The Knives Out movies are connected primarily through their shared protagonist, master detective Benoit Blanc, and the overarching whodunit genre style, but they are entirely standalone stories with independent plots, distinct settings, and completely different supporting casts of characters.
The question of whether cinematic universes, recurring characters, and serialized storytelling elements tie modern franchises together is one of the most common inquiries in contemporary pop culture. With the rise of interconnected superhero universes and sprawling multi-season television arcs, audiences have grown accustomed to looking for continuous narrative threads, overarching continuity traps, and post-credit sequences that set up future installments. When writer and director Rian Johnson launched Knives Out in 2019, followed by its streaming sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery in 2022, viewers naturally wondered how these separate cinematic puzzles fit into a broader master plan.
Understanding the nature of these connections requires examining the classic mystery traditions that inspired the franchise, the specific structural choices made by the filmmakers, and the official status of future installments. Rather than functioning like a traditional serialized franchise where the events of the first film directly impact the plot of the second, the Knives Out series operates much like the classic Hercule Poirot or Sherlock Holmes libraries of literature. In these stories, the continuity belongs entirely to the investigator rather than the victims, suspects, or settings.
The Core Link: Benoit Blanc as the Sole Continuing Thread
The single narrative bridge connecting the Knives Out movies is Benoit Blanc, portrayed by Daniel Craig. Blanc is an eccentric, world-famous southern detective whose reputation precedes him in every room he enters. Armed with an unmistakable drawl, sharp observation skills, and a theatrical flair for unmasking deceit, Blanc serves as the audience's anchor across radically different cinematic environments.
However, even Blanc’s personal life and background are kept intentionally sparse to prioritize the individual mysteries. In the first film, Knives Out, viewers learn very little about Blanc's history outside of his professional reputation and a brief, humorous nod to a profile written about him in The New Yorker. The sequel, Glass Onion, expands slightly on his domestic habits—showing him playing Among Friends in his bathtub and dealing with the boredom of lockdown life—yet it deliberately avoids constructing a heavy serialised backstory.
This creative decision keeps the focus squarely on the puzzle at hand. By refusing to burden the detective with a complex, weeping cinematic trauma or an unfolding multi-movie conspiracy, Rian Johnson ensures that each film remains accessible to casual viewers who may not have seen the previous installment. Blanc enters a closed ecosystem of suspects, solves the crime, and exits, leaving the surviving characters behind permanently.
| Feature / Element | Knives Out (2019) | Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Setting | A sprawling, gothic Massachusetts estate | A private Greek island luxury compound |
| Central Victim | Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer) | Andi and Helen Brand / Miles Bron's inner circle |
| Core Motive | Inheritance, family greed, and estate control | Tech monopoly, professional betrayal, and blackmail |
| Investigative Partner | Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas) | Helen Brand (Janelle Monáe) |
| Genre Subversion | Inverted detective story shifting into a thriller | High-tech satire of eccentric billionaires |
Standalone Plots and Independent Ensembles
Aside from Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc, there is zero overlap in the character rosters between the films. The ensemble casts are designed as self-contained theatrical troupes. In the original 2019 film, the mystery revolves around the Thrombey family—a wealthy, dysfunctional clan of publishing heirs, aspiring novelists, and opportunistic relatives played by actors such as Jamie Lee Curtis, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, and Don Johnson. Their interpersonal dynamics, financial dependencies, and historical grievances form the texture of that specific New England murder mystery.
When Glass Onion arrived on Netflix, it abandoned the Massachusetts estate entirely in favor of a sun-drenched Greek island owned by tech billionaire Miles Bron, played by Edward Norton. The supporting cast shifted to a group of self-described "disrupters," including politicians, scientists, models, and influencers played by Dave Bautista, Kate Hudson, Kathryn Hahn, and Leslie Odom Jr. None of the Thrombey family members appear, are referenced in a consequential way, or share any narrative space with the Greek island crew.
Because the casts and settings are completely distinct, the films do not require chronological viewing. A viewer can watch Glass Onion without ever seeing the original Knives Out and experience zero confusion regarding the plot, rules, or character motivations. Each movie introduces its own rules of engagement, its own set of red herrings, and its own unique social satire.
The Whodunit Tradition: Why Continuity Matters Less Than the Puzzle
To fully appreciate why the Knives Out movies are not connected by a continuous plotline, it helps to look at the literary traditions that inspired them. Rian Johnson explicitly modeled the franchise after classic whodunit detective fiction, most notably the works of Agatha Christie.
In Agatha Christie’s legendary bibliography, detective Hercule Poirot or Miss Jane Marple drops into a completely new environment—be it a stationary train, an archaeological dig, or an English country manor—surrounded by a fresh group of suspects who have gathered for a specific social reason. Once the killer is unmasked and justice is served, the detective moves on to the next case. The victims and suspects of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd do not bleed into Murder on the Orient Express.
By following this episodic template, the Knives Out series sidesteps the exhaustion often associated with modern cinematic universes. There are no dangling narrative threads, no mandatory viewing homework, and no universe-shattering stakes that threaten to engulf the entire world. The stakes are intensely personal, localized, and psychological, centering on greed, ego, murder, and the exposure of elite hypocrisy.
Production Evolution and the Netflix Partnership
Another reason the Knives Out films function as standalone entities stems from their production history and distribution evolution. The original film was produced independently by T-Street Productions and distributed theatrically by Lionsgate, grossing over $311 million worldwide against a modest $40 million budget. Its massive commercial and critical success made a sequel inevitable, but the creative rights path shifted dramatically.
In 2021, Netflix acquired the rights to two sequels in a landmark multi-million-dollar deal, ensuring that Benoit Blanc’s future investigations would debut on the streaming platform rather than receiving traditional wide theatrical rollouts. Because the films are financed and distributed as individual packages rather than traditional multi-picture studio arcs, Netflix and the filmmakers have total creative freedom to reinvent the aesthetic, tone, and genre subversion for every single outing.
This streaming-first model reinforces the anthology nature of the franchise. While theaters often demand familiar iconography and serialized hooks to drive repeat ticket sales, streaming models thrive on flexible, highly watchable event films that can attract audiences independently of one another.
Future Installments and the Anthology Format
As the franchise expands beyond its first two chapters, the anthology format remains firmly locked in place. The third installment in the series, officially titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, continues this tradition. While specific plot details and complete cast lists are rolled out closer to release, production updates confirm that Daniel Craig returns once more as Benoit Blanc to crack an entirely new, self-contained case with another fresh ensemble cast.
This structural rigidity guarantees that viewers should never expect characters from past films—such as Ana de Armas’s Marta Cabrera or Janelle Monáe’s Helen Brand—to return as recurring sidekicks. Each film functions as a cinematic reset button, offering a clean slate, a new puzzle box, and an entirely different social milieu for Blanc to dissect.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to watch the first Knives Out to understand Glass Onion?
No. Glass Onion is a completely standalone mystery with a new setting, new characters, and a separate plot. The only recurring element is detective Benoit Blanc, and the film introduces him adequately for any first-time viewer.
Are any of the characters from the first movie mentioned in the sequel?
No significant characters or plot points from the Thrombey family household carry over into the second film. The narrative universe is entirely reset between installments, adhering to the classic detective fiction anthology format.
Will past suspects or helpers ever return in future Knives Out movies?
Writer and director Rian Johnson has structured the franchise as an anthology series. While Daniel Craig returns for each installment as Benoit Blanc, the supporting casts, victims, and suspects change completely with every new film.
What is the correct viewing order for the Knives Out movies?
Because the films are standalone stories, you can watch them in release order—starting with Knives Out (2019) followed by Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)—or watch them in reverse order without missing any essential narrative continuity.
Are these movies based on books?
No. Unlike many classic whodunit franchises, the Knives Out series features entirely original screenplays written by Rian Johnson, drawing inspiration from classic mystery novels, plays, and cinematic thrillers rather than adapting a pre-existing literary property.
Practical Next Actions
If you are planning a movie night or exploring the franchise for the first time, you do not need to worry about sequential homework or catching up on lore. Start with either Knives Out (2019) for a classic New England estate mystery or dive straight into Glass Onion (2022) for a satirical Greek island tech thriller. Enjoy each film as an independent puzzle designed to test your deductive reasoning, secure in the knowledge that Benoit Blanc is the only constant you need to track.
