors did it. There was no note so Helen checked Andi’s email and discovered a message to them all saying she found “it,” holding up a red envelope, and threatening to burn Miles’s empire done unless everyone makes things right. Helen says the red envelope was not found when she was cleaning up. She says she came to him to go to the island for her. He contemplates the suggestion and says he’ll only do it if she goes as well — as Andi. She argues but relents when Blanc points out that they don’t know Andi is dead.

Scene 56–58: In Greece, “Andi” meets Blanc at a café at night. She has a new hairdo and clothes. She’s read Andi’s journals and studied all of her TED talks. Blanc asks her how they all met.

Scene 59–69: Flashback! Helen narrates the story of how Andi introduces Miles to her group of misfits at the Glass Onion bar and how he helped them gain standing, after telling them he wanted to be responsible for something that gets talked about in the same breath as the Mona Lisa, forever. Andi sketched an idea for Alpha on a napkin and Miles and her created a huge tech success. Miles met a Norwegian chemist who sold him on a hydrogen fuel idea. However, Andi thought it was dangerous and told Miles she would walk with her half of the company. Miles and his lawyers pushed her out with nothing. She sued but on the stand all the Disruptors said it was Miles who drew on the napkin. Blanc says they have to find out why they perjured themselves and who would go the extra distance and kill Andi to protect Miles.

Scene 70–76: On the boat coming over to the island, Andi stands at a railing. Duke and Birdie tell her she shouldn’t be there. Blanc ties up his shoelace and asks Andi to snoop when he’s talking with Miles. She walks bumps into Whiskey on the grounds and they talk. She jumps as Duke shoots his gun off. She overhears Claire and Lionel talking about Klear and how it will turn into hydrogen gas and go boom. She then overhears Birdie talking with Peg and how she’ll take care of him when the time is right. Birdie notices Andi sitting beside her on a lounge chair.

Scene 77–81: Blanc debriefs Andi in a marble bathroom and he tells her this is all motive. She can’t believe it so Blanc describes the real Andi’s murder by poisoning. Andi is now drunk on Jared Leto’s hard kombucha. Blanc reminds her of the danger here and not to push it.

Scene 82–85: Poolside, Miles holds court. Andi takes a last swig of hard kombucha and wanders by. Claire asks her what she’s doing and Andi asks her about the email; why she didn’t write back. Claire says she, and everyone, phoned but you never picked up, so she and Duke went to the house, but you never answered. Birdie checked later too. Andi asks Claire if she had answered the door, would she have recanted her testimony? Silence. Andi leaves. Lionel emerges behind Claire, who states, “Something’s off.”

Scene 86–87: Andi spots Blanc and they head into the gym. She tells him what she’s discovered. The life-size picture of Serena Williams comes to life and asks if they want to do a workout. Startled, they decline. A fax machine whirs and Blanc digs through a pile of previous faxes and locates one with Andi’s email with the picture of the envelope containing the napkin, from LIONEL. They hide and Duke storms in. He’s on the phone telling someone (Whiskey?) to “push that son of a bitch and get an answer from him.”

Scene 88–92: Miles and Whiskey are making out, which Dukes sees from outside (and which Blanc and Andi see from the distance.) She’s trying to convince him to put Duke on Alpha News but he says he can’t. In Birdie’s villa, Birdie follows after Peg. Andi dashes in and retrieves the digital recorder she stashed in Birdie’s bag. Back in Andi’s villa, she plays the recording to Blanc. They hear (and we see) Birdie and Peg arguing. Birdie tosses her secret phone to Peg, revealing an email from the sweatpants manufacturer admitting that the “factory is notoriously one of the world’s biggest sweat shops.” Peg is gutted, thinks, and then asks Birdie, “Please tell me you didn’t think ‘sweat shops’ were where they make sweat pants.” Back in Andi’s villa, Blanc and Andi realize all four had a motive to protect Miles. But who has the envelope? In someone’s room? Blanc plans to do something “at dinner tonight.”

Scene 93–102: Back in the atrium, Blanc narrates the on-screen action as Andi picks a fight with Duke, storms out; tears apart Claire’s villa searching for the napkin; while Birdie twirls in the atrium; tears apart Birdie’s villa; in the atrium, after finishing his drink, Duke clutches his throat; Andi tears apart Lionel’s villa, she bursts in and immediately out of Derol’s villa.

Scene 103–106: Andi runs into Duke’s villa to search and finally checks her phone. A Google alert shows that Cassandra Brand’s suicide has been reported. Helen’s cover is blown! Whiskey stumbles in, confused. She babbles and Andi, not knowing that Duke is dead, says he was a bastard and that you’re better off without him. Whiskey grabs a spear gun and points it at Helen, who dashes out. Helen bumps into Blanc outside and he tells her Duke is dead. She tells him she didn’t find the letter in any of the villas. Blanc looks at the Glass Onion and surmises it must be there. Suddenly, BANG! Helen is shot and falls to the ground. Confused, she pulls Andi’s diary from her breast pocket, revealing a bullet embedded in it. Blanc hatches a plan and pulls a bottle of hot sauce from his pocket, splashing the red “blood” onto Helen and dabbing some in his eyes. The lights snap back on and everyone discovers “dead” Andi. Blanc orders everyone inside with, “She’s not going anywhere. Inside. It’s time to finish this.” Andi sneaks away as Blanc starts explaining to Miles.

Scene 107–111: Back in the atrium, Blanc reviews the mystery of who killed Cassandra Brand as Andi walks into Miles’s Glass Onion office and stares at the original Polaroid. There’s a stained glass golden ratio picture with a square red centre. Helen pulls out the red envelope from behind the picture.

Scene 112–146: In the atrium in front of the gathered guests and Miles, Blanc pontificates and goes over the series of malapropisms and factual errors that has led him to state, “Miles Bron is an idiot!” and not a complicated genius. Miles rolls his eyes and begs Blanc to tell them who tried to kill him. “Nobody tried to kill you, you vainglorious buffoon.” Miles protests, “But Duke. Duke took my glass.” With a series of flashback scenes intercut with the atrium over the next 10+ pages, Blanc relates that Miles told them Duke took his drink from the table but on careful recollection, Miles GAVE his glass to Duke. Lionel asks if he’s saying that Miles murdered Duke. “Yes!” Because on the night Andi sent them the email, Duke got to her house early BUT saw Miles leaving, in fact, was almost hit by his fast car. Blanc points out that Duke mentioned it in passing at the pool. Lionel protests that Miles has been living in Greece for the past six months. Blanc points out that Miles met Whiskey in New York two weeks ago to give her a birthday present. He says, “Focus… on the envelope!” and Helen walks down the spiral staircase, red envelope in hand, red “blood” prominently visible on her white outfit. Birdie screams and Claire swears. Blanc: “Who did the envelope threaten? Miles Bron.” He relates that Lionel faxed the email to Miles, who received it in New York and promptly drove to Andi’s and poisoned her tea. But Duke did not know that Andi was dead, only that he’d seen Miles coming from her house. Only tonight, when his phone was blowing up with Google alerts, did Duke find out that Andi was dead and then begun to pressure Miles to get him onto Alpha News. So Miles poured a drop of pineapple juice into his whiskey that he knew would kill Duke because of his allergy. Lionel reads from his phone, “Survived by her sister Helen.” Blanc introduces Helen Brand to the group. Blanc moves on to Helen’s attempted murder, which the idea for he accuses Miles of stealing from him during their office meeting. Everyone stares at Miles and Lionel asks him why he didn’t burn the envelope? The envelope that Helen raises up. He asks how do we know it’s not a fake? Helen says this envelope has the name of the bar on it, and his doesn’t. Miles quickly activates his lighter underneath the napkin and it immediately burns up. Miles blurts that despite all the accusations, there is no actual evidence. Helen turns to Blanc and he reluctantly agrees. Helen asks but no one will step up. “You would lie for a lie, you won’t lie for the truth?” Blanc offers her a drink; she downs it and drops the glass to the floor and it shatters. She moves through the atrium knocking over all the glass sculptures and they shatter. Everyone except Miles and Blanc join in smashing things. They laugh after the release but Helen continues breaking stuff. She grabs Miles’s lighter and sets the broken bar cart on fire. Then she tosses cushions on it. Miles tells her to walk away but Helen turns and throws a small chunk of Klear, which Blanc had passed to her when he gave her the last drink, into the fire. The air ducts suck the huge fire up into the Glass Onion, and then the whole house explodes.

Scene 147: Under the light of the explosions, Blanc lounges outside, smoking with Derol.

Scene 148: The atrium is in flames but no one has died. In slow motion Helen runs to the over-ride button, getting there before Miles, and releases the glass shield in front of the Mona Lisa. The painting burns.

Scene 149: Outside, the group is sitting on the steps as Miles approaches and tells Helen her tantrum hasn’t changed anything. She points out that Klear just barbecued the world’s most famous painting. “You’re ruined. But you did get your wish. You will forever be remembered in the same breath as the Mona Lisa.” She walks off. The Disruptors raise their hands one by one and speak an incriminating statement to Miles. He calls them all shit heads.

Scene 150: Blanc and Helen sit on the dock as the authorities approach by water. “Did you get the son of a bitch?” “Yup.” “Ready to go home?” Is that a Mona Lisa smile on Helen’s face?

“Glass Onion” by the Beatles plays over the credits.

Writing Exercise: I encourage you to read the script, but short of that, if you’ve seen the movie, go through this scene-by-scene breakdown. What stands out to you about it from a structural standpoint?

To download a PDF of the breakdown, go here.

Kudos to Michael Korican for doing this scene-by-scene breakdown.

To access over 100 analyses of previous movie scripts we have read and discussed at Go Into The Story, go here.