The Knives Out sequel Glass Onion is out theatrically and is on Netflix in December, but there’s a question if it is truly Knives Out 2. Do viewers need to watch Knives Out before they can understand the plot of Glass Onion? Is there any connection between the two movies, either in terms of plot or returning characters?
Do You Need to Watch Knives Out Before Glass Onion?
It is not necessary to watch Knives Out before Glass Onion as there is basically no connection between them. The character of detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is the only character to return from Knives Out and his role in that movie is not mentioned. The events of Knives Out are not referenced and do not play any part in the story of Glass Onion.
In the events of Knives Out, Benoit Blanc helped with the events where the Thrombey family was thrown into disarray following the death of mystery novelist Harlan Thrombey. Following this, Blanc is going slightly crazy under lockdown without a case to solve. He is therefore overjoyed to get invited to a murder mystery party held by eccentric billionaire Miles Bron (Edward Norton). This soon proves far deadlier than any of the guests expected.
Nonetheless, there is no connection between the events or characters of Knives Out and Glass Onion, other than the presence of Benoit Blanc. Blanc’s involvement in the Thrombey murder is not mentioned. Most importantly, new viewers are quickly introduced to Blanc. No knowledge of Knives Out is required to enjoy Glass Onion, which has a more comedic tone than Knives Out anyway. Anyone who chooses to watch Glass Onion first will not be lost. Nevertheless, it’s worth watching Knives Out as well, simply because they are both excellent movies.
For anyone who has seen Glass Onion and is confused by the ending, here is a full explanation of what went down and how it makes sense.