FILM · 2022
Glass Onion
170 archived facts 7 topics 1 source Last reviewed Sep 2026
16 Facts on the Deeper Meaning of Glass Onion
- #017
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The song "Glass Onion", which inspired the title and plays at the end, also fits the film's main theme. John Lennon wrote "Glass Onion" to confuse fans who went to great lengths to find hidden layers in the Beatles' music that did not exist, a trend he found irritating. By combining random lyrics from some of the group's other well-known songs, he gave it the outward appearance of containing deep hidden meanings, when it was nonsense with no meaning at all. The song itself is a glass onion.
- #035
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Minutes before receiving Miles's invitation, Blanc says directly, "I don't need puzzles or games, the last thing I need is a vacation," implying that a box containing children's puzzles and an invitation to a fake murder game on a private island does not interest Blanc, and that what actually arrived at his door that day was a real mystery that needed solving.
- #059
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The "glass onion" motif is the inverse of the "donut within a donut hole" discussion in the first film; in the second, Blanc describes a crime hidden inside a seemingly solved crime, while in the first he states that Miles's plan, despite appearing complex, is exactly as crudely simple as it looks.
- #069
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Miles Bron's house contains paintings and pictures of David Bowie. Near the end of the film Miles says to a character, "Are you an alligator?!" This is probably a reference to Bowie's 1971 song "Moonage Daydream," in which the alligator is thought to symbolize the power of words and a guilty conscience.
- #070
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In the scene where Miles plays billiards, there is a sign behind him reading HAVUZ. It is positioned so that the "L" is covered, leaving the remaining letters to spell "POO" in neon lights beside his head. This fits Helen's description of her own group as "shitheads" and implies that he is the head "shithead."
- #076
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Blanc describes the glass onion as a metaphor, "an object that seems densely layered, but in reality the center is in plain sight." Excluding the credits, the killer is clearly visible and audible almost exactly at the midpoint of the film's running time.
- #084
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Blanc and Bron are positioned as opposites. Blanc (whose name means "white") is a compassionate, quick-witted and understanding problem solver who centers, protects and encourages the people he helps. Bron (whose name means "brown" or "dark") is an idea-stealing, manipulative, selfish credit-taker who shifts blame onto others. Blanc sincerely apologizes if he has to disappoint someone. Bron apologizes for nothing. Bron craves the spotlight, while Blanc graciously steps out of it when he sees that is what is needed. Both are even represented by images of race cars. At the start Blanc describes his mind as like a race car with nowhere to go, a metaphor showing that his spirit has gone stagnant from forced idleness and a lack of challenges. Bron has a real race car kept on his roof, "'Cause there's nowhere to drive it on the island," a concrete symbol of how he uses his own mind (he feels or cares about no lack, and is only seen using it in emergencies). Blanc initially plays a sycophantic, jerk-like fanboy. Bron comes across as a flashy, charismatic and magnanimous eccentric genius. When the perspectives shift, the characters "cross positions." Blanc goes from fake fool to real genius, Bron from fake genius to real fool.
- #097
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The "secret button" that lets Miles disable the security shield over the Mona Lisa takes the form of a court jester in the style of a Hummel figurine (the characteristic childlike figure with wide eyes and an open-mouthed expression). This carries a double meaning. Jester is another word for "fool," and as a profession it has two types: the quick-witted one trained to play the entertainer, cunning or sharp and an instant political satirist while pretending to be ridiculous; and the other, a person of limited intelligence used as an object of mockery because of mental disabilities. Hummel figurines were inspired by the art of German Franciscan nun Maria Innocentia "Berta" Hummel, who created most of her works under the Nazi regime. One of her paintings drew Hitler's attention and anger, leading to a ban on selling her work in Germany. She nevertheless continued to paint, including pieces that openly displayed the Star of David. She was reluctant to have her art copied or turned into figurines, but agreed both to support her convent and to help provide employment for workers. Despite being incredibly popular and successful, the Nazi regime claimed half of her income, and she later died at 37 after living in a confiscated convent where the remaining nuns were denied heating or easy access to food.
- #098
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What It Foreshadows: Alongside Alpha (beginning), Omega (end) also appears throughout the film. The Omega symbol is on the side of Blanc's ship and the Disruptors travel on it (where the ship's name is), Helen-as-Andi is positioned next to two pillows bearing the ship's symbol, Claire wears a robe with the same design, and of course Blanc's Omega Seamaster watch is shown in close-up. While everyone anticipates the final end of Alpha and Miles (and eventually all the Disruptors), it especially emphasizes that Helen and Blanc will be the key to finishing things.
- #115
The symbol on the notes the Disruptors receive after opening the puzzle box is the Greek "Mati," which means eye in Greek and is worn by many people as a symbol of protection from evil. The evil eye is in fact a symbol used to ward off the bad energy a person can pass to another.
- #117
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On the boat ride to the island, viewed from the upper deck, Andi can be seen standing next to the 'Omega' symbol on a seat cushion. This may foreshadow her role in the demise of Alpha, the company Miles founded.
- #128
When Helen bursts into her room, the tunnel symbol from Brick can be seen drawn on Derol's surfboard.
- #139
Touissant wears a lapel pin shaped like a solid wishbone. Beyond its association with wishes, wishbones represent good luck, looking to the future and untapped potential. Although Touissant is a brilliant and perceptive scientist who weighs both immediate and long-term consequences, he has to spend a significant amount of time and mental energy mediating between Bron, Bron's absurd ideas, and other scientists and investors instead of making his own scientific or technological innovations, and he bears the burden of pressure and criticism from every side.
- #149
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More connections to the color red. Miles personalizes Andi's bracelet to glow red for the Root chakra, which symbolizes power, survival and stability. In Western color symbolism, red can also symbolize anger, revenge and fire. In Greek mythology, red was also used in transitional life events such as weddings and funerals, as well as being a symbol of fire and renewal, especially since much of the story takes place in Greece.
- #153
In the scene where Benoit Blanc makes a Batman reference, you can hear a sample of the Batman theme playing underneath. Not only that, but one of the tattoos on Duke's hand is the Superman logo.
- #165
At 1 hour 41 minutes: the 'A' symbol on the surfboard is taken from Rian Johnson's first feature film, Brick (2005).
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