Ahead of availability on Netflix next month, Glass onion: a mystery at loggerheads is currently in theaters for a one-week limited release. It’s a nuanced film, but one of the smartest things was how Rian Johnson escaped something the director said he “fucks himself.” [him] on the next mystery movie. Some spoilers on Glass Onion below.
In February 2020, Johnson shared how “bad guys can’t have iPhones on camera” and joked that “every filmmaker who has a bad guy in their movie that’s supposed to be a secret wants to murder me in this time” for revelation.
“Apple, they let you use iPhones in movies, but, and this is very important, if you’re watching a mystery movie, the bad guys can’t have iPhones in front of the camera.”
Rian Johnson
In the 2019 film, Apple is listed in the “producers would like to thank” section of the end credits. The character played by Chris Evans prominently uses an Android phone (as well as Chrome and Proton Mail). Everyone had an iPhone and more than a few people wore an Apple Watch.
In the sequel, which was part of an intense bidding war with Apple and Amazon before Netflix won, you see plenty of characters using Samsung foldables running Android. We see several Galaxy Fold and Flip devices actively used by the main cast.
Dave Bautista’s character was on the Fold, while Kathryn Hahn’s had a Flip. Kate Hudson also used a normal Galaxy S smartphone. Some liberties may have been taken in terms of device generations with slightly newer models – in my eyes – being used than what was available when the film was shot in mid-2020.
The wide use of devices other than the iPhone likely serves multiple purposes. First, to satisfy this edict from Apple (in more ways than one…), but also to confuse observers aware of the fact that “the bad guys can’t have iPhones in front of the camera”. At the same time, Johnson wants us to be wary of the main cast, and their non-iPhone usage seemingly confirms that.
There is also a fourth goal (the other, larger way Glass Onion escapes “bad guys can’t use iPhones”), but I’d rather not spoil that until more people can watch the movie.
Meanwhile, the iPad Pro gets a comedic appearance and namecheck by Daniel Craig and Edward Norton. Other notable and slightly spoiler-y technology inclusions include:
- Daniel Craig – in a bathtub – playing (and being bad) Among Us with Natasha Lyonne, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Angela Lansbury and Stephen Sondheim.
- Live streams on YouTube and Twitch.
- Heavy, if not plot-centric, use of Google Alerts by Dave Bautista.
- An essential (fictional) news article from The Verge.
Glass onion: a mystery at loggerheads hits Netflix on December 23.
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