Miles Bron (Edward Norton) is an impressive man. He founded the impressive tech company Alpha, creator of a new fuel system sure to revolutionize travel. He owns an impressive private Greek island dubbed Glass Onion, complete with a mansion topped by a recreation of the titular object. Even the invitations to his parties are impressive, intricate puzzle boxes distributed to his five closest friends.
We see just how impressive those boxes are in an early sequence in Glass Onion. Scientist Lionel Toussaint (Leslie Odom Jr.) stands in his laboratory, inspecting a wooden conundrum consisting of spirals, latches, and switches, a challenge for even a man of Toussaint’s esteemed intellect.
On the phone, Toussaint consults with three other people who received a package from Miles, each influential in their own right. Connecticut governor Claire (Kathryn Hahn) slides abacus discs and reveals hidden slots. At a crowded party, model-turned-fashion designer Birdie Jay (Kate Hudson) squeals at each newly uncovered element, while hulking Internet celebrity Duke Cody (Dave Bautista) looks up clues on the Internet.
The movie cuts wildly between the various participants, sometimes blending them together with audacious split screens. Close-ups and cutaways capture the thrill experienced by each person, happy to finally be faced with a challenge suitable to their station as world-changing influencers. The camera pushes up on Cody’s reverent face as he speaks for all of the friends by saying, “Freaking Miles, man . . . genius.”