The Music Of "Glass Onion" Expresses What The Characters Can't

In “Glass Onion,” the sequel to the 2019 murder mystery “Knives Out,” Rian Johnson has once again assembled a cast filled with talent and star power. This time around, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Kate Hudson, Janelle Monáe, Edward Norton and Leslie Odom Jr. are just a few of the potential murder victims and suspects whose actions are under the scrutiny of the police. Daniel Craig's detective ace, Benoit Blanc. While the performances are outstanding and the dialogue between writer and director is as fast-paced and funny as ever, the ace in the film's sleeve is composer Nathan Johnson's lush and expressive score, which consistently conveys the emotions that secret characters try to keep hidden.

Johnson has worked with his cousin Rian on several feature films, including 'Brick', 'Looper' and 'Knives Out', and the close relationship provides the composer with opportunities few in his field get. "Usually the composers are brought in at the last minute, or when the movie is pretty much done," he told IndieWire. "Rian brings me in before he's even finished writing the script, so I have the giddy pleasure of hearing him talk about his ideas, and then he sends me the script. Then I can also go on the In the case of "Glass Onion," that meant bringing a moving rig to Greece, where Johnson was writing music at night after observing filming during the day, "so Rian and I can imagine anything while everything the movie unfolds."

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During production, Johnson worked on key themes and melodies that would define the various characters and continue throughout the film. There is a "disturber theme" that repeats with different instruments in the orchestra depending on the character at the center of a given scene, and which often provides counterpoint to the action rather than emphasizing it. "When you have the ability to write very clear character designs for the different characters, you can play by reversing them, not just playing what's happening verbatim," Johnson said. “You don't want to put a hat on a hat. If the actors kill it on screen, let's not just underline what they say, let's try to take it a step further and reach a different level. And when you have those character motifs, you can subvert those things, or you can mess with one character by stealing another character's theme - especially in a mystery like this where you kind of lay those crumbs of bread that may not be apparent first or even second watch, but it all weaves together emotionally throughout the film. »