GLASS ONION

A Benoit Blanc Mystery by

Rian Johnson

Original British Title: "Benoit Blanc Goes Troppo"

3.1
A FRONT DOOR, PAINTED BLACK

A hand knocks. Muffled noise inside, then it opens

revealing CLAIRE DEBELLA, 30s. Nicely made up in a beige
blouse but wears sweat pants and Uggs. She's on the phone.
The man who knocked is a COURIER delivering a cardboard box
about the size of four large stacked pizza boxes.

CLAIRE
-subject to their approval hold on
(to courier)
Hey - oh shit, sorry -

She realizes she isn't wearing a mask, puts her arm

awkwardly over her mouth. Widen to reveal:

EXT. SUBURBAN HOUSE - DAY

The courier's van with CONNECTICUT plates at the curb.

Claire signs for the package and takes it.

A title card up over this:

MAY 8, 2020

INT. DEBELLA HOME

Claire awkwardly puts the large box on the kitchen island,

where her husband DEVON (30s, shaggy haired in a vintage
GREENPEACE t-shirt) wrangles three kids and sorts paperwork.

DEVON
What's this?

CLAIRE
I don't know I've got the CNN thing
(to an offscreen kid)
ARTIE! The oven is not a fort!
Devon pull them out of there, FOX
already calls me a witch, last thing
I need, cook the children.

As she rushes into the living room where a mini studio is

set up in front of a bookshelf, "DEBELLA 2020" election
signs everywhere. One of her kids hands her an impossibly
twisted SLINKY.

KID
It's spaghetti!
 2.

A few assistants check Claire's makeup as she somehow

untangles the slinky while rattling off instructions. She's
a blaze of beige energy, sharp and incredibly wry.
CLAIRE
Before I forget tell the printers to
run the lawn signs again they look
like puke on toast, push my ten to
one and my one to tomorrow, we'll
deal with tomorrow tonight. Here
baby go slink.

She hands the now perfect slinky to her child who runs off.

ASSISTANT
On in 10, she's leading you in now.

In the kitchen, Devon has removed the cardboard box,

revealing a large smooth WOODEN BOX, with a small note -
"LOVE, MILES!" Devon gets very excited.

DEVON
It's from Miles!

Claire just has time to react to this before she's on live.

CNN ANCHOR (ON SCREEN)

And with me now is Connecticut
Governor Claire Debella, whose senate
campaign is picking up steam, as
she's positioned herself as a very
different kind of candidate.
Governor, thanks for joining us,
working from home like most of us, I
can see

CLAIRE
Yes, welcome to our office, campaign
center and kindergarten, we are
losing our minds.

CNN ANCHOR (ON SCREEN)

Well I want to talk about your
campaign,

INT. AEROSPACE FACTORY

A cavernous warehouse-sized space with clean floors and

massive pieces of strange equipment. It's empty and mostly
dark. An unattended TV on the wall (in an open break area
with bean bag chairs) plays to nobody at all.
 3.

CNN ANCHOR (ON TV)

you're an independent, members of
both parties refer to you as Cruella
Debella

CLAIRE (ON TV)

So clever. Cause it rhymes.

CNN ANCHOR (ON TV)

You have a reputation for cut-throat
political tactics, and that's ruffled
some feathers on both sides of the
aisle.

CLAIRE (ON TV)

Ruffle away, I could care less. I'm
not here to get power in a party or
protect my job, I'm here for one
thing: decide what's best for the
people and get it done. And you see
them responding.

A WORKER in protective gear and face shield rolls a cart

through the space, past the tv. On the cart is a WOOD BOX,
identical to the one Claire received. A huge sign in the
background if we notice it: "ALPHA COSMOS"

CNN ANCHOR (ON TV)

Your campaign is backed by
billionaire philanthropist Miles
Bron, founder of the ubiquitous tech
giant Alpha, which now has dozens of
companies from Alpha Cosmos to Alpha
Car, Alpha Shop, Alpha News,

CLAIRE
Your competitor

CNN ANCHOR (ON TV)

our competitor, right. Is there any
concern with having so much of your
campaign backed by one private donor?

CLAIRE (ON TV)

Miles and I go way back, he's earned
a reputation as someone who wants to
make the world a better place. He
believes in the power of an idea
whose time has come to disrupt the
status quo, to blow things up, and he
puts his money behind it. And look
at the grass roots response we're
getting, people are sick of
 4.

The worker rolls the cart towards a freestanding CONFERENCE

ROOM in the middle of the factory floor.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM

LIONEL TOUSSAINT (30s) sits alone at a table facing a wall

of various SCIENTISTS on zoom screens. Head in his hands.

LIONEL
I know. I know I know I know but
what can I do?

Every scientist says some exasperated variation of:

SCIENTISTS (ON SCREENS)

You can tell him NO.

SCIENTIST ONE
Lionel you're a scientist not a
publicist, you can't keep making
excuses for Miles Bron's every insane
whim!

LIONEL
But genius always looks like insanity
at first, though, right? Isn't that
how he became Miles Bron? I mean you
guys don't even know - he faxes me in
the middle of the night, constantly,
he loves faxes, he sends his ideas
and I'm supposed to - here - insane
or genius, you tell me -

Lionel pulls a handful of fax pages from a pile on the table

LIONEL (cont'd)
"Uber for biospheres" - no idea but
maybe right? - "AI in Dogs =
discourse" - I, all night long they
just keep - here - but then -

He holds up another that just says "CHILD = NFT?"

LIONEL (cont'd)
We all laughed, crazy Miles, until
the "Krypto Kidz" app paid for this
building.

The door opens, and the worker pushes the cart in.

WORKER
Delivery. I wiped it down.
 5.

Lionel goes over to the cart, still talking, pulls it in.

LIONEL
How can you argue with that?

SCIENTIST ONE
We know, never bet against Bron, we
know it but he's asking us to put a
volatile substance on a manned flight

LIONEL
He won't listen, he just comes back
with "make it work" - and what if it
works?

A stentorian scientist breaks through:

SCIENTIST TWO
This is science, not a religion.
You'd do well to remember that.
Because if your name is on this and
it fails, it will sink you forever.

Lionel lifts the card on the wooden box. "LOVE, MILES!"

EXT. THE DAKOTA - MANHATTAN - DAY

The beautiful apartment building, on a clear Manhattan day.

INT. APARTMENT

Claire's interview on a television.

CLAIRE (ON TV)

Yeah I met my husband Devon in
Greenpeace, with his porn stache,
there's the picture. I'm hard line
on climate change, if that scares you
go stick your head back in the sand.
My constituents trust I'm gonna fight
the machine to keep their water clean
and land green. Oh, that's good, we
gotta get t-shirts with that. Remind
me.

We pull back from the television through a room filled with

a DIZZYING array of INTERESTING PEOPLE - models, musicians,
authors, designers, circus performers, all reclining on
couches or grouped on the floor, smoking and doing drum
circles and partying like it isn't 2pm on a weekday during a
pandemic.
 6.

Finally we land on ex-model, magazine editor and fashion

designer BIRDIE JAY (40s.) A few men are, at any given
moment, always paying attention to her, and she looks both
fabulous and sick of life.

BIRDIE
I'm so bored. Peg! Where's Peg?
Peggggggg!

Birdie's long suffering assistant PEG (late 20s) shuffles in

the door holding a familiar CARDBOARD BOX, which she
deposits on the coffee table.

PEG
I'm here.
(spots off-screen)
Hey - no fire spinning inside!

BIRDIE PEG
Pegggg I'm so bored, give me
my phone just a little just
a little phone time just a No phone.
tiny little phone time

MODEL
Why can't she have her phone?

DANCER
Because she's mean.

Birdie rolls her eyes and sarcastically does air quotes:

BIRDIE
No. It's cause she's afraaaaid I'll
tweeeeet. An ethnic slurrrr.
Agaaaaain.

PEG
You agreed, no phone for the rest of
the media cycle.

BIRDIE
I didn't even know that word referred
to Jewish people, I though it was
just a generic word for "cheap."

Peg blinks at her.

PEG
"Jewy??"
 7.

BIRDIE
Everything's so woke these days it's
out of control.
VAMPIRE IN TUXEDO
Yes.

Peg pulls away cardboard, revealing the WOOD BOX.

BIRDIE
I'm sorry I say it like I see it, no
filter, if people can't handle that
it's their problem what's this?

PEG
A guy dropped it off -

Birdie picks up the card and seeing who it's from lights up:

BIRDIE
Oh my god OH MY GOD!

INT. DEBELLA HOME

Claire, back in the kitchen with Devon, answers a call on

her phone - from LIONEL. She puts him on speaker.

CLAIRE
Alright genius what is this thing?

SPLIT-SCREEN with Lionel in his conference room, inspecting

the box.

DEVON LIONEL
It's a Miles invitation It's one of Miles's
invitations

CLAIRE
Well duh but what is it? It's just
like a block of wood

DEVON
There's gotta be a way to open it
right?

LIONEL
There's no latches or even visible
seams. It's solid. The wood grain
pattern is weird though, it's
familiar...

Claire's phone buzzes with another call

 8.

CLAIRE
It's Birdie. Hold on.
Claire adds her and we now also SPLIT-SCREEN Birdie in the
party apartment.

BIRDIE
Ok how do you open this thing?

CLAIRE
Hi Birdie, Lionel's on too. Hi Peg!

BIRDIE
Peg's putting out a fire but she'll
be back.

CLAIRE
Putting out another fire? Bird
what'd you say this time, you gotta
stay off the twitter.

BIRDIE
No nothing like that, no it's fine.

Peg runs by in the background with a fire extinguisher.

BIRDIE (cont'd)
Is this one of Miles's puzzles - have
you figured it out yet? Lionel? Use
your science brain.

Lionel runs his hands over the box, perplexed.

LIONEL
Working on it. Bird should you be
having a party?

BIRDIE
They're in my pod, it's fine. Has
anyone heard from Duke?

ALL
No.

INT. THREE CAR GARAGE - DAY

A gorgeous MUSTANG parked in the background, sleek weight

lifting equipment, expensive gadgets. DUKE CODY (40s, very
fit) sits in the foreground speaking directly into the
camera. We slowly widen to reveal the frame of a YOUTUBE
video around him - we're watching him live broadcasting.
 9.

DUKE
This has gotten some attention
obviously so I want to speak to
this - no, Jimmy Kimmel, I do not
"hate boobs." Boobs - breasts - give
us many useful things. Milk.
Cheese. Breasts nourish our young,
until the age where we can hunt for
them. And breasts are fun, let's
face it. Nothing wrong with that.
Am I right babe?

A 22 year old girl named Whiskey steps into frame, dressed

in a sporty provocative way involving camouflage.

WHISKEY
I love my boobs, they're super fun.
Oops! Sorry feminists!

She struts off screen as Duke continues.

DUKE
When we refer to the
"breastification" of America, what we
mean is a breakdown of the natural
order, evolutionary truths that go
back billions of years. If you're a
young man in America you're being
asked to slow down so women can catch
up. For centuries in the western
workplace men have dominated, because
that's what nature made us to do.
Would you walk into the Serengeti and
tell the king of the jungle "hey lion
king, sorry, we're gonna need you to
let the females hunt half the time
while you stay home and watch the
lion children?" That lion would
laugh at you. And rightly so.

A woman's voice shouts from three rooms away:

WOMAN'S VOICE (O.S.)

Dukey!

DUKE
You are an apex predator. Don't let
the elites sell you garbage to the
contrary. You deserve a girl like my
Whiskey, who appreciates a real man
who provides.
 10.

Whiskey comes back, holding a large pill bottle with a LION

emblem on it.
DUKE (cont'd)
How do you get this? Change your
body change your mind. I know it
isn't practical or socially
acceptable for most of you to follow
my strict bison-meat-only diet,

WOMAN'S VOICE (O.S.)

Dukey!

DUKE
but you can have the next best thing
with our Apex Supplements. Whiskey's
gonna break it down for you.

Whiskey takes over and starts pitching the supplements as

Duke walks out of frame, at which point we REVEAL that he
was in front of a greenscreen with a photo background, and
is actually broadcasting from a slightly shittier 3 car
garage, with none of the polish or decor, with a slightly
shittier version of the sports car, piles of merch with Lion
logos and "APEXOSITY" slogans everywhere.

Duke weaves out of the garage and into the hallway of a

mcmansion, lots of cheap marble and clutter, shutting the
door behind him. His MOM walks through with a basket of
laundry, speaks with a jersey accent.

MA
Dukey, I been calling you you gotta
answer me when I call.

DUKE
Ma! Will you shut it? I'm live,
we've gone over this, Whiskey and me
when we're live -

Ma SLAPS him hard enough to rattle his teeth.

MA
You tell your mother to shut up?

DUKE
I'm sorry.

MA
You're gonna be sorrier you use that
tone in my house.
 11.

DUKE
I'm sorry it's just we're live
MA
What?

DUKE
We're -

MA
What?

Stares him down. His eyes on the floor.

DUKE
Nothing, jeez, I'm sorry.

She nods cooly and walks off.

MA
You got a delivery, it's in the
kitchen.

INT. DEBELLA HOME / CONFERENCE ROOM / APARTMENT

SPLIT-SCREEN all - Lionel is examining the box with a loupe.

LIONEL
Maybe it's sensitive to heat?

BIRDIE
Wait here's Duke, hold on - Duke!

Now include in the split-screening:

INT. DUKE'S KITCHEN - DAY

Duke's box is on the mcmansion kitchen table, but his is

different - the wood top is not smooth and featureless but
COVERED IN complex puzzles. He talks on speakerphone.

DUKE
What is this thing? My mom already
broke it.

His mom's voice from the hall:

MA (O.S.)
It's a stereogram!
 12.

DUKE MA (O.S.)
She did something to it and
it opened up, I dunno she
broke it - Ma! It's a stereogram, I told
you.

Lionel's eyes widen as he runs his hands over the patterned

wood grain surface.

LIONEL
A stereogram...

CLAIRE DEVON
A what-o-gram? Wait, a
stereogram, were those those The magic eye things, I
things - could never do those

DUKE
Ma! What'd I tell you about touching
my stuff!

Lionel brings his fingers close to his eyes so they cross,

then moves it away - the pattern on the wood grain doubles
and blurs, then focuses and comes together like a Magic Eye
painting... forming a large 3D ARROW SHAPE. He presses his
finger just under the tip of the arrow.

A hidden button in the wood depresses with a CLICK and the

top of the box slides open with magical fluidity, revealing
four quadrants with intricate puzzles, three covered with
fine gold mesh.

Lionel's eyes gleam with childlike wonder.

LIONEL
Oh wow...

CUT TO: the gang works together, solving the puzzles one by
one. The first is a checkered board with three colored
marbles arranged on it.

PEG LIONEL
Do you group them by color
maybe - Or size? Weight, should I
weigh them?

CLAIRE
Eight by eight - it's a chess board!
This is a chess endgame, it's - this
might be a rook - yeah if this is a
rook then it's mate in one, should I
 13.

LIONEL
Do it!
She slides one of the marbles to checkmate. With the same
graceful fluidity, one of the gold mesh coverings slips
away, revealing the next puzzle.

BEGIN A BRIEF SOLVING MONTAGE:

A completed tic-tac-toe grid with an "F" to the left of it,

and a small telegraph key (tapping device.)

BIRDIE
That's tic-tac-toe! I know this!

CLAIRE BIRDIE
But it's solved already so
it can't be - thank you It's tac-tac-toe.
Birdie, for contributing,
yes.

PEG LIONEL
Wait - the tapper thing,
it's for morse code - the
x's and o's are dots and Dits and dahs! That's an
dashes O - and U - R, FOUR, which
is, here -

BIRDIE
It's tic-tac-toe...

He taps four dots and a dash and the next screen opens - a
sliding tile puzzle. They all dive in, slowly revealing a
large capital "N"

BIRDIE CLAIRE
Is something supposed to N... maybe stands for
happen? something, maybe in one of
the other puzzles

Without turning from the sink Duke's mom:

MA DUKE
It's a compass Ma!

LIONEL
North! The whole thing's a compass,
turn it - what's true north, where
are we - this way -
 14.

Spinning the box so it faces north, jangling it a bit and

THE FINAL mesh SLIDES OPEN, revealing the workings of a
MUSIC BOX. In addition four little BARS pop up on the four
top edges of the box.

The music box starts to play a classical tune.

CLAIRE LIONEL
It's music. Guys. It's Shhhh
music. It's music.

BIRDIE
Are you mocking me?

CLAIRE
Yes

BIRDIE
Alright ha ha I'm gonna shazaam it.

Birdie loudly talks into a large white cube on the table.

BIRDIE (cont'd)
ALEXA, SHAZAAM THIS SONG PLEASE.
ALEXA, SHAZAAM THIS SONG PLEASE.
ALEXA, SHAZAAM THIS SONG PLEASE.

Yo-Yo Ma, eating a slice of pizza, leans over to Peg.

YO-YO MA
That's Bach's "Little Fugue in G
Minor."

PEG
Are you sure?

YO-YO MA
Yeah. Listen.

BIRDIE
I'm shazaaming it.

YO-YO MA
A fugue is a piece of music where you
play one melody, then you take the
same melody but change it just
slightly, the key or the tempo maybe,
and layer it back over the first
melody. So it's the same tune played
over itself to reveal a new tune.

Birdie realizes
 15.

BIRDIE
This can't shazaam, it's a lamp.
CLAIRE
I love you Birdie.

BIRDIE
I love you too!

LIONEL
Wait. Layered back over itself.
Hold on. See those handles? Lift
them up...

He gently takes the bars on the edges of the box and LIFTS -
the entire top layer pops up like an album off a turntable,
on a center spoke.

LIONEL (cont'd)
Now does it rotate - it does -
clockwise... then...

Lionel rotates it 180 degrees until it clicks into place.

The box now contains FOUR NEW PUZZLES.

LIONEL (cont'd)
A whole new tune.

DUKE
Freakin Miles, man. Genius.

MA
That first one's the Fibonacci
sequence.

DUKE
Ma!

DEVON
We've got your Mother Jones interview
in five.

CLAIRE
Push it.

MONTAGE: puzzle pieces sliding, abacus tiles being

calculated, color filters irising over illuminated suns,
gold mesh opening, three more puzzles solved by our group as
the excitement mounts. Finally:

LIONEL
Forty seven for sure?
 16.

DUKE
(looking at his phone)
That's the atomic number of silver -
that's definitely silver?

BIRDIE
That's silver. So this is it?

They all set number tumblers (beneath a mounted chunk of

silver) to "47." A simple switch below the tumblers.

LIONEL
Ok. One. Two. Three.

They all flip the final switch.

The top of the box SPLITS down the middle and parts,
revealing a CENTRAL CHAMBER covered with a wooden DOME.

This DOME then opens like a flower in time lapse,

beautifully revealing a recess with a blue index card sized
NOTE inside.

With hushed awe, Claire, Lionel, Duke and Birdie all take
their notes, and read.

CLAIRE
My dear friends, my beautiful
disruptors, my closest inner circle.

LIONEL
We could all use a moment of
normalcy. And so, you are cordially
invited

BIRDIE
for a long weekend on my private
island AAAAAAAAAAHHH!!!!!!

DUKE
where we will celebrate the bonds
that connect us. And I hope your
puzzle solving skills are whetted,

BIRDIE
AAAAAAAAAHHHHH YES YES YES YES

LIONEL
because you will also be competing to
solve the mystery...
 17.

CLAIRE
...of my murder. Travel details to
come, please forward any dietary
restrictions. Love and all my
kisses, Miles.

Claire looks at Devon.

DEVON
Oh you're going.

INT. DUKE'S KITCHEN

Duke is bubbling with excitement.

DUKE
Oh my god - Ma, where's my spear
fishing gear at? I gotta pack it!
(shouts)
Babe! Hey babe! Get packed!

As he leaves Whiskey walks in, blinks at the box.

WHISKEY
The fuck is this?

MA
I dunno.

INT. CONFERENCE ROOM

Lionel leans back, twirling the invite. He turns off the

banks of monitors with a remote control.

INT. APARTMENT

Birdie is losing her shit, dancing around the party.

BIRDIE
Yessssssssssssssss!

HARD CUT TO:

INT. GARAGE

A darkened garage, with moving boxes half packed. A card

table has the familiar box on it, still smooth and solid and
unsolved. The "LOVE MILES!" card next to it.
 18.

Sitting behind the table, staring blankly at the box, is a

WOMAN in her 30s we have not met yet. Her expression is
unreadable. She stares at the box for a long while.
Then she gets up and walks out of frame. We stay with the
box. Sounds of clattering. Then a few moments later she
comes back.

With a hammer.

Without hesitation she SMASHES the box. It splinters

apart - all the intricate puzzles shattering, springs and
latches and pieces flying everywhere. She smashes it until
it breaks open entirely, revealing the invitation inside.

She drops the hammer. Takes the invite. Sits. Reads it.

Something boiling behind her face. Eyes brimming. Maybe

rage. Maybe sadness. Whatever it is, it stays behind her
eyes and she finishes reading and stares through the
invitation for a long, long while.

CUT TO:

MANHATTAN SKYLINE. Pull back through a high rise window.

INT. BENOIT BLANC'S APARTMENT - DAY

The world's greatest detective sits at his computer.

BLANC
And so yes, the fabric of
circumstance may tell one story, but
hidden in that warp and weave which
is bred in the loom, the knit that
holds your certainty of the facts
together, there is a fatal flaw, a
slip knot if you will,

The sound of a sharp KNOCKING from off-screen.

BLANC (cont'd)
and dear friends, I would hate to see
you pull that thread, certain of the
fabric's integrity,

The KNOCK again. Blanc shouts to someone in another room:

BLANC (cont'd)
Answer that would you?
(MORE)
 19.

BLANC (cont'd)
(then continues)
only to have it leave you with a pile
of knotted yarn and the deep regret
that you have acted in vain, and
imperiled your own safety.

Reveal: on Blanc's computer screen, a ZOOM window with

eccentric faces who very well might be other GREAT
DETECTIVES. They look bored to death.

DETECTIVE ONE
Blanc. I saw you go in the engine
room. You're the impostor, we all
know it.

Reveal, in another window on the screen: they're all

playing "Among Us."

DETECTIVE TWO
Can we just do this? We're doing
this right?

DETECTIVE THREE
We're throwing you out the airlock
Blanc. This is a no brainer.

BLANC
Well this, again, this is a mistake,
you're perhaps not grasping my
metaphor - see the fabric -

The detectives throw up their hands and all start chattering

at once. Blanc is about to argue with them when a man's
voice calls from elsewhere in the apartment.

MAN'S VOICE (O.S.)

Blanc! Someone here for you.

Blanc looks off in the direction of the voice, curious.

MAN'S VOICE (O.S.) (cont'd)

With a box.

CUT TO:

SHIMMERING WATER

Opening title over glistening waves. Tilt up to reveal:

 20.

EXT. GRECIAN PORT TOWN - DAY

Hills dotted with rustic homes, a charming HOTEL on the

water. A long JETTY juts out into the crystal blue sea.

At the end of this jetty, sitting with his luggage, Benoit

Blanc checks his watch. He wears a dapper face mask.

Blanc is alone. Until an N-95 masked Lionel walks up with

his roller bag. Stops about 20 feet from Blanc. Gives him
a polite nod but doesn't engage, checks his phone.

Blanc waits a moment, not sure if he should say something.

Finally he decides "this is silly" and starts to say
something when -

BEEP BEEP

A cab pulls up, and deposits a masked Claire and her

luggage. Lionel greets her warmly. Blanc stands, but they
both ignore him, and eventually he sits again awkwardly.

LIONEL
Governor.

CLAIRE
Hey genius. How weird is this?

They go to hug, realize they aren't supposed to, and do an

air hug instead.

LIONEL
No Devon?

CLAIRE
With the kids. And the campaign.
And the staff god I shouldn't be
here, this is nuts.

LIONEL
He knows if you left me alone for a
weekend with Birdie and Duke I'd drop
a rocket on your house. Speaking of.

Birdie and Peg come down the jetty in a golf cart driven by
a masked BELLHOP from the little hotel, Louis Vuitton bags
stacked in back. She wears a fashionable but totally
useless lace mask.

BIRDIE
Hellooooooo!

Claire grins tightly, leaning into Lionel.

 21.

CLAIRE LIONEL
We need to talk. I know.
Just us. I know.
Maybe when we're - Sure.

Then Birdie is upon them like a summer storm in colorful

silks and a huge hat.

BIRDIE
Oh my god. We can't hug right? Can
we?

CLAIRE / LIONEL / PEG

No.

BIRDIE
I want to hug everyone, this feels so
crazy hello hello

CLAIRE
Birdie. Hi Peg. You need a hand?

With the luggage. Lionel hops forward and helps her and the
bellhop unload.

PEG
Thanks, hi.

BIRDIE
Did you two stay at the hotel last
night? We didn't see you.

Birdie points to Blanc, still watching silently.

BIRDIE (cont'd)
But YOU were at the hotel, birthday
boy, hello!

BELLHOP
(to Blanc)
Mr. Blanc, you are birthday boy?

BLANC
No, not my birthday, that's fine
Nikos, thank you.

A sleek two level boat glides up to the jetty, but Lionel

squints, looking at Blanc for the first time.

LIONEL
Wait - Benoit Blanc?
 22.

CLAIRE
Oh my god, Benoit Blanc the
detective? Who solved whatshername,
that ballet dancer thing, that's you?

BLANC
It is. I'm obviously familiar with
you all as well - Governor, Dr.
Toussaint, Miss Birdie Jay. What an
extraordinary gathering.

LIONEL
Well. Ha.
(beat)
So what are you doing here?

Before Blanc can answer a deep guttural BOOM like a gunshot

draws their attention towards the town.

EXT. GRECIAN PORT TOWN STREETS - DAY

A helmet-less mask-less Duke roars through the narrow

coastal streets on a barking motorcycle, Whiskey on back.
He fires a ridiculous pearl handled revolver into the air.

EXT. JETTY

He pulls up to the gang and hops off, holsters his gun,

grabs his military rucksack, leads Whiskey by the hand.

DUKE
Crew! We have arrived, the
disruptors have assembled.

BIRDIE
Duke pook! With your motorcycle and
your little her, this whole youth
thing, I love it.

He hugs Birdie, when he goes for Peg she steps away

PEG
Nope

LIONEL CLAIRE
Hi Duke. Duke.

He holds Whiskey's waist and beams, showing her off.

DUKE
You all remember Whiskey. My girl.
 23.

CLAIRE LIONEL
Hi Whiskey. Uh huh.
DUKE
Who's that?

He nods at Blanc aggressively.

CLAIRE
It's Benoit Blanc - Mr. Blanc what
are you doing in Greece?

BLANC
Well, I'm assuming like all of us, I
was invited. By Miles Bron.

The gang exchanges confused looks. Duke, weirdly suspicious:

DUKE
You tight with Miles?

BLANC
No, we've never met.

LIONEL
The murder mystery game! Miles,
man - alright, this makes sense. One
of us is a killer, Benoit Blanc's
gonna catch them, right? This is
exciting.

BLANC
Well we'll see.

At that moment a BLACK SUV pulls up swiftly and an EFFICIENT

MAN in sportswear hops out, speaks efficiently.

EFFICIENT MAN
Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to
Greece. That fine craft will take
you to Mr. Bron's island, a two hour
journey. Your captain Mr. Andino
will assist with your luggage.

The burly captain Mr. ANDINO lumbers down the gangplank and
starts lugging the bags on board with a grunt. The
efficient man wields a strange looking gun-shaped device.

EFFICIENT MAN (cont'd)

But first, would you each lower your
masks and extend your tongues, this
will be momentarily uncomfortable.
 24.

He starts with Birdie, aims the gun's nozzle into her throat
and shoots a burst of compressed mist with a sharp PSSST.
She gags. He gives her a white rubber wrist band.
BIRDIE
Whew, what uh -

EFFICIENT MAN
Mr. Cody.

DUKE EFFICIENT MAN

There's no pineapple in
that? I don't dance with
pineapple. No pineapple. Open please.

One by one they get their mysterious sprays. Blanc and

Claire wait at the end of the line.

BLANC
Seems I'm odd man out - you're all
friends?

CLAIRE
Weird group right? We all got tight
in New York when we were broke and
starting out. So now Miles does
these reunion weekends once a year,
some nutso invitation and extravagant
trip, his little menagerie.

BLANC
I see...

Claire's turn to get her spray - she gags. Birdie slips in

next to Bland.

BIRDIE
Eight years of these trips, you're
the first new person he's ever
invited. You must be very special.
I love this material, what is this?

She's touching his very normal shirt.

BLANC
Cotton, I think?

EFFICIENT MAN
Sir.

BLANC
Is this a, uh
 25.

EFFICIENT MAN
Open please.
Blanc does, SPRAY, gag. He goes to replace his mask but

EFFICIENT MAN (cont'd)

You won't need that anymore. You're
good.

BLANC EFFICIENT MAN

I'm - Good.

BLANC
So is it, was that a disinfectant,
some sort of -

EFFICIENT MAN
You're. Good. Have a great trip
everyone!

Blanc, unbelieving, nudges Claire. Massages his throat.

BLANC
Were we just -

CLAIRE
I think so. Rich person rules.
Start taking it in stride.

They're all filing up the gangplank when a tooting horn gets

their attention.

A Greek TAXI pulls up, and the woman who smashed the box
gets out with a small suitcase. Looks up at them all.

Blanc watches the gang, whose jaws collectively drop. Every

single one of them looks like they've just seen a ghost.
Birdie waves and smiles hollowly at the woman.

BIRDIE
Andi! Hiiiiii!
(not much quieter)
Holy. Shit.

The efficient man greets the woman that Birdie called ANDI
and gives her her spray. Blanc takes this all in.

INT. BOAT - AT SEA - DAY

The boat cuts through emerald sun spangled waters. Our

whole gang aboard.
 26.

Blanc meanders over to Lionel, who leans on a rail.

BLANC
I could not help but notice a stir at
her arrival.

Andi on the deck below them, alone.

LIONEL
Andi. Yeah, that was a stir.

BLANC
Is she not in your little gang?

LIONEL
She was. She is. Andi started Alpha
ten years ago, with Miles, just the
two of them.

BLANC
(dawning)
That's Cassandra Brand?

LIONEL
Andi. Yup.

BLANC
But they're no longer partners.

LIONEL
Two years ago they had a big falling
out. Andi was going to split out her
share of Alpha and bail. But Miles
had been backdoor maneuvering for
years... with one legal move he cut
her out completely. Booted her
without a dime. Social Networked
her.

BLANC
Lord. But he still invited her? To
this weekend? That's bizarre?

LIONEL
He invites her every year. It seems
like a power play but it's simpler
than that, when you meet Miles it'll
make sense. He's intensely
benevolent. Like a billionaire Big
Bird. The real question isn't why'd
he invite her. It's why did she show
up?
 27.

Blanc looks down at Andi, framed against the glittering sea.

Down with Andi: her hand grasping the hand rail... tightly.
Knuckles white. A voice from behind her:

BIRDIE
You shouldn't be here.

Andi turns. Birdie and Duke on the deck, watching her.

Birdie looks freaked out. Duke grins with sinister
amusement.

DUKE
Ballsy move.

Andi returns their stare.

CLAIRE (O.S.)
There it is!

All attention goes forward to the approaching island.

AERIAL SHOT - the boat approaches a very small island, with

ONE SINGLE COMPOUND built on it.

EXT. BEACH - DAY

As the boat approaches the small spit of sand, a glimmering

glass-like dock with ironic political art on it MAGICALLY
rises piece by piece from the sea.

INT. BOAT

Lionel with Captain Andino, regarding the dock.

LIONEL
Wow, that's - is that dock a Banksy?

ANDINO
Peet-cha-chite.

LIONEL
Is that the island? In Greek?

ANDINO
Peet-cha-chite.

LIONEL
Peetchachite.
 28.

EXT. BEACH

As the boat nestles up to the dock, we reveal a man sitting

in a beach chair playing a guitar.

Barefoot in beach clothes, with an easy manner and charisma,

MILES BRON plucks "Blackbird" and watches his friends
arrive. Then stands to greet them with a warm smile.

BIRDIE
Miiiiiiiiles! With your island.

She runs into his arms, big swinging hug.

MILES
Baby Birdie.

BIRDIE
Serenading us! With my song!

MILES
This is the guitar McCartney wrote it
on. Is that cheesy? I don't know.
I thought you'd like it.

Birdie's jaw drops at this holy relic. Miles sees everyone

else coming and he tosses the guitar onto his beach chair.

MILES (cont'd)
My friends. Old friends.

CLAIRE
Can we - after the men in black
thing, can we hug now?

MILES
We can hug now. Magical words right?
We can hug now.

They do. Duke and Whiskey next.

DUKE
Hey buddy. This is a dream.

They do a percussive back-slap hug.

MILES
Duke. Whiskey. Not a dream. Wide
awake. And it feels so good.

WHISKEY
Hey.
 29.

MILES
Pretty necklace.
Miles hugs Whiskey. Just a little too long. Duke averts
his eyes and quickly:

DUKE
Benoit Blanc, huh? Man when you
throw a murder mystery party you do
it right. Heavy moves.

Lionel and Blanc coming up the beach. Lionel gives Miles a

quick hug.

LIONEL
Hey pal.

BLANC
Mr. Bron, I cannot overstate my
gratitude for the invitation.

MILES
Happy to have you.

But Miles's eyes are already looking past him.

MILES (cont'd)
Oh my god.

Andi, coming up the dock.

ANDI
Miles.

Miles's face frozen for a moment. Then it breaks into a

massive uninhibited smile.

MILES
Andi. You're here.

A moment as he just beams at her. She stares back coldly.

ANDI
Yes I am.

DUKE
Alright, when's the murder start?

MILES
Patience, just a little patience.
Let's all embreathiate this moment.
Old friends.
(MORE)
 30.

MILES (cont'd)
We've got quite a weekend coming. I
love you all. I wanted to say that.
Miles takes a moment. A guy in his 30s with a very Kato
Kaelin vibe strolls nonchalantly past with a corona.

DEROL
Hey hey.

MILES
Hey Derol.

DEROL
I'm not here!

BIRDIE
Who's that?

MILES
That's Derol, he's just staying here,
going through some stuff, he's not
part of the experience at all.
Alright. Let me properly introduce
you to the Glass Onion.

With a gleam in his eye he leads them into the compound.

BIRDIE
Glass Onion! Like our bar! Aww I
love that.

Blanc lingers, looking back at the boat.

BLANC
Should we - get our bags - no?
Someone will, ok.

Everyone ignores him and walks after Miles. Except Andi,

who falls in step beside him. She eyes his discomfort, then
says as a statement of fact:

ANDI
This rich people shit is weird.

Blanc's relief is palpable.

BLANC
Thank you. I have occasionally put
on the dog in my life, but this is
stretching my stride-taking
abilities.
 31.

ANDI
You're doing fine. I'm Andi.
BLANC
Very genial of you. Benoit.

ANDI
You've got a flat tire there.

His shoelace. He stops to tie it.

Meanwhile up ahead, the gang walks up a gentle tiered series

of landings, climbing into the compound, a mixture of
(excuse me) Bond villain lair and Mediterranean villa.

DUKE
Nice place, Miles.

MILES
Thanks. Past six months I haven't
left the grounds, oversaw everything.
Hand picked every piece of tile.

LIONEL
No you didn't.

MILES
Yes I did. And every tile is
inscribed with the name of victim of
gun violence.

LIONEL
They literally are not, I'm looking
right at them.

MILES
They are, on the back.

CLAIRE
Oh wow. Ok.

They've just turned a corner into a broad open courtyard,

and had their first real view of the place's defining
feature - perched at the top of a grand gently sloped
staircase, the main building is a massive orb of glass. It
sits like a crown atop the entire complex.

BIRDIE
Wow. It's like an actual huge glass
onion.
 32.

CLAIRE
(uh huh)
Yup.
MILES
Past, present, future.

Derol, walking by in the background

DEROL
Ignore me!

MILES
What came before me, what I am, what
I leave to the world. This place is
the reclamation of everything I've
ever accomplished, and soon it'll be
the birthplace of a gift to the earth
that'll outlive me.

Blanc and Andi join them, exchange a look at Miles's

oration.

CLAIRE
What gift?

He gives her a "you'll see" grin.

LIONEL
How big a staff does it take to run
this place?

MILES
This weekend it's just us. Sent them
all home. This is a normal weekend
with old friends.

In the background, Boston Dynamics ROBOT DOGS waddle by with

everyone's LUGGAGE on their backs.

MILES (cont'd)
I don't want this to be some rich
asshole's house, I want it to be a
creative commune. So Duke, if you
wanted to ideate a series of
lectures, or Birdie soak up some
Grecian inspo for your next fashion
coup,

Peg is next in line, Miles looks at her and then

 33.

MILES (cont'd)
or Claire, bring some constituents
for a community heart-storm, this
place is a free open commune for
creative people to find their
balance.

BLANC
Amazing! So any creative soul can
fly to Athens, take a private yacht
to this island and freely ideate?

He says this with un-ironic appreciation.

MILES
(isn't it amazing?)
Yes once they're vetted yes exactly!

BIRDIE
Amazing.

Andi stifles a grin. A low "DONG!" sounds over the complex.

LIONEL
What was that?

MILES
An hourly chime, I had Phil Glass
compose it, to keep me centered in
time. Speaking of, let's start
experiencing this place together.
The rooms are named after chakras,
your biorhythm is your key, get
changed, settle and let's have an
afternoon by the pool before the real
party begins.

All their white wrist bands start glowing a different color

and chakra name, for instance, Birdie's says "sacral." The
various VILLAS around the complex emit a soft color-coded
glow into the air above them.

BIRDIE
Sacral - you know me, Miles.

BLANC
Wow. I'm sorry, that is crazy.

Everyone takes it in stride and parts with kind words for

their rooms.

MILES
Andi. I really am happy you came.
 34.

She gives him an unreadable look and walks off. Then:

MILES (cont'd)
Mr. Blanc. Could I have a word?

INT. DISPLAY GARAGE - DAY

Miles leads Blanc into a garage made largely to house a

gorgeous blue PORSCHE.

BLANC
That's a beaut right there

MILES
My baby blue. Goes anywhere I go,
all around the world.

BLANC
Amazing, just amazing all of this,
I'm so happy to be included, and if
there's some role you'd like me to
play in this murder mystery game as
"the detective" I'm happy to oblige.
Just. Very happy. To be included.
And meet you.

Miles has sat in a chair and is staring at Blanc intensely.

An awkward pause. Then:

MILES
What are you doing here?

BLANC
I'm sorry?

MILES
What are you doing here?

BLANC
You invited me.

MILES
No I didn't.

BLANC
You. You sent me a box.

MILES
You received a box?
 35.

BLANC
Yes, a wooden box was delivered to my
home with some simple children's
puzzles
(Miles flinches)
and when I completed them there was
an invitation inside.

MILES
Do you have that invitation?

Blanc, shaken, digs in his pocket and produces a familiar

blue card, hands it over.

BLANC
I do - I thought maybe we had to show
it or... I didn't know... sorry I'm
very confused, is this part of the
game, or...?

MILES
This is just like the others but... I
didn't send you this.

BLANC
Why would I forge an invitation?

MILES
Obviously you didn't. But I didn't
send you this.

Blanc has switched to another gear. His eyes grow distant.

BLANC
How many of these boxes did you
create?

MILES
Five. One for each of my guests.

BLANC
No test boxes or prototypes or -

MILES
No. My puzzle guy barely got the
five done in time.

BLANC
And once these boxes are open and the
puzzles complete, is there a way to
close them again? To reset them?

Miles squints then claps his hands.

 36.

MILES
Well there you go! One of them reset
their box and sent it to you as a
gag - Miles is doing a murder
mystery, let's invite Benoit freakin
Blanc. Boom. I bet it was Duke.

BLANC
I'm mortified

MILES
Why? I've got the world's
predefinite detective at my murder
mystery party, how cool is that?

BLANC
Mr. Bron. I've learned from
experience that an anonymous
invitation is not to be trifled with.

MILES
Ha! C'mon.

Miles stands and makes a grand sweeping gesture.

MILES (cont'd)
I invite you to my home, there, done,
you're invited. Enjoy the weekend,
hell try to solve the mystery. If
you can. I don't wanna toot my own
horn, but it's gonna be a good one.
See you by the pool.

And Miles is gone, leaving Blanc with a deep look of

concentration on his face.

EXT. POOL - DAY

Perched high on the property, a long infinity pool meets the

sky seamlessly.

Birdie makes her entrance, in a fabulous swimsuit streaming

a silk robe behind her. She sits by Lionel and Claire, who
sports an aggressively plain beige one-piece.

BIRDIE
Guys. Lionel you are too hot to be a
scientist and Claire, you look so
cute.

Claire flips her off.

 37.

CLAIRE
Aw thanks Bird.
BIRDIE
You really try, that's what I like.
You make an effort.

CLAIRE
Well I figured. Greece.

Their banter has an underlying affection to it.

BIRDIE
God and no masks I can breathe again,
look at this pool, maybe I'll go for
a swim

At that moment Whiskey breaks the surface of the glittering

water in all her young instagram model splendor.

BIRDIE (cont'd)
or maybe I'll lay out for a bit -
MILES!

Miles strolls languidly into the pool area, Birdie goes to

him like a magnet, leaving Claire and Lionel.

CLAIRE LIONEL
Swim? C'mon.

They head for the pool.

Blanc enters the pool area, in long shorts and a short

sleeve button up shirt. He joins Miles, Birdie and Peg in a
lounge area, where Miles holds court, sipping a beer and
strumming his guitar.

MILES
Blanc! Have a dip. Grab one of
these, Jared Leto sent 'em over. Hard
kombucha. Pretty good.

BLANC
Well. I am on vacation.

DUKE
(from the pool)
Hey, booch me!

Miles tosses him one. Above the bar cart, a flashy painting
of the BLUE PORSCHE.
 38.

BLANC
Baby blue!
DUKE MILES
Iconic. Remember you almost
pancaked me with it on the
road that night at Anderson Cooper's birthday,
in Spain, my god Coop can
throw a party.

IN THE POOL - Lionel and Claire wade out into the deep end.

Duke pulls himself out of the pool and does some stretches.
He wears a speedo, his gun belt and pistol, dripping wet.

LIONEL
Really, Duke?

Duke, defiant, draws and FIRES his gun into the air.

Everyone jumps, annoyed.

DUKE
Really.

LIONEL
Asshole.

MILES
NOW it's a party!

Blanc wades into the pool with a beer, still with his shirt
on. Duke sits on the pool edge, leans back in the sun.

BLANC
That is quite a piece.

DUKE
Never without it.

BLANC
So I see.

DUKE
You never know when shit's going to
go down.
(beat)
You hot? In your shirt?

BLANC
No. No I'm comfortable.
 39.

Blanc eyes Lionel and Claire talking animatedly in the deep

end of the pool, but can't make out their conversation.
LATER - Birdie digs sunglasses out of her bag and lays out
in the sun, keeping an eye on Miles, who plays guitar for
Whiskey. Peg plops down next to Birdie, and low with
fervent urgency:

PEG BIRDIE
Birdie. You need to talk to I will.
him. Before dinner. You I will.
need to. You need to beg Oh god.
him.

PEG
When he goes to his room, just follow
him and do it. Ok?

BIRDIE
I'll take care of him. Don't worry.

Birdie stares across the pool at Miles flirting with

Whiskey, sad rage in her eyes.

BIRDIE (cont'd)
There was a time you know, back when.
I was the one who'd been on
magazines, he was nobody, he couldn't
believe he was talking to me. He
said that. "You're Birdie Jay, from
billboards. I can't believe I'm
talking to you." He was this little
thing in my hand.
(beat)
I preferred that.

Birdie lies back, and notices Andi lying in the chair next
to her.

BIRDIE (cont'd)
Andi! Hi. Wow. Wow how long as it
been?

ANDI
Since the trial, so a few months.

BIRDIE
The trial right, yeesh that was not
fun, for any of us, but, so a few
months. You look so different. Just
your...
(MORE)
 40.

BIRDIE (cont'd)
(silence)
God it's so hard, staying fit in
quarantine. For all of us. Peg,
right? I'm uncomfortable I'm going
to swim.

She unceremoniously leaves. Andi and Peg smile tightly at

each other.

LATER - Blanc strolls out from the bathroom holding a

magazine. He hears a clank and clatter - on a nearby table,
a FAX MACHINE spits a sheet into a large bucket, Miles
retrieves it and reads it.

BLANC
I can handle the Matisse in the
bathroom, but is that a... FAX
machine?

BIRDIE
(can you believe)
Miles doesn't have a phone.

MILES
Email has no soul. There's just
something magic about analogue. One
number goes to all my fax machines,
anywhere in the world. Simple.

The magazine Blanc holds is a vintage late 90s copy of

British fashion mag THE FACE. A teenage Birdie is on the
cover, with a large diamond set on her forehead.

BIRDIE
Oh, blast from my past, look
everybody, Miles you are so funny,
keeping this around.

He closes the magazine and sets it aside as Birdie joins the

small group of Blanc, Miles and Whiskey in the shade.

BLANC
Can I ask, what first drew you all
together? Such an eclectic bunch.

MILES
But we have one thing in common.
We're all disruptors.

BIRDIE
Yes.
 41.

BLANC
You've used that word before, what
does that mean?
MILES
Well.
(motions to Birdie)
Is there anything more disruptive
than someone who isn't afraid to just
say what everyone's thinking, to
speak uncomfortable truths?

BIRDIE
I say it like I see it. It's true.

MILES
And her Sweet Pants business.

BLANC
I'm going to embarrass myself - I
adore Sweet Pants. I live in mine.

BLANC BIRDIE
(sings a jingle)
"Can't get me outta my...
Sweet Pants!" "Sweet Pants!" Oh you're
sweet.

MILES
Birdie Jay, fashion magnet! The
queen of fashion week, avant-garde
runway shows -

BLANC
(soooo good)
Your "Jell-O dress!"

MILES
Then she's hired as the editor of
She-She magazine

BIRDIE
Top of the world. But then there was
the whole thing with the Halloween
costume, and then right after that we
had the whole thing with the "Read
For The Children" library event, oh
god Peg remember that?
 42.

INT. PUBLIC LIBRARY - FLASHBACK - DAY

A half dozen TV cameras and press film Birdie sitting in

front of a group of third grade kids.

BIRDIE
...and that's the magic of reading,
it takes you wherever your
imagination can go, doesn't that
sound fun? Yes? So today I've
chosen one of my favorite books to
read to you all! It's called
(holds it up)
The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn.

Peg, her face buried in her phone in the audience, snaps her
head up in horror.

EXT. POOL

PEG
Yes I do.

BIRDIE
and then the Oprah interview to
smooth it over and THAT didn't go
well, it was taken all out of
context - anyway, so I had some time
at home, this is pre-covid, and I was
spending alot of time in...

BLANC
Sweat pants.

MILES
She pivoted to sweat pants. High
quality, fashionable sweat pants,
hitting the market just as the
pandemic hit. Sweet Pants. BOOM.
She disrupted. And made a fortune.

Duke comes in, toweling himself off. Miles's hand, which

was resting on Whiskey's knee, subtly withdraws.

MILES (cont'd)
Or Duke, Duke was the first gamer
with a million followers on Twitch.
Invented the word "influencer."
Disrupted the old media idea of
celebrity, redefined it.

Claire and Lionel have joined the group.

 43.

MILES (cont'd)
Or Claire blowing up conventional
politics, or Lionel pushing science
past its comfort point, it's what I
did with Alpha, it's disruption.
Blanc are you ready for your world to
change? I'm gonna tell you how this
works, and you can't un-hear this.
You start by breaking something
small, a norm, an idea, a convention,
and then you break something a little
bigger, and bigger, more and more,
and at this point people will be on
your side, will see you as an
innovator, put you on magazines.
Because you're breaking things within
the context of your industry, of the
system. And this... this is the
inflection point. Because this is
where you have to find it in yourself
to keep going, and break the thing
that nobody wants you to break.
People will stop being on your side.
They'll tell you to stop, that you
need to stop. Because nobody wants
you to break the system itself. But
that is true disruption. That is
what unites this group. Every single
one of us has hit that point, and
proved that they're willing to cross
it. Disruptors. All of us.

A single pair of hands clap from outside the circle. Andi,

a wry smile on her face.

ANDI
Bravo. That was - wow. Real red
pill stuff Miles.

Miles seems genuinely hurt.

MILES
The Andi I built Alpha with believed
it.

ANDI
Oh I believe it. Mr. Blanc you're a
detective, can you spot the other
thing, the real thing that this group
has in common?

LIONEL
Andi c'mon -
 44.

But Andi continues with an almost unhinged intensity.

ANDI
You know who Lionel works for, that's
no secret, and you know who
bankrolled Claire's campaign. But
when nobody would touch Birdie with a
ten foot pole because she went on
Oprah and compared herself to Harriet
Tubman -

BIRDIE
In SPIRIT, not - oh god

ANDI
- can you guess who stepped up as an
angel investor in Sweet Pants? Or
when Duke got banned from Twitch for
hawking rhino horn boner pills to
teenage boys

DUKE
That's fake news, there was ZERO
rhino in those pills

ANDI
Who do you think set him up on
YouTube and used his media empire to
promote his stream? That's the real
common thread here. Every single one
of you is holding on for dear life to
Miles Bron's golden titties.

DUKE
Ok that's gross

ANDI
And every one of you will stab a
friend in the back to hold on. I
believe that.

She storms off. Claire goes after her.

CLAIRE
Hey. Andi -

After they're gone, a moment of tense silence. Miles leans

back, as if he's just watched a great fireworks display.

MILES
Wow. That was real. Every one of us
should be that real all the time.
(MORE)
 45.

MILES (cont'd)
Amen? Dinner at nine, see y'all
there.
Miles ambles off.

DUKE
I'm gonna get some cardio in.

Duke storms off, followed by Whiskey. Lionel looks deeply

troubled. A beat. Then:

BIRDIE
If you watch it in context, it's
obvious I was talking about Tubman's
entrepreneurial spirit -

LIONEL
(nope)
Bird.

He walks off. Leaving her with Blanc.

BIRDIE
Like Miles said, I'm a truth teller,
some people can't handle it.

BLANC
(like honey)
It's a dangerous thing isn't it, to
mistake speaking without thought for
speaking the truth.

She grins flirtatiously at him.

BIRDIE
Are you calling me dangerous?

BLANC
I suppose we'll see.

With a charming grin he steps away. She watches him go with

a wicked grin, which then dissolves away to something else.

EXT. GROUNDS - CONTINUOUS

Lionel trots into a garden where he finds Claire. She's

watching Andi, far off now, vanish into the greenery.

CLAIRE
Something's off. I don't like this.
 46.

LIONEL
What do you mean?
CLAIRE
Everything, just the way she carries
herself, she's changed.

Claire seems afraid.

CLAIRE (cont'd)
What's she playing at?

EXT. ZEN GARDEN - DAY

Miles ambles towards his villa. Peg runs up and stops him.

PEG
Mr. Bron.

MILES
Hello.

PEG
Don't do this. Please. Bird showed
me the statement you want her to
make, to the press, about Bangladesh.
And if you make her go through with
it, she's ruined. We're done. I've
dug her out of so many holes and I
promise I can dig her out of this
one, but not if she makes that
statement. I'm begging you. This
will destroy her.

MILES
I'm sorry....

PEG
....Peg.

MILES
Peg. I only want what's best for
Bird, please believe that. So I'm
begging you - tell her to publish the
statement. It's her only way out.

He smiles reassuringly and walks off, leaving Peg smoldering

with anger.
 47.

REVEAL: Blanc, lingering behind a statue, eavesdropping.

Suddenly BOTH of their attention is drawn by something else:
Andi, walking by in the distance, intensely talking to
someone on her phone on facetime. We just barely overhear:

ANDI
...no it's going to be alright, I
promise...

And then she's gone. Peg narrows her eyes, then walks off.

We stick with Blanc, who also processes all this. He walks

the strange beautiful grounds, past gardens and art
installations, deep in thought. As beautiful as it all is,
a sense of foreboding hangs in the gloaming.

On the crest of a hill he catches a glimpse of Duke jogging.

Blanc removes a slender cigar from his shirt pocket and

lights it. No sooner has he exhaled one puff when LIGHTS
start blinking in the trees around him, and a sharp ALARM
sounds.

SOOTHING ROBOT VOICE

This is a smokeless garden. This is
a smokeless garden. This...

Blanc tries to waft the smoke away but it all continues. He

panics and tosses the cigar in a nearby pond.

The POND then LIGHTS UP RED and another ALARM sounds

2ND SOOTHING ROBOT VOICE

Please keep our water clean. Please
keep our water clean. Please...

Blanc assesses the situation and FLEES.

INT. CLAIRE'S ROOM - AFTERNOON

Claire on facetime with her husband Devon.

DEVON
This is the entire reason you're on
this trip is to do this, get him
alone, tell him you are NOT ok'ing
his goddamn power plant. Right?

CLAIRE
I just - he meant it. He'll support
Lebling's campaign if I do.
(MORE)
 48.

CLAIRE (cont'd)
I'll lose. Because of that son of a
bitch. Makes my blood boil.
DEVON
Do what you have to do.

CLAIRE
I will.

Out the window, Duke sprints by in jogging clothes.

EXT. GROUNDS - CONTINUOUS

Duke runs, then spots something, slows, stops. Hunches and

creeps without making a noise. He slips behind bushes close
to a picture window into a villa bedroom, with half drawn
blinds. Two people are kissing and talking on a bed.

Miles and Whiskey.

A twig SNAPS behind Duke. He looks back - nothing there.

Turns back to the window.

About 20 yards behind him, hidden as well, Blanc's head

rises up.

He wrinkles his nose at the spectacle. Then looks at Duke.

Watching the pair, who still kiss and speak. Rage on his
face. Twisting branches in his clenched fist. Next to his
holstered gun.

Not liking this at all, Blanc silently withdraws.

EXT. THE GLASS ONION - EVENING

The central glass structure looms soft white, bathing the

grounds in a welcoming aura as the sunset's final glow
dissipates. The hour chime DONGs.

INT. ATRIUM - EVENING

The main floor of the glass onion structure, a wide open

space with a central entryway, a very 70s feeling lounge
area with inset couches, and a dining table with a
spectacular view.

The guests filter in, and Miles greets them, drink in hand
and unlit pipe in his mouth.
 49.

MILES
Welcome welcome. Some pre-murder
drinks, I've mixed everyone's
favorites. And tamales.

A stacked bar cart with fixed drinks on top, each glass has
the guest's name elaborately etched on it. Lionel takes his
wryly and sips.

LIONEL
Lagavulin. Sixteen.

MILES
I know what you like.

Blanc goes for the snack tray with mini tamales and hot
sauce, loading one up.

Birdie takes her tall yellow fruity drink.

BIRDIE
Is this my Cuban Breeze?

MILES
It's like we're back in St. John's.

BLANC
(the hot sauce)
Lord that - has a kick.

MILES
Yeah? Here, please, take a few
bottles. Jeremy Renner's hot sauce.
He sent me like a pallet.

Miles tosses Blanc a few bottles of the hot sauce, which

Blanc awkwardly holds for awhile then, not knowing what to
do with them, puts them in his jacket pocket.

MILES (cont'd)
And I apologize I don't know your
drink, but I have everything here,
pick your poison.

BLANC
Ah well, for an aperitif... if you
have a good pastis?

MILES
Yeah - is that like gin or -
(calls)
Andi! Whiskey soda. Right there.
 50.

Andi's slipped in, a chill goes through the room, and Lionel
and Claire turn their attention anywhere else they can.
Front and center in the main entryway is a small framed and
very familiar painting, behind glass.

CLAIRE
Ok. I know your whole thing with it,
but... You've got all these priceless
works of art, to put a print of the
Mona Lisa front and center? It's
like a Che poster in a dorm room.

Miles grins in silence for a long beat. Lionel laughs.

LIONEL
C'mon.

Miles just keeps grinning.

Lionel, Blanc, Peg, Claire and even Andi's jaws drop and
they step towards the painting in a trance.

LIONEL (cont'd)
Miles that's impossible -

Miles hits a red BUTTON on a pedestal and with a distinct

SHHHTINK the glass case slides away, leaving the Mona Lisa
open and exposed in all her glory.

Everyone is awestruck.

BLANC
Forgive my incredulity, but it's
property of the state, there's no way
they would -

MILES
Louvre is closed, France needs money.
It's just on loan for a few weeks,
the security and transport cost more
than anything. Check this out.

He takes a silver lighter from his pocket and clicks it - an

eight inch long blue flame spears out above his pipe.

And though he's a good distance back, the protective glass

INTANTLY SHHHTINKs back into place. Miles laughs. With his
flame still lit he hits the red button, and the glass re-
opens.
 51.

MILES (cont'd)
Had an over-ride button put in, don't
tell the insurance guys. But I had
to be able to look in her eyes,
nothing between us. My mom took me
to Paris when I was six. When I
looked in this lady's eyes, it
changed my life. Her expression
changes when you look straight at
her, try it. Her smile disappears.
Is she happy? Sad? Something else?
This simple thing you thought you
were looking at takes on layers and
depth so complex they give you
vertigo.

Andi stares deeply into her eyes. Caught up in spite of

herself.

ANDI
It is really something.

In the background Derol walks by in a bathrobe eating

cereal. Nods to the painting.

DEROL
Classic. Hey. I'm not here.

Claire has realized something.

CLAIRE
Why?

MILES
I knew in that moment. What'd I tell
you, that first night we all hung out
at the Glass Onion?

INT. THE GLASS ONION BAR - FLASHBACK - NIGHT

Everyone at a table, ten years younger, several drinks in.

MILES
I will be remembered forever to the
world in the same breath as the Mona
Lisa.

INT. ATRIUM

BLANC
What does that mean?
 52.

BIRDIE
It means immortality, he wants to
create something that will -
CLAIRE
Miles. Why do you have the Mona Lisa
in your living room?

Miles opens his arms to the painting.

MILES
The past.

Then to the Glass Onion around him.

MILES (cont'd)
The present.

Then raises a closed fist, and looks at Andi.

MILES (cont'd)
The future. In one week I have
invited a dozen world leaders and
members of the press to this island.
And here beneath the gaze of my lady,
in this Glass Onion I've spent my
life building, I will unveil the
world's future.

Miles opens his fist. In his palm: a milk white crystal

about the size of a quarter.

MILES (cont'd)
Do you know what this is?

LIONEL
You know damn well we do. What's
going on?

BLANC
I don't.

BIRDIE
I don't either - what is that?

Miles tosses the crystal to Blanc.

MILES
A new hydrofuel, radically efficient,
zero carbon emissions, derived from
sea water. I call it KLEAR, with a
"K."
(MORE)
 53.

MILES (cont'd)
And at this event we will announce
its worldwide launch, with our first
plant in Bristol, Connecticut thanks
to Governor Debella

Claire stiffens

MILES (cont'd)
and our first aerospace application,
as the fuel on our manned Alpha
Cosmos rocket this fall

Lionel sets his drink down sharply. At its "CLACK" the

glass SHHHHTICKs down in front of the Mona Lisa.

MILES (cont'd)
and a full roll-out of low cost
efficient home power solutions.
We'll have Klear powering homes in
the States this year. Clean.
Efficient. Limitless.

LIONEL
No. You love all these words but I
told you I need two years minimum to
even see if this stuff is safe or
even viable, Claire and I are NOT
going to oh no you didn't

Lionel has clocked Miles's steady grin. Miles gestures

grandly all around him.

MILES
Everything.

LIONEL
No.

MILES
Electric, heating, everything right
down to the coffee maker, the entire
glass onion, it's all powered by
Klear.

Lionel and Claire suddenly look like they're standing on

very thin ice.

CLAIRE
Oh god Miles...

MILES
This is it.
 54.

LIONEL
I'm out. Done. This is reckless,
this could ruin us all
MILES
Or it could change the world! And I
know you're on board with me for it,
my fellow disruptor. Because it's
happening. Let's eat.

He ambles off towards the dining room area. Duke enters

with Whiskey trailing behind him. Aggressive energy, looks
ruefully at Miles walking off.

DUKE
Let the murder begin, right?
(spots the mona lisa)
Heeeey.

INT. DINING AREA - MINUTES LATER

Our gang seated at their plates, which are elaborately

embossed with their names. Claire and Lionel look sick.
Birdie and Peg look sullen. Duke looks furious, especially
because the place settings have Whiskey seated next to
Miles.

Blanc and Andi have been added in at the end, next to each
other.

MILES
Already what a weekend. And now the
real fun begins. For the next three
days we will be enjoying the sun, the
pool, the Ionian Sea, great food and
wine and each others company. But
you have another task. Because
tonight, in this very room, a murder
is going to take place. My murder.
You will have to observe the crime
carefully, use your knowledge of each
other, and keep your eyes sharp -
I've planted clues throughout the
grounds. Some may be helpful. Some
may not. It's up to you to decide.
If by the end of the weekend somebody
is able to name the murderer, tell
how they accomplished it and what
their motive was, you will win the
game! Any questions?

Blanc with child-like excitement:

 55.

BLANC
What do we win?
Everyone looks at him. Miles is caught of guard.

MILES
I - what do you mean what do you -
what do you want?

BLANC
Oh no. Nothing. I thought maybe
there was a prize or something. I
don't know. An iPad, or.

MILES
Fine, winner gets an iPad, ok.

DUKE
Once you're dead will we still be
able to talk to you?

MILES
Oh yeah, I'm not playing dead all
weekend, ask me anything you want but
don't expect help from me. You'll
want to question each other though,
and use your knowledge of your past.

BLANC
I don't actually need an iPad, I
just, when you said "win" it made me
think

BIRDIE
Can we work together?

MILES
Yes if you want, but only one person
can solve the crime. I've planned
the whole weekend around this.

BLANC
Truly delightful. And we've started?

MILES
Well the murder hasn't happened yet
but yeah -

BLANC
Ok. Ok ok.

Miles raises his glass.

 56.

MILES
And so -
BLANC
It was Birdie, who planted a remote
device on the crossbow in revenge for
you stealing her signature wren
diamond.

Blanc grins broadly with a "did I get it?" gesture. A beat

of silence. The smile on Miles's face calcifies and dies.

BLANC (cont'd)
See the seating arrangement, it puts
Birdie closest to the that thing -

A crystal suit of armor holding a working crossbow, leveled

at the dining table.

BLANC (cont'd)
- which is loaded with a dummy bolt
and aimed straight at Mr. Bron. I
believe close inspection will reveal
some sort of remote triggering
device, but more damning, that's a
vintage Jayhawk brand crossbow...
Jayhawk, Birdie Jay! In fact her
great-grandfather started the Jayhawk
archery supplies company years ago
when he first immigrated to the
states from Sweden, am I right?

BIRDIE
I mean - I'd have to check with my
mom but that rings a bell -

BLANC
Of course there are other superfluous
and rather clumsy clues - the
hedgerows in the south garden spell
the letter B, her room is the sacral
chakra which is the one blocked by
guilt, blah blah blah, but the motive
yes, now the motive. On the cleverly
planted 1998 issue of The Face with
Birdie on the cover she famously wore
what became known as the "wren
diamond" - a family heirloom I
believe? In that very interview you
say it's the most valuable thing in
the world to you, you would - this is
a quote - would "kill" to protect it!
 57.

BIRDIE
And so to be clear, back then I
didn't even know what a "blood
diamond" was - so

But Blanc is on a mighty roll:

BLANC
Mr. Bron! The large pendulous
locket which has not left your neck,
it's a bit out of keeping with your
breezy island style... would you
kindly open it for us?

Staring daggers, Miles opens the silver locket, and a large

cut DIAMOND falls out into his palm. The table GASPS.

BIRDIE
My wren diamond!

BLANC
A dramatic, passionate and colorful
crime for a fashionista, Ms. Birdie.
But unfortunately this crime
clashed... with the presence of
Benoit Blanc.

With "nailed it" joy he turns to Miles and grins broadly.

Miles stares at him dead-eyed.

A little "whirr" from the crossbow prop, and a theatrical

crossbow bolt FLIPS UP from a slit in Miles's shirt with an
anticlimactic SNAP. Fake blood dribbles out.

The glass on the Mona Lisa SHHHTICKs shut.

INT. THE GLASS ONION - EVENING

Miles's office in the center of the elevated glass

enclosure, with spectacular views in all directions.

Miles storms in, Blanc following him, still giddy.

BLANC
My god that felt so good, that just
felt solid. So satisfying.
(MORE)
 58.

BLANC (cont'd)
Just - like a mini crossword, the
Times has - or - I have a chef
friend, and she speaks of trying to
create the perfect bite, the balance
you know of salt heat and acid and
that - that felt like the perfect
satisfying - bite sized...

Miles just stares, the crossbow bolt still protruding from

his chest. He picks up a loose iPad from his desk and
tosses it over to Blanc.

BLANC (cont'd)
You're angry.

MILES
Well.
(angry)
No I'm not angry Blanc, but you know.
What the hell? This was not a simple
thing to do, to put together. Those
hedges took a month, I mean it
doesn't matter, it's fine, but jesus
christ!
(getting angrier)
I hired Gillian Flynn to help come up
with the whole thing

BLANC
She's quite good

MILES
She's not cheap! Not that that, it
doesn't matter, you, it's fine. But
you - crash the party, you -

BLANC
I disrupted your game

MILES
You ruined the game, what are we
going to do now, play Yahtzee all
weekend?

Blanc looks at Miles, and his demeanor changes, as if he's

now dropping an act.

BLANC
Mr. Bron I'm going to speak frankly.
The truth is, I ruined your game on
purpose, and for a very good reason.

Miles looks at him, curious. What is this?

 59.

BLANC (cont'd)
I like the glass onion as a metaphor,
an object that seems densely layered,
but in reality the center is in plain
sight. Your relationships with these
people may seem complex but look at
the center, look at what you've done
this weekend, it's crystal clear:
you have taken seven people, each of
whom has a real life reason to wish
you harm, gathered them together on a
remote island, and placed the idea of
your murder in their heads. It's
like putting a loaded gun on the
table and turning off the lights.

MILES
Oh. Come. On.

BLANC
You have leveraged all of Alpha's
assets to fund Klear, yes? If it
fails you're ruined.

MILES
(ha)
Fails?

BLANC
So you played hardball with Lionel.
Threatened to destroy his reputation
if he does not play along?

Miles looks at him solidly.

BLANC (cont'd)
And with Claire too? Perhaps you
threatened to support her opponent in
the upcoming election if she doesn't
approve your power plant?

MILES
You've done your homework.

BLANC
Birdie. Bangladesh. Sweet Pants are
manufactured there, in a sweat shop.
You're making Birdie take the fall,
to cover your ass as the main
investor. This wouldn't be a little
twitter flurry, this would ruin her.
(MORE)
 60.

BLANC (cont'd)
(beat)
And Duke. Well. You know why Duke
wants to kill you.
MILES
He doesn't know

BLANC
Yeeeeesss, he does.
(beat)
You are actively threatening what
each of these people values most.
Take my presence as a sign -
something is happening here beneath
the surface. For at least one person
on this island, this is not a game.

Blanc spots a frame on the wall - mounted inside are two

objects on red backing:

A faded NAPKIN with a simple diagram drawn on it in pen

And a POLAROID PICTURE of Miles and Andi, ten years younger,

holding the napkin (though it's blown out by the flash) in a
bar. Flanking them is a young Duke, Lionel, Claire and
Birdie. Above them all a neon sign: "THE GLASS ONION"

BLANC (cont'd)
I've heard this story. This is the
famous napkin?

MILES
I scribbled down the idea for Alpha.
That night with Andi, at the Glass
Onion.

BLANC
Of course in court she said this
napkin story is - excuse me -
bullshit.

MILES
Well. It's right there in front of
your eyes. God I miss that bar.
Closed the same year. Andi.

Andi's smiling face in the photo. Blanc, with weight:

BLANC
Yes. Andi.
 61.

MILES
Andi told me the truth once. Nobody
does that anymore. Nobody does. It's
all lies and agendas, people wanting
what they think they're owed. Hating
you for not giving it, cause that's
what you're there for. Poor little
evil billionaire, right? I know.
Hard to play the sympathy card,
sitting here. I know that. But man.
How did we get here from there?

The gang in the photo, smiling, flash-lit, one moment.

MILES (cont'd)
God. I miss that bar.

Blanc can see Miles going to a sad, dark place.

BLANC
Mr. Bron, most likely I'll feel the
fool and apologize after a pleasant
and uneventful weekend. I do hope
so.
(beat)
How about we play some Yahtzee.

Miles manages a weak grin.

INT. LOUNGE AREA - NIGHT

Miles's empty whiskey tumbler on the table. Claire stares

at it. Everyone is drinking heavily, their plates of
finished dinner casually on the coffee table. Music plays.

Duke's phone (on the coffee table) DINGS with an alert, and
the Mona Lisa SHHHTICKs shut.

LIONEL
Will you shut that thing up?

DUKE
It's my goog alerts, I've got one for
all you guys, Whiskey, sports I like.
General interests.

DING! SHHHHTICK. Lionel looks at Duke's phone.

LIONEL
You have a google alert for the word
"movie?"
 62.

Birdie sashays back from the bar cart with a fresh Cuban
Breeze.
BIRDIE
Well god bless Benoit Blanc, we don't
have to spend the weekend spelling
hedges.

DUKE
I'm leaving. In the morning.

WHISKEY
We just got here

DUKE
You can stay. Have fun.

DING. SHHHTICK.

LIONEL
I hate saying this in any context but
I'm with Duke.

Claire's phone rings - DEVON (her husband.) She ignores it.

BIRDIE
Or we can all get drunk and enjoy
paradise for a weekend.

PEG
Maybe we should go too -

BIRDIE
No. We've earned it. Feeling shitty
in paradise. We've all earned this.

ANDI
Yes you have.

This chills the air. But Claire stares back hard at her,
angry-drunk.

CLAIRE
Are we even going to talk about the
elephant in the room? Are we just
gonna toss a tablecloth over it and
make it through the weekend?

Uncomfortable silence.

ANDI
Am I the elephant?
 63.

CLAIRE
Yes you're the elephant.
BIRDIE
(aside)
You're not that bad.

LIONEL
What did you come here for Andi?
Given the circumstances I think
that's a fair question.

ANDI
Fair.

CLAIRE
Oh god yes no fine, nothing is fair
about any of this, congratulations,
now you know. And we all stuck with
Miles, what do you want, you want to
know why we did it? Why? Really?
Do the math! It's easy math. And
you, here in your Gucci sneakers

BIRDIE
Fendi

CLAIRE
Telling us we owe you. You made
money off Alpha all those years, you
did fine, you got yours!

ANDI
I got - he get his! From me! My
life was taken from me by someone,
everyone here - my life! Can you
even understand that?

BIRDIE
What Claire's saying is we're all
sorry and feel bad for you but...
what do you want?

ANDI
Are you really asking me that?

CLAIRE
Yes! What do you want from us? You
want a check? Performative pity, are
there some right words for us to say
so we can all get on with our lives?
(MORE)
 64.

CLAIRE (cont'd)
You want revenge, slit Miles's
throat, take us all down, what? Drop
your bombshell! Say it!
ANDI
I just want the truth.

DING. SHHHTICK.

DUKE
I can give you that. I'll be the
asshole. The truth is we're all
holding onto that golden tit, we're
all playing the same game here. And
you lost. Go on, get up on your
cross, you had some unspeakable crime
committed against you that none of us
could ever imagine, go on. I'm done
pretending you're the victim in this
game. No, you just couldn't hack it.
You're the loser. There. The truth.

He stares Andi down. She looks around at the others. They

all avoid her gaze.

She lowers her eyes. And walks out.

DUKE (cont'd)
There's the Andi I know!

DING. SHHHTICK.

He picks up his phone and buries himself in it angrily.

Miles and Blanc breeze in.

MILES
Alright Blanc, who killed this party?
I'm gone for ten minutes, what
happened? C'mon!

He puts on some music and starts dancing. Claire goes to

the bar cart.

CLAIRE
Excuse me.

LIONEL
Miles, I'm going to leave in the
morning.

CLAIRE
Me too.
 65.

MILES
No you are not. You're going to have
a champagne brunch on the beach and
try hydro-foil surfing. Claire
you're going to have to explain your
elitist tan to your twitter
followers. C'mon guys! Dance with
me pretty lady.

Birdie reluctantly joins him. Blanc watches all this,

strangely alert.

BLANC
Where's Andi?

MILES
Yeah where is Andi? And Duke - look
at that face, Duke, what'd you get
some good news?

Duke is indeed grinning levelly at Miles. He motions to his

phone.

DUKE
I wondered why my googs were blowing
up. Latest traffic report for my
channel. Take a look. Next level.
It's all over the internet.

Miles sashays over and Duke shows him his phone.

DUKE (cont'd)
Look at those numbers. Pure fire.

SHHHHTICK!

DUKE (cont'd)
This changes everything doesn't it?

MILES
It sure does.

BIRDIE
Dukie that's amazing! Lemme see!

She goes to him but he's on his feet, eyes locked on Miles.

DUKE
Numbers like this, maybe we can talk
Alpha News?

Miles goes to the bar cart and fixes a drink, hips swinging
 66.

MILES
I think we can. You see? Things are
looking up! Guys, are you feeling
it? We're changing the world! It's
our time, it's happening! The way we
wanted to from the beginning. All of
us.

He dances and spreads his arms for Lionel and Claire.

MILES (cont'd)
Hey. You believe in me right?
You're not going anywhere. Right?
Right?

LIONEL
Alright Miles. You win.

CLAIRE
Yeah.

Miles sits next to Duke.

MILES
Well alright! Five minutes ago Blanc
here was telling me this weekend was
a dumb idea, that you all hated my
guts so badly that - it's silly,
doesn't matter. Look at that!
Birdie do that again, look at that
dress spin!

When Birdie does a spin, the dress shimmers and seems to

change color.

BIRDIE
Everybody Miles says look at meeee!

MILES
Let's drink to the disruptors!

Duke stands, drink in hand.

DUKE
To the disruptors! Breakin it and
making it!

Everyone raises their glasses and drinks.

BIRDIE
Turn up the music, we're all ending
up in the pool tonight!
 67.

MILES
That's what I'm talking about!
Lionel's smile has vanished

LIONEL
Miles...

MILES
On your feet genius!

Claire stands in horror

CLAIRE
Miles - Duke!

They all turn - Duke grasps at his throat, staggering, his

face purple. For a horrible moment nobody moves.

Duke drops his crystal tumbler and falls to his knees.

Whiskey SCREAMS.

Pandemonium erupts. Everyone scrambling, trying to help -

Lionel lays the convulsing Duke on his back, Blanc reaches
into his mouth to clear his airway.

CLAIRE BIRDIE
Is he choking?! Get him water! Give him
air!

BLANC MILES
No he's not choking Duke buddy!

Duke's eyes bulge beet red, his chest heaves up in a final

horrible convulsion and then, very suddenly, stops. Frozen,
eyes open.

Lionel tries chest compressions and mouth to mouth, but

everyone backs away, somehow aware that it's over.

Whiskey throws herself on Duke as Lionel backs off, in

shock. Blanc checks Duke's pulse. Nothing.

BLANC
Mr. Cody is dead.

PEG
What the hell just happened?!

BIRDIE
Oh my god oh my god
 68.

CLAIRE
What happened? Did he choke on
something, what happened?
BLANC
There was no obstruction in his
airway. We won't know the exact
cause of death without an autopsy
but... Mr. Bron will you call your
boat and have them come immediately?
Mr. Bron?

Miles has sunk into a chair and looks catatonic, just

staring at Duke, in shock.

LIONEL
I'll do it - how do I do it?

MILES
(murmers)
Radio room, through there

BLANC
Tell them we need medical personnel
and police.

Lionel dashes off. Blanc pulls Whiskey gently away from

Duke's body. She breaks down in sobs and slips out.

BLANC (cont'd)
Mrs. Debella if you could find a
blanket, something to -

CLAIRE
Right...

MILES
Wait - police?

BLANC
And I must ask that no one touch the
body or disturb anything around it.

MILES
Are you - are you treating this as a
crime scene?

CLAIRE
Oh my god I can't be here, this is
bad - I can see the headlines

PEG
The police always come, it's standard
 69.

CLAIRE
Jetting off to Greece during a
pandemic with a mens rights you-tuber
who dies oh GOD I'm gonna puke

MILES
No no no Blanc - are you saying you
think this was intentional?

BLANC
I don't know.
(beat)
But yes. This was so acute and
violent, my guess would be something
was put in his drink. Intentionally.

A beat while this sinks in.

BIRDIE
I'm - just going to say it just to
say it... this isn't some meta game
in a game thing where Duke's faking
it and this IS the murder mystery
game because that would be REALLY
shitty and cheap Miles

MILES
Oh for goddsake

BLANC
You're welcome to check his pulse,
Miss Jay.
(to Miles)
This is not a game.

INT. RADIO ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Lionel on a sleek communications computer tied to the

mainland, he speaks to the boat captain, Mr. Andino.

LIONEL
Whadayamean morning, that's - how is
that possible??

ANDINO (ON RADIO)

Pee-cha-chite! Dock pee-cha-chite!

LIONEL
(dawning)
Peesh - of - shite. Oh.
 70.

INT. LOUNGE AREA

Lionel runs in.

LIONEL
The boat can't come till low tide.
In the morning. Six am at the
earliest.

CLAIRE BLANC
What?! Did you explain the
situation?

LIONEL
There's no other landing point and
Miles's dumb-ass Banksy dock was set
to low tide height and it isn't
buoyant. It's a piece of shit.

BLANC
Alright. I suggest we all retire to
our rooms and keep the doors locked
until five thirty, when we will
convene here and walk together to the
dock. I will stay up all night with
the body to make sure it isn't
tampered with in any way, I'd
recommend everyone get some sleep.

As Blanc is saying this, Miles looks at Claire placing a

blanket over Duke's contorted face.

Then he sees something else.

The sound in the room goes fuzzy. His peripheral vision

blurs. Everything focuses on one object and what it means.

The crystal tumbler that Duke drank from and dropped. On

the floor by his hand.

The name beautifully etched in its side:

"MILES"

MILES
Ohhhhhhh

Miles points in horror, and everyone looks.

BIRDIE
That's... your glass. Miles.
 71.

Blanc kneels, looks at the tumbler. Then looks back at

Miles, who barely breathes:
MILES
He... he must have... he picked it up
by mistake...

FLASHBACK - As Miles cheers on Birdie spinning in her dress,

Duke reaches without looking for his glass and grabs Miles's
instead.

BACK TO SCENE - Miles looks at the faces around the room,

like a frightened child.

Instinctively he moves behind Blanc, as if for protection.

BLANC
Mr. Bron...

LIONEL
Miles, come on now...

CLAIRE
Miles it's us.

BIRDIE
Miles baby, for real?

A beat, looking them all over, and then to Blanc:

MILES
I will pay you one billion dollars to
find who tried to kill me.

EVERYONE
(come ON)
Miles!

DING! SHHHHTICK. Blanc sighs, weary.

BLANC
I'm just going to silence his phone.

When he steps away from Miles, Miles moves behind the sofa.

MILES
We're staying right here in this
room, I'm keeping you all in plain
sight until that boat comes.

LIONEL
For godssakes Miles -
 72.

MILES
Wait where's Whiskey?
(oh NO)
Where's Andi!?

He spins as if afraid someone's behind him, jumpy and

petrified.

BLANC
Where's Duke's phone?

PEG
It just dinged, we heard it

BLANC
But it... it isn't in his pockets...

PEG
Maybe he dropped it somewhere, if it
dings again we'll find it.

Lionel steps forward gravely, points.

LIONEL
Forget his phone, look.

Blanc lifts Duke's jacket. His hip holster... empty.

BIRDIE
Where's his stupid gun?

BLANC
Oh dear.
(suddenly very afraid)
We need to find Andi.

Miles goes into full panic mode, scampering around the room
trying to take cover in a wide open space.

MILES
Andi! Andi! We can work this out!
Don't shoot me!

A distant DONG. SHHHHTICK. Miles jumps a foot.

BLANC
It's alright - it's just the Phillip
Glass thing.

If it's possible, Miles grows three shades more ashen.

MILES
Oh no.
 73.

Checks his watch - 10pm.

MILES (cont'd)
Oh no oh no oh SHIT oh no NO NO!

CLAIRE
Miles calm down!

BLANC
Mr. Bron! What's the matter?

Miles grabs Blanc's lapel, full panic, babbling -

MILES
It was part of the game, it was the
game, the murder game, we were going
to be having drinks and I thought it
would be fun to say something
dramatic just at ten o'clock and then
have twenty minutes where oh god
Blanc help help help help

Blanc SLAPS him firmly.

BLANC
What happens at ten o'clock?

With a hollow SNAP, every light in the entire complex SHUTS

OFF, plunging the atrium into total darkness.

EXT. THE GLASS ONION - NIGHT

The entire complex goes dark. A moment later, the island's

lighthouse SWEEPS its hard white light across the grounds.

INT. ATRIUM - NIGHT

Pitch black, just splinters of shapes from the moonlit

windows.

The white light of the lighthouse SWEEPS the room, and like
a strobe light catching a single frame of a tableau, we see
Miles on his knees, arms wrapped around Blanc's legs,
everyone else scattered around the room...

MILES
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

Then all is black again. We hear voices in the dark -

 74.

CLAIRE
Lionel!
LIONEL
I'm here!

DING! SHHHHTICK

BIRDIE
Ah! Peg is that you?

PEG
No I'm here, where's my phone it has
a flashlight -

Above it all Miles whimpering in a panicked whine

MILES
I gotta - I can't be -

BLANC
Everybody calm down! Stand still!
Do not panic!

With the next FLASH of light Whiskey stumbles in, holding

(for some reason) a SPEAR FISHING GUN.

WHISKEY
IT WAS ANDI! SHE KILLED DUKE AND
TORE OUR ROOM APART! I SAW HER!

LIONEL
WHAT?

Miles SHRIEKS

MILES
FUCK THIS!

And RUNS. General chaos and confusion in the dark.

BLANC
Miles, wait! Oh for - everyone STAY
HERE!

INT. HALLWAYS - NIGHT

Miles runs, stops, listening - eyes darting everywhere.

As the light SWEEPS the blackened hall, we see Miles in the

distance turn a corner. In the foreground: ANDI, spotting
him.
 75.

Somewhere far away:

BLANC (O.S.)
Andi!

She looks back at Blanc's voice as the light catches her.

INT. ATRIUM - NIGHT

In the darkness, Peg's phone flashlight comes on. Its weak

light doesn't pierce the vast space, but she waves it
around.

PEG
Bird I got it - Birdie? Lionel?

No one answers. The light sweeps the vast room - Peg is

alone.

PEG (cont'd)
Guys?

INT. HALLWAYS - NIGHT

With Miles. Moving slowly in the darkness. Barely

breathing. LIGHT SWEEPS. Shadows in the hallway - hard to
tell what they are. He slows his breath, listening.

The darkness looms around him.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Blanc enters just as a dark shape exits.

BLANC
Who's that!?

No answer, footsteps pad away. Using his phone flashlight

to peer around, he spots the butcher's block on the kitchen
island. One knife obviously missing.

BLANC (cont'd)
Augh.

The light sweeps, revealing a shadow of a running figure on

the wall. He turns - someone just ran past the window
outside.
 76.

EXT. GROUNDS - NIGHT

Blanc runs outside, turns - and is almost RUN OVER by the

running figure. Andi. In the jostle we think we hear:

BLANC
Hello!

ANDI
Blanc!

BLANC
Did you take Duke's gun?

ANDI
Why would I take Duke's gun? And why
are the lights -

BLANC
Duke is dead.

ANDI
What?!

INT. HALL - NIGHT

Dark. Through the floor to ceiling windows we see but don't

hear Blanc and Andi, right outside, talking fast and low.

The light SWEEPS.

Revealing, held in the foreground by a gloved hand - DUKE'S

GUN.

In the darkness that follows, a shape moves. A silhouette,

silent against the moonlit window.

The figure raises an arm.

The shape of Duke's gun held out, steady.

The figure takes very careful aim at the two outside.

EXT. GROUNDS - CONTINUOUS

Blanc and Andi oblivious, the window pitch black behind

them.

ANDI
I don't understand -
 77.

BLANC
Please trust me, it's all in plain
sight, I only need one last piece of
information, and only you can -

BANG.

Several things happen at once.

The window behind them cracks like safety glass, splintering

out like a spider web from a central bullet hole.

Andi's body flies out of frame as if hit by a hammer.

INT. THE GLASS ONION

In empty halls, rooms, the gunshot echoes and reverberates.

INT. ATRIUM

SHHHHTICK. The glass slides down over the Mona Lisa just as
the light sweeps over her. Linger on her enigmatic face.
Maybe smiling, maybe not, it's hard to tell.

We stay on it as we hear footsteps throughout the distant

halls, and echoey voices.

CLAIRE (O.S.)
Lionel!

BIRDIE (O.S.) LIONEL (O.S.)

Guys! Where are you? Did I heard it, I'm here -
you hear that?

PEG (O.S.) LIONEL (O.S.)

That sounded like Oh god Miles - who's seen
Miles, is he ok?

The sweeping light FLASH takes us to:

EXT. GROUNDS

The light sweeps over Andi's crumpled form on the steps.

Blanc backs off, breathing hard, a moment suspended. His

eyes red and filled with tears of rage.

With a deep clank, the LIGHTS come back on in the entire

complex.
 78.

In the windows behind him, one by one, everyone appears,

looking down on the tableau: Blanc standing above Andi's
awkwardly twisted body, her chest exploded in red.
And high above them all, in the front facing window of the
glass onion, Miles Bron looks down.

MOMENTS LATER

Everyone runs out, each stopping in horror at Andi's body.

CLAIRE
Oh god

She reels, Lionel steadies her. Birdie shrieks and steps

behind Peg, who is in shock. Whiskey sits on the steps,
numb. Inside the hallway, Miles stops at the gun on the
floor. Walks out to Blanc.

Blanc's voice is shaky. Almost to himself:

BLANC
I failed her. When she needed just
one person to not fail her.

Then gathering himself he turns, forceful and hard:

BLANC (cont'd)
Everyone, inside. Right now.

Claire motions to the body

CLAIRE
Shouldn't we -

A cold fury has taken Blanc. He storms inside.

BLANC
She's not going anywhere. Inside.
It's time to finish this.

INT. ATRIUM - NIGHT

Blanc sweeps in, everyone struggling to keep up.

BLANC
Peg, radio the mainland. Tell them
to send the boats NOW, Banksy be
damned, beach them if they have to.

She nods and goes to do it.

 79.

MILES
Andi...
WHISKEY
She killed Duke, why would -

BLANC
No.

MILES
This makes no sense.

BLANC
You're wrong, it all makes perfect
sense. Duke. Andi. This weekend,
this ridiculous game that started
well before we set foot on this
island. It's almost crystal clear.

LIONEL
Will you please then explain it all
to us? Detective?

BLANC
No. I can peel back the layers, I
can take it to a point. But what
lies at the center... only one person
can tell us who killed Cassandra
Brand.

HARD CUT TO:

A FRONT DOOR, PAINTED WHITE

A hand knocks. A long moment. Knocks again, insistent. A

voice we maybe recognize from inside:

BLANC (O.S.)
Answer that would you?

A beat, then the door swings open, revealing a handsome

middle aged man named PHILLIP. He blinks at the woman
standing in the hall, grabs a mask and pulls it over his
face.

We recognize her as Andi, wearing an N95 mask, and with

longer hair. Her speaking voice is a little softer, with a
distinct southern lilt, her posture a bit more slouched.
She awkwardly holds a familiar large cardboard BOX.

PHILLIP
Can I help you?
 80.

ANDI
Is this Benoit Blanc's residence?
PHILLIP
Uh, what is this regarding?

ANDI
I'm sorry, it's just his office is
closed and... I really need to talk
to him. It's urgent. Please.
(beat)
And this is not unheavy.

PHILLIP
Blanc! Someone here for you. With a
box.

EXT. TERRACE - DAY

Blanc's apartment has a terrace with an outdoor dining table

and a few chairs. The cardboard box sits on the table in
front of Blanc. Andi stands at the far end of the table,
still masked.

Blanc pulls the top of the box off, revealing the shattered,
splintered remains of the puzzle box.

BLANC
Why don't we start at the beginning.

ANDI
Can I -

Her mask. Blanc nods and they both unmask.

ANDI (cont'd)
Phew. My name is Helen Brand.

Oh.

HELEN
I live in Atlanta. I'm not sure
where to even start this.

A pause. She is obviously nervous. Blanc gently:

BLANC
What do you do in Atlanta?

HELEN
Just my kids, I'm a single mom, and I
teach. Third grade.
(MORE)
 81.

HELEN (cont'd)
Been getting into tie-dying, with the
pandemic. That doesn't matter. Two
days ago I got a call. My sister
committed suicide. In her garage, in
her car, engine running. She lives
here in New York City, in New
Rochelle.

BLANC
I'm sorry for your loss.

HELEN
We hadn't been close for a long time.
That sounds shitty but it's true.

BLANC
Was she older, younger?

INT. MORGUE - FLASHBACK

Helen has been brought in to identify the body on a

stretcher. A kind CORONER lifts the sheet.

HELEN (O.C.)
She was my little sister. Not by
much, about seven minutes. Our folks
passed, it's just the two of us. And
I guess I never looked after her the
way I should have. Which is kinda
why I'm here.

Helen nods, mouths "yes" and steps away quickly. Reveal the
body on the stretcher: it's Andi, Helen's identical twin,
with the shorter hair we're used to seeing her with.

HELEN (O.C.) (cont'd)

My sister was Cassandra Brand. Do
you know who she was?

EXT. TERRACE

BLANC
Yes of course. I thought you...
sorry, I thought you looked familiar.
An impressive woman, your sister.

HELEN
God she was that. Born for bigger
things. Day after graduation she was
off like a shot to New York, never
looked back. You know.
(MORE)
 82.

HELEN (cont'd)
When we were kids we'd goof together,
we'd do a character, "rich bitch."
(in Andi's accent)
"Heavens, the dog ate the caviar
again." Then one day I hear her
doing a talk and that's just how she
talks now! Rich bitch! Who's she
fooling? Everybody but me. I was
like alright.

BLANC
(gently steering)
So, you get the call.

Helen looking at the box on the table.

HELEN
Yeah I get it. I fly here, this is
yesterday, I'm cleaning out Andi's
house. It's a mess. All her books
everywhere. And I'm thinking about
what got taken from her and how I
wasn't there for her and I'm getting
angrier and angrier and then there's
a knock at the door. It's a courier,
he hands me this thing. From Miles
Bron. There's probably some clever
way to open it, I dunno, I open it.
It's an invitation to his private
island in Greece, next weekend, one
of these trips she'd go on with him
and this little group of shitheads
that she thought were her friends.
Called themselves the "disruptors."
I knew what they were, I told her.
Shit. Heads.

Helen's anger is simmering.

BLANC
Surely your sister was estranged from
Mr. Bron?

HELEN
Estranged. Yeah. After what he did
to her. To send her this.

BLANC
A complicated man, I'd expect.

HELEN
Complicated shit head.
 83.

Blanc nods, not impatiently, but ready for the point.

BLANC
Miss Brand, how can I help you?

Helen nods. And takes the plunge.

HELEN
Andi didn't commit suicide.

Blanc leans back, engaged.

HELEN (cont'd)
She didn't leave any kind of note, so
I was going through her computer,
looking through the "SENT" box to see
if she wrote anyone anything.

Helen pulls her phone, opens an email, hands it to Blanc.

HELEN (cont'd)
She sent this at four pm the day she
died. Four days ago.

Blanc looks at the email, reads it aloud.

BLANC
"I finally found it, it's right here,
and I'm going to use it to burn his
whole empire down. I'm giving you
all one last chance to make things
right. You know where to find me.
-A."

The email has a picture attached of Andi in her home office,

holding a sealed file-sized RED MANILA ENVELOPE up to her
computer's camera.

BLANC (cont'd)
And these four addresses she sent it
to, I would assume, are...

HELEN
Birdie Jay, Duke Cody, Claire Debella
and Lionel Toussaint.

BLANC
The shit heads?

HELEN
She sends that email. Nothing back
from any of them. And the next
morning she's dead in her garage.
(MORE)
 84.

HELEN (cont'd)
Heavy dose of muscle relaxant in her
system.
BLANC
A muscle relaxant she had a
prescription for?

HELEN
Yeah but - Mr. Blanc I have emptied
every inch of every room of her house
and guess what isn't there?

Blanc looks at the picture of Andi with the red envelope.

BLANC
The red envelope.
(beat)
Compelling. But circumstantial.

Helen's face tightens.

BLANC (cont'd)
But compelling.
(beat)
Take it to the police. Susanne Pots
is captain of the investigations
department in New Rochelle, top
notch.

He hands Helen her phone back. Helen does not like this
answer. She gathers herself, then:

HELEN
The police. Google said you were the
world's greatest detective. I came
to you. Not the police.

BLANC
Captain Pots is straight as an arrow,
I can vouch for her

HELEN
It isn't corruption, it's just the
way it is. I take something about
rich folk with an army of lawyers to
the cops, the courts, it's years of
watching it go nowhere.

A pause.
 85.

BLANC
But if you got them all together,
isolated for a weekend with, in your
words, "the world's greatest
detective..."

His eyes gleam. Helen's face breaks in relief.

HELEN
I was not looking forward to saying
that out loud and it sounded crazier
and crazier in my head the longer I
sat here so - whew. It's a stupid
idea right?

BLANC
I want to be clear - I am not Batman.

She blinks.

BLANC (cont'd)
I cannot bring them to justice
outside the system. I can deduce,
gather evidence, present it to the
police and the courts - but that's
where my jurisdiction ends.

HELEN
Yeah but you doing it instead of me.
I'll take those odds.

Blanc draws a long thin cigar from his pocket and clips the
end, now seeing it, deep in thought.

BLANC
I have not seen your sister's death
in the news, did you release a
statement?

HELEN
No - shit was I supposed to? I don't
know how this works

BLANC
And you have no other family who was
informed of the death. If I pulled
some strings I could keep it from
leaking to the press for another
week... maybe... yes...
(beat)
Did your sister keep a diary?
 86.

HELEN
She journaled, her office was full of
them but what why?
BLANC
Those will help but still, once we
get to the island you'll have to play
it tight to the vest, hang back and
not risk raising suspicion. Let me
use your presence as a pretense for
questioning.
(musing)
It could be quite effective...

Helen stares with dawning disbelief.

BLANC (cont'd)
Yes. I'm proposing you come with me
to that island. As Cassandra Brand.

HELEN
No! I'm hiring you to go. I'm not.
Whoa. What?? No. What? You mean
I - as - no. That's NUTS, man.
They'll know.

BLANC
They won't, because it's nuts.

HELEN
What?!

BLANC
Why would they suspect you're showing
up playing your sister, when they
don't know your sister is dead?

HELEN
One of them knows.

BLANC
(suddenly grave)
Yes. From the moment you arrive on
that island the killer will know who
you are and what you're doing. They
will certainly not hesitate to kill
again, if it covers their tracks.
And I'm a detective Helen, not a
bodyguard. I cannot guarantee your
safety. You're right, maybe it's too
dangerous.
 87.

HELEN
I mean. One of those shit heads
killed my little sister. I'm not
afraid, I will take them on, I just -
what you're proposing, this is
something Andi would do. She's the
smart one, she's the actor. This
isn't me.

BLANC
Yes. Yes, I understand.

She stops. Looks down at the broken puzzle box, and gets
angry. A long beat. Then:

HELEN
Do you really think we could catch
the son of a bitch?

Blanc's grave eyes gleam. He ignites his cigar.

CUT TO:

SHIMMERING WATER

But this time at night, sparkling like inky glass. Tilt up

to reveal

EXT. GRECIAN PORT TOWN - NIGHT

Push in on the adorable dock-side hotel, lit up warm and

glowing.

INT. HOTEL BAR - NIGHT

A beautiful old restaurant / bar on the ground level. Just

a few guests scattered throughout, the servers all in masks
and face shields.

HELEN slips into the bar, now with Andi's shorter hair. She
carries a small pile of her sister's sturdy JOURNALS. She's
on a face time call with her KIDS on her phone, a 14 year
old CHARLIE in the foreground while his 7 year old sister
JILLY screams

JILLY
MY POOP IS BLUE!
 88.

HELEN
How many blueberry pop-tarts did she
eat? Charlie how many!
CHARLIE JILLY
I don't know she ate all of My poop is blue! I'm gonna
them I think die!

HELEN
Baby you're not gonna die, Charlie
dammit what are you doing letting her
eat all the blueberry pop-tarts-
you're not gonna die! Babies I gotta
go, where's Stacy?

CHARLIE
She's here

HELEN
You listen to your god-mother and
mind her, yes? She's in charge now.

CHARLIE
Yes ma'am.

HELEN
Ok I love you. Bye my babies.

Blanc sits tucked back in a booth, flipping through an iPad.

BLANC
Trouble at mill?

HELEN
I'm gonna kill my kids, then you'll
have to solve that.
(beat)
I shouldn't be here, this is nuts.
But I'm here so let's do this.

A server sweeps in.

BLANC
Drink?

HELEN
I don't drink - just coffee.

BLANC
A fruit plate, maybe? Something
light? Light? Light. Yes.
 89.

The server seems confused, then suddenly seems to understand

and rushes off, very excited.
HELEN
Andi's journals.

BLANC
Good, keep studying them, they may
save your life. Ok. Tomorrow, I'll
go out early, and you should arrive
late, so I can watch everyone's
reaction when you show up. On the
boat be cold, don't engage in
conversation.

HELEN
I'm not great on boats.

BLANC
You'll be fine. Remember, rich bitch
voice, Andi posture.

Helen corrects her usual slouch, does her "rich bitch"

accent for most of the rest of the conversation.

HELEN
The dog ate the caviar. Ok. Should
I avoid talking to you?

BLANC
Yes - wait, no, early on establish a
genial rapport with me, it might
cover if we're spotted together
during the weekend.

HELEN
Genial rapport. So then what do we
look for?

BLANC
Motive and opportunity.

HELEN
You said you were going to dig for
motives -

BLANC
Yes and I easily found them... but
motives for each of them to want
Miles Bron dead. Bron is threatening
Lionel's reputation, Claire's
candidacy, Birdie's career and Duke's
manhood.
(MORE)
 90.

BLANC (cont'd)
They'd all be better off if Andi had
destroyed him with that envelope.
Why would they kill her to protect
him?

HELEN
What about Miles? What if Miles just
did it?

BLANC
We can't rule it out but - Miles Bron
is not an idiot. To risk committing
murder, after a very public court
case, with the possibility that
Andi's email could come to light...
it would be an exceedingly stupid
thing to do. Especially if someone
was willing to do it for him. Now,
walk me through these journals -

HELEN
Shit.

In the adjacent lobby: BIRDIE and PEG check in. Birdie

loudly being an asshole to the bellhop.

Helen shrinks back in her seat, ready to bolt. Blanc

steadies her. Birdie isn't looking in their direction.

BLANC
Wait wait. We're fine, just don't
draw any attention -

At that moment the SERVER sets a MASSIVE and ridiculous

dessert in front of Blanc with a flourish.

SERVER
I light!

He strikes a match and LIGHTS the dessert on fire. It

blazes and embedded sparklers go off. The server and
several colleagues begin SINGING a festive song in Greek.

Everyone including Birdie and Peg turn to the spectacle.

Helen DUCKS down under the booth. Blanc smiles weakly.
Birdie to Peg:

BIRDIE
I'm going to get a drink, you'll
handle all this.

But when she turns back to the bar Blanc he is gone.

 91.

EXT. HOTEL - LATER

Blanc and Helen step outside onto the deserted dock,

recovering from the close shave.

BLANC
Your sister's journals. Tell me the
story of Miles and his shit heads.

Helen switches back to her Helen accent for the rest of the
scene.

HELEN
Kay. Ten years ago, before any of
them hit it big, they all hung out
together in this bar.

INT. THE GLASS ONION BAR - FLASHBACK - NIGHT

The "Glass Onion" neon sign glows in a dive bar. Andi,

Birdie, Duke, Claire and Lionel all hang out drinking in a
booth, all young and broke and buzzed. Andi is the warm
center of the group.

HELEN (O.C.)
The Glass Onion. Just a dive.

BLANC (O.C.)
And Miles was the leader of the pack?

HELEN (O.C.)
No, Andi was. They all were friends
with Andi. Birdie was a washed up
model, Duke was a nerd doing video
game tournaments. Claire just lost a
race for city council, Lionel was a
substitute teacher. All of them run
aground in their thirties, but Andi
saw their potential. She found them
all. Then she found Miles.
Introduced him to the group.

Andi sees Miles enter, waves him over to the booth.

ANDI
Guys. This is Miles.

Time cut: later in the conversation, Miles holds court.

HELEN (O.S.)
At first nobody liked him. He would
say stuff like:
 92.

MILES
I will be remembered forever to the
world in the same breath as the Mona
Lisa.

EXT. HOTEL - NIGHT

BLANC
What does that even mean?

INT. THE GLASS ONION BAR - FLASHBACK - NIGHT

The group huddling while Miles is over at the bar.

ANDI
It means immortality, he wants to
create something that has a lasting -

Andi fumbles to a stop.

BIRDIE
He ain't that bright.

Everyone looks at her. Jesus, coming from Birdie...

ANDI
I think he might be though, really
smart, in that weird genius way, and
he has money. From his family. And
more than that, he's just got this
vibe, he's one of those people, he's
going to do big things, I believe in
him. Maybe he can change the world
like he says, I don't know, he makes
me think he can. And I don't think
he's a bad guy. Roll with it, humor
him. Just a little. Let's see what
happens.

HELEN (O.C.)
And things started happening.

Time cuts: the gang in the bar over a series of nights,

laughing at Miles's jokes, getting happier and happier.

HELEN (O.C.) (cont'd)

He got Birdie a show for her designs,
it did well. Got Lionel published.
Duke set up on Twitch. Claire
elected locally.
(MORE)
 93.

HELEN (O.C.) (cont'd)

Small stuff but it happened. And
then the big thing happened.
The gang plays pool. Andi, with a hardcover copy of "The
Innovator's Dilemma" on her knee, scribbles something.

On a napkin. Miles points to it, everyone looks up.

MILES
What's that?

EXT. HOTEL - NIGHT

BLANC
That was Andi's contention, that
Alpha was her idea, the napkin

HELEN
Yeah and we'll come back to that. So
based on this napkin idea Andi and
Miles create Alpha, it blows up, they
bring everyone along for the ride.
And Miles's aspirations keep getting
bigger and bigger, he gets in his
save the world pacifist mode. Do you
know this spider story? Okay he flew
his private plane from LA to Nova
Scotia for some conference, found a
spider in the cabin, realized it
wouldn't survive in the northern
climate, so he had his pilot fly it
back to LA.

BLANC
No.

HELEN
Andi's realizing he's out of control
and nobody tells him no. Cut to:
two years ago. Miles meets some
sketchy Norwegian chemist at an
ayahuasca ceremony in Peru, who
pitches him this new hydrogen fuel.
He becomes obsessed. He's ready to
put the entire company's resources
towards launching this stuff.

INT. BOARD ROOM - FLASHBACK - DAY

ANDI
No.
 94.

We are in an ALPHA board room, with a spectacular NYC view.

Andi sits and Miles stands watching her, weirdly like a

puppy who has brought its master a bone.

MILES
Andi. We wanted to build the future
together. This is it!

On a dish in front of her: the marble-sized Klear crystal,

an unsigned contract, and a pen.

ANDI
I know you like the way this sounds
but there's a reason hydrogen fuels
have not taken over the world, even
the vetted ones have problems, and -
what was the guy's name who sold you
on this?

MILES
Sven.

ANDI
Sven who?

MILES
Sven.... Sven...ski. Andi this is
it!

ANDI
No. This is not a start-up. This
could blow up in our face, and the
public fall-out could set legitimate
alternative fuel science back decades

MILES
Or it could change the world! Like
we always wanted to! But you've
gotta believe it - don't you believe
in me?

ANDI
I do, still, every part of me wants
to believe you'll pull this off
but... no. I can't let you do this.

MILES
"Let me" do it?

ANDI
I'm going to walk. And take half the
company.
(MORE)
 95.

ANDI (cont'd)
To stop you from using it for this.
I'm sorry Miles. But you can't do
this without me, and I'm walking
away.

Miles looks genuinely anguished. Weirdly vulnerable.

MILES
But this is it.

EXT. HOTEL - NIGHT

HELEN
She did it. God I love that she did
it. Then she found out his lawyers
had worked the contracts so she was
cut out of the company completely.

BLANC
So she sued over that -

HELEN
No, no the contracts were ironclad.
And this is key: Her whole case was
built on
(Andi accent)
"intellectual ownership of the
company's founding idea."

BLANC
Her idea. On the napkin.

HELEN
Which she didn't keep.

INT. COURTROOM - DAY

Miles and Andy look silently at each other from their

respective tables.

HELEN (O.C.)
So when Miles claimed HE wrote the
napkin idea, it was his word against
hers... and the other witnesses in
the room.

On the stand - Claire. She avoids Andi's gaze.

LAWYER
And can you recount that moment, Mrs.
Debella?
 96.

CLAIRE
Miles got really excited, he had an
idea. And he grabbed a napkin and
scribbled it down to show us.

Andi STANDS, furious.

ANDI
That's a LIE! Claire look at me!
Look me in the eye and say it!

JUDGE
Order, counsel please get your client
under control.

TIME CUT: Duke on the stand.

DUKE
Miles. I remember he showed it to
me.

Then Birdie:

BIRDIE
It was Miles.

And finally Lionel:

LIONEL
Miles.

Andi sits in shocked fury. Truly gutted. Miles smiles

sympathetically at her, somehow genuinely sorry, like a
golden retriever who's just eaten your shoes. She glares
back at him.

HELEN (O.C.)
This was February.

INT. ANDI'S LIVING ROOM - FLASHBACK - NIGHT

On an iPad, a Forbes.com story about Miles and his idea

napkin. Andi stares at it, dead eyed. A bottle of wine
nearly dead beside her.

HELEN (O.S.)
Right after the verdict Miles
"suddenly found" the napkin, written
in his handwriting, and did all those
interviews about it.
 97.

She THROWS the iPad across the room. Goes on a tear, flips
her coffee table, shoves books off her shelves, goes full
Charles Foster Kane.

EXT. HOTEL - NIGHT

BLANC
A bald faced fabrication.

HELEN
A damn lie. And it worked.

INT. ANDI'S LIVING ROOM - FLASHBACK - NIGHT

Andi stops mid-destruction.

Sees in a pile on the ground: her old hardcover copy of

"The Innovator's Dilemma."

Her eyes focus on it. Holy shit.

HELEN (O.C.)
A lie she was killed for.

She leans down. Picks it up.

And out of the dust sleeve falls THE REAL NAPKIN.

EXT. HOTEL - NIGHT

BLANC
So. Every one of the diruptors
perjured themselves to destroy Andi
and protect Miles Bron. We need to
find out why. Motive. Whose was
strong enough to go one more step,
and commit murder. And then - and
this will be tricky - everyone's
whereabouts on the night of her
death. Who could have been to her
house that night. Opportunity.

While he's talking Helen opens to a blank page in one of the

journals and draws something.

HELEN
Our suspects. Motive. Opportunity.

She shows it to him - she's made a grid with four names on

the left and two columns for "M" and "O" on top. She grins.
 98.

HELEN (cont'd)
Kinda like a - it's like a -
BLANC
(deeply annoyed)
I know

HELEN BLANC
A "Clue" notepad Yeah.

HELEN
You must be great at Clue

BLANC HELEN
I'm very bad at dumb things,
it's my Achilles heel.
Ticking boxes, "Run around!
Search all the rooms!"
terrible game. Ok, alright. My kids love
it.

A beat. Distant, the glowing light of the island.

HELEN (cont'd)
I'm scared.

BLANC
I understand. This is the last
chance to back out.

Helen looks at her sister's journal in her hand. Then back

out at the island. Determined.

EXT. SEA - MORNING

The ferry cuts a path towards Bron's island, all the

suspects on board.

On the back deck Helen stands, hand grasping the rail

tightly. SICK AS A DOG.

HELEN
(to herself)
Ooooph god boats.

BIRDIE
You shouldn't be here.

Birdie and Duke on the deck, watching her. Birdie looks

freaked out. Duke grins with sinister amusement.
 99.

DUKE
Ballsy move.
Helen returns their stare.

CLAIRE (O.S.)
There it is!

Duke and everyone else turns their attention to the

approaching island. Helen takes the opportunity to PUKE
over the side of the boat.

EXT. BEACH - DAY

A shoe with an UNTIED SHOELACE scuffs to a stop. Blanc

bends to tie it, Helen hanging back with him as the rest of
the group ambles ahead with Miles.

They talk quietly and quickly.

HELEN
Boats, man. Anyone lose their shit
when I showed up?

BLANC
An egalitarian losing of shits.

HELEN
Duke and Birdie, I think they're on
to me. Or they were just being
assholes.

BLANC
Not mutually exclusive. I suspect
when we're all settling in Bron will
pull me aside to explain my presence.
That's your chance to snoop.

HELEN
Snoop?

BLANC
Snoop.

INT. ANDI'S ROOM - DAY

Helen puts her bag down on the bed. Ok. Snooping time.
 100.

EXT. GROUNDS

In a bathing suit and beach wrap she wanders, not exactly

sure what she's looking for.

Whiskey emerges from the greenery, in a bikini and skirt.

WHISKEY
Hey Andi.

HELEN
Hey yeah. Yes. Hi.

WHISKEY
I'm Whiskey. We didn't really meet.
Are you looking for the pool?

HELEN
Yes, this place, it's crazy.

WHISKEY
Maybe this way? Ugh. You want this?
Not into it.

A bottle of the hard Kombucha. Helen takes it, tries it,

winces. But keeps drinking it. They walk together.
Nothing to say. Helen reaches:

HELEN
That's a beautiful necklace. Taurus.

Whiskey's necklace is a jeweled bull.

WHISKEY
Miles gave it to me. Surprised me
for my birthday, filled his whole
penthouse on the park with roses.
(at Helen's look)
He's a good guy. He's complicated.
But please don't

HELEN
Don't worry, I won't tell Duke.

Whiskey looks at her curiously.

WHISKEY
I was going to say please don't feel
weird, it's not weird. Just
complicated.
(MORE)
 101.

WHISKEY (cont'd)
(beat)
I think it's really shitty. What
Miles did to you, and how they all
treated you. I read all your court
transcripts, you got shanked.

HELEN
Thanks. Whiskey. How long have you
been with Duke?

WHISKEY
Almost a year. This is my second one
of these things, we did a yacht thing
last year.

HELEN
Fun.

WHISKEY
Pfft. When they're all together it's
the worst. Duke treats me like arm
candy in front of them, they all
ignore me.

HELEN
Why do you put up with it?

WHISKEY
With Duke? Building my brand, he's
putting me on his channel more.
Though he's veering harder right with
this man-dom stuff, if I'm going to
get into politics eventually I don't
know if I want to go down that road.
Expeditious but kind of a shit show.
Here's the pool.

And there it is.

HELEN
I'm going to walk around a little
more. I'll see you down there. It
was nice talking to you.

WHISKEY
You too, bye Andi.

Whiskey heads down to the pool. Helen watches her go,

thoughtful, then slips into the brush to continue snooping.
 102.

EXT. HERB GARDEN

Helen emerges, lost and frustrated. Takes another pull from

the Kombucha, winces.

BANG!

She spit takes and looks in the direction of the shot.

EXT. POOL - CONTINUOUS

Duke has just fired his pistol.

DUKE
Really.

LIONEL
Asshole.

MILES (O.S.)
NOW it's a party!

We stick with Lionel and Claire as they swim out to the deep
end of the infinity pool, with a spectacular view, and
privacy to talk.

CLAIRE
I did it. Two weeks ago I did it.

LIONEL
You signed off on the power plant?

CLAIRE
Yeah. God help me. When this
breaks, poof, my base is gone, all my
grass roots lefties. Gone. Maybe my
marriage. Shit.
(beat)
I can't go soft now, not when I'm
this close. I could do so much good.
But first I have to win. And I need
Miles for that.

LIONEL
I did it too.

CLAIRE
You what?

Over the edge of the infinity pool, reveal: Helen, lurking

in the garden below, listening.
 103.

LIONEL
I signed off on putting Klear in the
manned mission. My staff doesn't
know yet, but Miles threatened to
sink me if I didn't.

CLAIRE
Well let's hope Andi was wrong about
this Klear stuff

LIONEL
No she was right.

CLAIRE
Sorry what?

LIONEL
Yeah it's a mess. You put its gas
form into household pipes you get
massive leakage into the air, the
hydrogen particles are too small, god
knows what other problems it has

CLAIRE
Hydrogen gas - Lyle I sold my soul
for this, you're telling me it's
gonna literally turn everyone's house
into the Hindenburg

LIONEL
No listen. There will be no scrutiny
on this stuff until he publicly
launches it, and he promised me that
will not be for at LEAST two years.
I can test it out by then, if it's
not workable I'll pull the plug. And
if he's right, and he's always
somehow right, this really will
change the world. And everything
we've done will be worth it.

He spots Blanc wading (in his shirt) and eyeing them.

LIONEL (cont'd)
We better get back.

Blanc smiles as they swim past him.

Helen emerges into the pool area, and walks past.

HELEN
You don't want to take your shirt
off?
 104.

BLANC
I'm fine. Thank you.
Helen sits next to Birdie and Peg, without them noticing. A
fresh kombucha in her hand.

PEG BIRDIE
Birdie. You need to talk to I will.
him. Before dinner. You I will.
need to. You need to beg Oh god.
him.

PEG
When he goes to his room, just follow
him and do it. Ok?

BIRDIE
I'll take care of him. Don't worry.
There was a time you know, back when.

Helen opens her phone to the voice memos app, starts it

recording, and turns off the screen.

BIRDIE (cont'd)
I was the one who'd been on
magazines, he was nobody, he couldn't
believe he was talking to me.

As Peg and Birdie look at Miles, Helen tosses her phone into
a side pouch of Birdie's oversized bag.

BIRDIE (cont'd)
He said that. "You're Birdie Jay,
from billboards. I can't believe I'm
talking to you." He was this little
thing in my hand.
(beat)
I preferred that.

Birdie lies back, and notices Andi lying in the chair next
to her.

BIRDIE (cont'd)
Andi! Hi.

INT. BATHROOM - LATER

Blanc and Helen huddle in the small single bathroom. A huge

painting by Matisse on the wall. Helen is drinking another
kombucha and seems weirdly loose.
 105.

BLANC
Wow. You're really good at this.
Interesting stuff with Whiskey too,
and motives for both Lionel and
Claire, well done.

HELEN
Are those motives? I was kinda
confused

BLANC
Yes, both of them - they've bet the
farm and will both be ruined along
with Miles if he fails. They need to
protect him at all costs.

Helen ticks off the "M" boxes for Lionel and Claire.

HELEN
But I can't picture them killing
her...

BLANC
Think of the crime, the nature of it.

EXT. ANDI'S HOUSE - HYPOTHETICAL - EVENING

Duke knocking on Andi's front door, his motorcycle nearby.

She answers. He is contrite.

BLANC (O.C.)
They've come to apologize, to make
amends.

INT. ANDI'S KITCHEN - HYPOTHETICAL - NIGHT

Lionel in the cozy kitchen now with Andi, as we see

different scenarios seamlessly blend together.

BLANC (O.C.)
And the murder itself is non violent,
gentle.

Lionel slips some powder in Andi's tea when her back is

turned.

BLANC (O.C.) (cont'd)

They don't even see her die.

Andi fades from consciousness, her head sinks gently to the

table. Claire now sits watching her silently and coldly.
 106.

BLANC (O.C.) (cont'd)

she just goes to sleep.

INT. ANDI'S GARAGE - HYPOTHETICAL - EVENING

Andi slumped in the passenger seat. Birdie turns on the

engine and lowers the windows.

BLANC (O.C.)
No, they're all more than capable.

INT. BATHROOM

Helen shudders. Terrible to think about. Meanwhile Blanc

pours his hard kombucha into the sink and fills the bottle
with water, as Helen takes another pull at hers.

BLANC
Go easy there - I thought you didn't
drink?

HELEN
This isn't drink. It's some funky
health stuff.

BLANC
It's hard kombucha, Jared Leto's hard
kombucha it's my god nine percent
alcohol - how many of these have you
had?

She holds up three fingers

HELEN
Two maybe I dunno I'm fine, we need
the O's, the opportunity. We've
gotta open them up, push it.

BLANC
Don't push anything right now,

HELEN
No I feel good

BLANC
I think you should maybe lie down

HELEN
I feel so good and we're running out
of time!
 107.

BLANC
Helen! This is not a game. Please
remember the danger here. Step back,
let me handle it. Push nothing.

EXT. POOL

With Helen. Listening as Miles gives his discourse on

disruption. As he speaks we stay on her face, moving with
her as she approaches the group.

MILES (O.S.)
They'll tell you to stop, that you
need to stop. Because nobody wants
you to break the system itself. But
that is true disruption. That is
what unites this group. Every single
one of us has hit that point, and
proved that they're willing to cross
it. Disruptors. All of us.

Helen takes a last long pull from the hard kombucha,

straightens her posture, then claps.

Blanc and the rest of the group turns to look at her.

Blanc's face: Uh oh.

CUT TO:

EXT. GROUNDS - AFTERNOON

Helen bursts onto a path, away from the pool, hyped up. She
steadies herself, the trees spinning.

HELEN
Uh oh

Behind her Claire runs to catch up.

CLAIRE
Wait!

Helen takes one breath - here we go - then spins on her:

HELEN
Wait YOU wait. Out of all of them,
you. That day in court you couldn't
even look me in the eye.
 108.

Claire just looks at her hard, up and down, appraising her.

Helen holds her gaze. Fear grips her, like someone who's
made a bad bluff.
CLAIRE
What are you doing?

This is steely. It freezes Helen. The moment is broken

when Duke emerges from the pool area, joining them.
Standing by silently. Claire looks at him. Back to Helen.

CLAIRE (cont'd)
Can we talk about the email.

HELEN
Oh now you want to talk about it?
You didn't even write back.

Claire looks back at Duke, they both look at her strangely.

CLAIRE
I'm a politician Andi, I never email
anything I wouldn't want on the front
page of the Times. That's why I
called.

Helen is frozen... uh oh. Did she just majorly fuck up?

CLAIRE (cont'd)
All of us did, right when we got it,
over and over, your phone was off.
The whole next week - up until
yesterday I've been trying and it's
still off.

HELEN
I got a new number.

DUKE
And when we couldn't reach you, I
went to your house.

Helen freezes again. Oh shit. But:

CLAIRE
Yeah. We all did.

EXT. ANDI'S HOUSE - FLASHBACK - EVENING

We see what Claire describes, her Prius pulls up just as

Lionel gets there in his Tesla.
 109.

They join Duke who is knocking at the door and yelling, his
motorcycle parked nearby.
CLAIRE (O.C.)
Lionel and I got there at the same
time, Duke was already there.

DUKE (O.C.)
The lights were out, I was pounding,
I almost broke it down.

CLAIRE (O.C.)
We knocked and waited and called for
you, we thought you were just not
coming out.

During this Duke has spotted a SPIDER crawling on the wall.

In anger he SMASHES it.

EXT. GROUNDS

CLAIRE
After an hour we left. Birdie went
by later to check and it was the
same. Where the hell were you?

HELEN
What time did you get there?

CLAIRE
Around I don't know, seven, it was
getting dark

HELEN
And Duke you were there already?

CLAIRE
He drove his motorcycle so fast he
almost got in an accident,

DUKE
I almost got pancaked -

Helen squints, trying to keep it all straight in her

kombucha daze

HELEN
Can you say all that one more time?

CLAIRE
I did a hundred miles an hour on I-
95 - look.
(MORE)
 110.

CLAIRE (cont'd)
I don't know what you're planning on
pulling being here but we need to
talk about this.
Then Helen has a moment of clarity, she knows what she wants
to ask:

HELEN
If I had answered the door that
night, what would you have told me?
(to Claire)
That you were wrong? That you'll
back me up with Miles? Or were you
all showing up to talk me out of
using that envelope?

Claire doesn't reply, and Helen has her answer, and takes
the opportunity to storm off.

Claire watches her go. Duke scowls and leaves.

Lionel emerges behind Claire, sees Helen vanishing into the

gardens.

CLAIRE
Something's off. I don't like this.

LIONEL
What do you mean?

EXT. GARDEN

The adrenaline carries Helen about eight steps before she

swoons and stumbles. Her PHONE starts buzzing. Shit. She
answers it - it's JILLY calling from the toilet.

JILLY (ON PHONE)

IT'S STILL BLUE!

Helen reels, starts walking, trying to keep her voice down.

HELEN
What?! Baby what?

JILLY (ON PHONE)

My poo poo it's still blue!
 111.

HELEN
Yeah hon because you ate - baby it's
ok, it's alright, no it's going to be
alright, I promise, ask Stacy to
clean you up. Mom's gotta go but no
more pop tarts ok?

JILLY (ON PHONE)

I don't ever wanna eat pop-tarts
again

HELEN
Good. Baby.
(tears up)
I love you.

JILLY (ON PHONE)

Ok.

She hangs up. Emotional. Very aware of the danger around

her and what that means. From nearby:

SOOTHING ROBOT VOICE (O.S.)

This is a smokeless garden...

Red lights flash through the trees, she takes a defensive

posture, so confused.

SOOTHING ROBOT VOICE (O.S.) (cont'd)

Please keep our water clean...

She sees Blanc dash out from the foliage, panicked. She
calls to him.

HELEN
Blanc!

INT. GYM - DAY

Blanc and Helen speak quickly in an empty gorgeous GYM. She

pounds Gatorade.

Behind them a huge virtual workout screen with a picture of

Serena Williams on it.

HELEN
That's everything she said, I think.

BLANC
Wow. I think maybe you should...
take up drinking? You are just
killing it.
 112.

HELEN
Yeah and you're totally useless.
BLANC
Pacing myself. So all of them were
there that night.

HELEN
Claire and Lionel were never there
alone - but Duke came early and
Birdie came late.

On her note pad she ticks off the "O" for Birdie and Duke.

BLANC
But they could have gotten there
early, killed your sister then
circled away and waited for the other
to arrive.

HELEN
Shit.

She ticks off Claire and Lionel's "O" boxes.

BLANC
Something... something is teasing the
edge of my brain. This case
confounds me.

HELEN
Well we don't have motives for Duke
or Birdie so -

Behind them we realize the picture of Serena Williams is not

a picture at all but live video. She looks up from her
book.

SERENA WILLIAMS (ON SCREEN)

Hey, do either of you two want to do
a session?

They look up, startled.

SERENA WILLIAMS (ON SCREEN) (cont'd)

I mean I'm on the clock.

A CLACK and whirrrr from off-screen draws Blanc's attention.

BLANC
Oh... not, right now. Maybe later?

Serena Williams goes back to her book with a shrug.

 113.

SERENA WILLIAMS (ON SCREEN)

Whenever man. It's your money.
Blanc goes to the source of the noise - a FAX MACHINE in the
corner, spitting a sheet out into a huge bin. Helen goes
with him, still bracing herself.

HELEN
Pffft if I ever meet Jared Leto I'm
gonna kick his kombucha brewing ass.

BLANC
One number... all his machines...

Blanc gets very excited and digs through the bin, flipping
through the pages fast, then stopping and drawing one out.
He shows it to Helen.

HELEN
Holy shit...

It's a FAX of the email from Andi. With "FYI" written at

the top.

BLANC
From that afternoon, just minutes
after she sent the email.

They look at the top line - SENDER: LIONEL TOUSSAINT

HELEN
Lionel! It was Lionel!

BLANC
Now hold on - this doesn't mean he
killed your sister, necessarily -
look out

He spots Duke outside, on the phone, coming into the gym.

Blanc and Helen both HIDE as he enters, grabs a gym towel
and wipes down post-run.

DUKE
(into phone)
Now. Right now, you go to him, do
what you have to do, but push that
son of a bitch. Get an answer from
him. Babe. We need this. Do this
one last time. Ok. Love you -

But whoever it is has hung up on him. He stands for a

minute, thinking, then leaves with purpose.
 114.

Blanc looks over to Helen with urgency.

She is snoring gently in her hiding place. He nudges her

sharply

HELEN
What who now?

EXT. GROUNDS

Duke creeps through the foliage, then kneels, watching

through a picture window as MILES and WHISKEY make out
inside.

About 20 yards back, Helen and Blanc creep up, seeing him.
They exchange "whoa shit" looks. Then Helen makes a move to
get closer, Blanc tries to stop her but she's already gone,
and the movement SNAPS a twig.

Duke looks back. Nothing. He looks back at the window, and

this time we can hear the scene inside, as Whiskey and Miles
fall onto the bed together.

WHISKEY
It's all he wants. The youtube
channel is dying, he needs the
exposure, just put him on Alpha News
baby. Just a late night spot, you
promised him you were grooming him
for it, and he's earned it with what
he did, you know that. Do it for me.

MILES
I wish I could.

WHISKEY
What?

MILES
You know the first thing that comes
up when you google "Duke Cody?"
"Rhino boner pills." I'm building
the future of news, I can't throw
that bad karma in the mix. He's a
loyal friend and I've got his back,
but I can't put him on Alpha News.
Will you tell him that? Nicely?

He kisses her.

Duke, hearing all this, crushes the branches in his fist.

 115.

Helen, hidden nearby and also hearing all this, grimaces,

and slips away.

EXT. BIRDIE'S VILLA - AFTERNOON

Peg storms out of Birdie's back patio, Birdie chasing her

BIRDIE
Peg wait -

PEG
Don't talk to me.

Birdie runs after her. When she's gone Helen dashes up and
grabs her colorful over-sized bag from a chair right inside
the patio door. Helen digs in the bag and retrieves her
PHONE. Checks it - still recording.

INT. ANDI'S VILLA - MINUTES LATER

Blanc and Helen sit with the phone between them as Helen
scans back through it, finding...

PEG (ON RECORDING)

What did he mean, "it's her only
chance?"

BIRDIE (ON RECORDING)

What does ANYTHING mean?

PEG (ON RECORDING)

Bird! Tell me!

INT. BIRDIE'S VILLA - FLASHBACK - AFTERNOON

We see the convo we're hearing, Birdie in tears, Peg fuming.

BIRDIE
I'm going to sign the statement. I'm
going to take total responsibility

PEG BIRDIE
This will crush us! There's
no coming back from this! The story is going to break
No, Bird, don't sign it, there's no stopping it -

PEG
We'll do what we always do, deny,
half apologize, go silent awhile, we
can handle this -
 116.

Birdie shows her something on her phone.

PEG (cont'd)
What is this?

BIRDIE
An email. With the Sweet Pants
contractor. Two years ago.

PEG
(reading)
"Ms. Jay, wanted to alert you that
the proposed Bangladesh factory is
notoriously one of the world's
biggest sweat shops. Please advise."
And then you replied... "Sounds
perfect, thanks!" With your me-moji.
Dabbing.

Peg is gutted. Then, after a long beat, it dawns on her.

Very, very slowly:

PEG (cont'd)
Birdie. Please tell me you didn't
think "sweat shops"... were where
they make sweat pants.

Birdie stares back at her. A second too long.

PEG (cont'd)
Oh my god.

BIRDIE
Miles is going to pay me off. He
said if I take full responsibility
for the sweat shops he'll pay me the
value of my shares, thirty million.
So this isn't you saving us, it's me
saving me. I'll do what I have to do
to save myself. He's my only
lifeline.

INT. ANDI'S VILLA

Helen stops the recording.

BLANC
Well. Duke was promised his shot at
Alpha News, he'd certainly protect
Miles for that. And Birdie is going
down, Miles is her retirement fund.
 117.

Helen glumly ticks off Birdie and Duke's "M"s. A full card.

HELEN
This never happens in Clue.

BLANC
Terrible game.

HELEN
They all had a motive to protect
Miles, and all of them were there
that night. Now what, detective?

Blanc paces, deep in thought. Then:

BLANC
The envelope. Whoever killed your
sister took that envelope to protect
Miles. They wouldn't just destroy
it. They would want him to see what
they did for him.

HELEN
They brought it here. It's here.
Alright, tell them why you're here,
game's up, and search everybody

BLANC
No, no it's just you and me, we can't
watch them and search their rooms all
at once, it'd be too easy for the
killer to destroy the envelope. No,
they have to feel safe, we need the
facade a little longer...

HELEN
So how do we find it?

BLANC
Unless someone brings an attache case
to dinner, they won't have an
envelope that size on their person.
They'll have to hide it in their
room. So. At dinner tonight.

INT. ATRIUM - NIGHT

MILES
Andi! Whiskey soda. Right there.
 118.

Everyone gathered for drinks. Helen picks up the whiskey

soda, but Blanc wide-eyed shakes his head at her, and she
stashes it behind a statue.
BLANC (O.C.)
Keep your head clear. Stay sharp.

Mona Lisa's eyes watching the gathering below.

BLANC (O.C.) (cont'd)

Because you have to find a way...

ANDI (O.S.)
I just want the truth.

DING. SHHHTICK. The glass slides down in front of the Mona

Lisa's eyes.

Cut to: we're later in the night. Helen takes Duke's rant.

DUKE (O.S.)
I can give you that. I'll be the
asshole.

We stick on Helen's face as Duke gets in her face, giving

his spiel, but we hear Blanc:

BLANC (O.C.)
A way that is so painfully
uncomfortable, nobody will question
it or follow you. Pick a fight and
lose. We have to find that envelope.

Every ounce of Helen's being wants to punch Duke out.

DUKE
You're the loser. There. The truth.

He hangs in her face. She looks around at everyone else.

But this time we see her look at Blanc. Who almost
imperceptibly nods.

Helen looks back at Duke. Then drops her eyes.

Convincingly broken. She folds. And slinks out of the room
in tears.

DUKE (cont'd)
There's the Andi I know!

DING. SHHHTICK. On her way out she passes Whiskey, smoking

just outside the main door.
 119.

HELEN
He's a son of a bitch Whiskey. Leave
his ass.
And walks off into the night. Whiskey watches her go.

EXT. GROUNDS - NIGHT

As soon as she's out of sight Helen SPRINTS through the

grounds. First into:

INT. CLAIRE'S VILLA - NIGHT

She bursts in and starts tearing the place apart.

BLANC (O.C.)
Search their rooms, ransack them,
fast and thorough - don't worry about
being neat.

Some Claire-like clothes, a stash of pot (which she pockets)

iPads and laptops, a magic wand vibrator, Helen rips through
it all and when she's done the room looks like a tornado hit
it. But no envelope.

EXT. GROUNDS - NIGHT

Helen sprints, the glowing glass onion structure looming

above her. PUSH IN on it - and we see Miles and Blanc
inside, having their Yahtzee talk.

INTERCUT this long push in WITH FLASHES OF Helen searching:

INT. BIRDIE'S VILLA - NIGHT

Gorgeous dresses and beach wraps and LOTS of prescription

pills, and a dog eared copy of Ayn Rand's "The
Fountainhead." Huh. Helen feels her phone buzz in her
pocket, ignores it.

INT. LIONEL'S VILLA

Boring clothes and computer equipment and files and LSD

micro-doses. Another BUZZ of Helen's phone but she doesn't
check it

FINALLY ENDING OUR LONG PUSH IN on Blanc in the Glass Onion

delivering his final line:
 120.

BLANC
Well. Let's play some Yahtzee.

INT. DEROL'S VILLA - NIGHT

A cluttered comfortable mess. Helen bursts in. Derol sits

in an incongruous E-Z BOY chair watching tv.

DEROL
Hey.

HELEN
Oh. Hi. Sorry.

She runs right out.

DEROL
Wanna hang out?

INT. DUKE'S VILLA - NIGHT

Helen runs in, panting, exhausted. Her phone BUZZES again.

HELEN
Dammit -

She finally checks it. 37 NEW MESSAGES.

HELEN (cont'd)
What the hell?

She opens her message app and reacts in horror. Dozens of

new messages from friends, all with variants of "Helen you
ok?" "Just saw - call when you can" "OMG Helen I'm so sorry"
"Just heard the news"

Her stomach sinks. She opens her browser and searches

"CASSANDRA BRAND" and instantly fresh news stories pop up -
"CASSANDRA BRAND DEAD OF APPARENT SUICIDE, POLICE CONFIRM."

HELEN (cont'd)
Shit...

One quick second of fear. Then she pockets her phone and
LAUNCHES back to the task at hand - searching the final
villa, Duke's - gun magazines, spear fishing gear, weights,
athletic wear... she runs into the bathroom, finds LOTS of
viagra but no envelope.

Exhausted and defeated, her phone still buzzing in her

pocket, she trudges back into the bedroom.
 121.

A WOMAN SCREAMS.

Helen freezes.
Whiskey has just walked in, her makeup streaked with tears.
But she screamed in reaction to the ransacked room. A
distant DONG.

WHISKEY
Andi?

HELEN
Hi! I... can explain this

Then realizes, terrified

HELEN (cont'd)
Whiskey is the party over?

Overwhelmed and stammering with tears

WHISKEY
What? No! I left - Duke - I left -
because I couldn't - he didn't
deserve this

Helen thinks Whiskey is talking about walking out on Duke.

Forcefully in a "fuck that guy" way:

HELEN
Yes he did. He's a bastard, I'm not
sorry for him, he deserved it.
You're better off without him.

Whiskey stares at Helen. Something dawning in her eyes.

She GRABS the spear fishing gun and AIMS it at Helen

HELEN (cont'd)
WHAT?

SNAP! The lights go out. Pitch black. Whiskey FREAKS OUT,

SCREAMING

WHISKEY HELEN
AH! AH! AH! DON'T! DON'T AH! WHAT! AH! I'M NOT
KILL ME! GOING TO KILL YOU YOU CRAZY
BITCH

The light sweeps the room and Helen DIVES past Whiskey, who
thinks she's charging her, spins and FIRES the spear gun.
 122.

Helen SCRAMBLES off Duke's balcony and into the darkness as

the spear STICKS into a sculpture.

EXT. GROUNDS - NIGHT

Pitch black. Helen RUNS towards the glass onion, at the end
of her rope

HELEN
Aaaaaaauuuugghhhh

INT. HALLWAYS - NIGHT

Helen bursts in, weaves and twists blindly through dark

halls. Stops - up ahead she sees MILES turn a corner. The
light sweeps over her.

BLANC (O.S.)
Andi!

She turns in the direction of his voice.

HELEN
Blanc...

She darts off towards it. When she's gone LIONEL emerges
into the hall, looks around.

INT. KITCHEN - NIGHT

Helen emerges into the kitchen, then just barely has time to
duck behind an island before BIRDIE comes in, also calling
for her.

BIRDIE
Andi!

Birdie grabs a BUTCHER'S KNIFE from the block and holds it

defensively as she exits through another door. Helen DASHES
outside, and a moment later Blanc enters the kitchen.

EXT. THE GLASS ONION - NIGHT

Helen runs along the outside

HELEN
Blanc where are you -

He steps out and she RUNS into him. In the jostle we hear:
 123.

BLANC
Helen!
HELEN
Blanc!

BLANC
Listen - there's great danger, we
have no time - did you take Duke's
gun?

HELEN
Why would I take Duke's gun? And why
are the lights -

BLANC
Duke is dead.

HELEN
What?!

During all this the pitch black window looms ominously

behind them.

BLANC
No time - did you find the envelope?

HELEN
No. All the rooms, it isn't there.

BLANC
No, I realized, I've been a fool -
there is one more room to search.

HELEN
(realizes)
They already gave it to Miles. It's
in the Glass Onion.

BLANC
If I can distract everyone and you
can get up there and find it -

HELEN
But that won't tell us who gave it to
him! I don't understand -

BLANC
Please trust me, it's all in plain
sight, we only need one last piece of
information, and only you can -

BANG!
 124.

The glass shatters. Helen flies back on to the steps.

Blanc spins - footsteps run away. Blanc turns back to Helen
splayed out on the stairs. Breath caught in his throat.
Helen groans. Then sits up, the bullet hole in her chest
smoking. She and Blanc look at each other, confused.

And pulls Andi's journal from her jacket pocket... the slug
embedded in its front.

HELEN
Son of a bitch ah - Blanc what are
you doing, go! Go chase them, get
them - Blanc?

Blanc's face is frozen as his mind races. He looks from

Helen to the broken window to the Glass Onion above them.

BLANC
The killer thinks your're dead. This
is our cover.

As if in a trance he reaches into his jacket pocket...

And pulls out the bottle of JEREMY RENNER'S HOT SAUCE.

Helen sees him do this. Then with laser focus:

BLANC (cont'd)
I can buy you maybe five minutes
alone in the Glass Onion, and you
have to

HELEN
I will

BLANC
You HAVE to find that envelope

HELEN
I will, gimme -

She grabs the bottle from him, he backs off as she twists
off the top, splashes it all over her chest. Isn't sure
where to put the bottle.

BLANC
Here - wait this'll be good

She tosses it back to Blanc and lies back, playing dead.

Blanc takes a tiny smudge of hot sauce, rubs it under his

eyes, which instantly redden and tear up.
 125.

SNAP. The lights come on. Everyone appears in the windows.

CLOSE UP: Helen's face. Hot sauce runs into her nose and
she tries desperately to keep still as in the background the
scene plays out.

CLAIRE
Oh god

BLANC
I failed her. When she needed just
one person to not fail her.
Everyone, inside. Right now.

CLAIRE
Shouldn't we -

BLANC
She's not going anywhere. Inside.
It's time to finish this.

The instant they're gone Helen GETS UP and DASHES inside.

INT. HALLWAYS - NIGHT

Helen silently dodges through the hallways and up a set of

stairs. Down the hall we hear distant:

BLANC (O.S.)
Yes. At last I can see. And the
answer was there all along.

INT. LOUNGE AREA - CONTINUOUS

The suspects gathered, Blanc doing his thing.

BLANC
It was there at the very beginning.
(beat)
I keep returning in my mind to the
"glass onion."

INT. THE GLASS ONION - NIGHT

Helen bursts into the large office space. Nearly everything

is made of lucite or glass, there are nearly no containers
or places to stash a large red envelope.

We hear the continuation of Blanc's denouement clearly, as

if it's voice over:
 126.

BLANC (O.C.)
Something that seems densely layered,
mysterious and inscrutable, but in
fact the center is in plain sight.

Helen darts around the room, but it's all infuriatingly

clean and open.

HELEN
Where where where where...

INT. LOUNGE AREA

BLANC
And that is why this case has
confounded me like no other, why
every complex layer peeled has
revealed another and another and come
to naught. And that was the problem!

INT. THE GLASS ONION

Helen looks up and sees something, freezes. The framed

NAPKIN and PHOTO of her sister and Miles.

BLANC (O.C.)
I expected complexity! I expected
intelligence! I expected a puzzle, a
game, but that is not what any of
this is!

She steps towards it as if in a trance.

The photo and napkin. Framed. Against a red background.

BLANC (O.S.)
It hides not behind complexity but
behind mind numbing obvious clarity!
It does not hide at all! I was
staring right at it!

She pulls it off the wall and the red envelope FALLS onto
the table beneath it. The frame itself is clear, just like
everything else in the room.

She holds them both, the framed napkin/picture in one hand,

the red envelope in the other.
 127.

INT. LOUNGE AREA

BLANC
The killer nearly struck my Achilles
heel. But thank high heaven, at the
last moment, I realized what has
teased my brain through this entire
case!

He spins on his heel, to Miles:

BLANC (cont'd)
"Embreathiate" is not a word!

LIONEL
What?

EXT. BEACH - FLASHBACK - DAY

When they all first arrived, Miles:

MILES
Let's all embreathiate this moment.

INT. LOUNGE AREA

BLANC
Not a real word. Kinda sounds like
one. But just entirely made up.
"Reclamation" IS a word - but it is
the wrong word!

EXT. THE GLASS ONION - FLASHBACK - DAY

When Miles is first showing them around:

MILES
This place is the reclamation of
everything I've ever accomplished

INT. LOUNGE AREA

BLANC
This entire day -

INT. LIBRARY - FLASHBACK - DAY

Miles first confronting Blanc about the invitation:

 128.

MILES
...the world's predefinite
detective...

INT. LOUNGE AREA

BLANC
- a veritable minefield of
malapropisms

EXT. POOL - FLASHBACK - DAY

All lounging, Miles telling the Sweet Pants story:

MILES
Birdie Jay, fashion magnet!

INT. LOUNGE AREA

BLANC
and factual errors!

INT. DINING AREA - FLASHBACK - EVENING

MILES
the sun, the pool, the Ionian Sea

INT. LOUNGE AREA

Blanc points out the window.

BLANC
That's the Aegean sea.

CLAIRE
Oh wait, yeah it is...

BLANC
His dock doesn't float, his wonder
fuel is a disaster, his grasp of
disruption theory is remedial, he
didn't design the puzzle boxes, he
didn't write the mystery - and voila,
it all adds up, the key to this
entire case, and it was staring me
right in the face. Like everyone in
the world I assumed that Miles Bron
was a complicated genius.
(MORE)
 129.

BLANC (cont'd)
But why? Look into the clear center
of this glass onion:
(beat)
Miles Bron is an idiot!

Everyone shifts uncomfortably. Miles rolls his eyes.

Birdie mumbles:

BIRDIE
Yeah, I said, he ain't that bright.

MILES
Blanc. Who tried to kill me?

BLANC
Nobody tried to kill you, you
vainglorious buffoon.

MILES
But Duke. Duke took my glass.

BLANC
That's what you told us he did. "he
must have picked it up by mistake..."
you told us, right after it happened.

FLASHBACK - As Miles cheers on Birdie spinning in her dress,

Duke reaches without looking for his glass and grabs Miles's
instead.

Back to scene.

BLANC (cont'd)
After you said those words that's
what we all remember seeing. But
think, ignore his lies everyone and
just think clearly now - what did we
all actually see?

FLASHBACK - This is the actual piece of footage that

originally happened, the same angle, the same take,
everything - As Birdie spins in her dress in the foreground,
in the background Miles openly and clearly HANDS HIS GLASS
TO DUKE.

Back to scene.

BLANC (cont'd)
You handed Duke your own glass.
Clear as crystal. Right in front of
our eyes. All of us. Then told a
bald faced fabrication. My god it
was so dumb. And it worked!
 130.

LIONEL
Blanc. Are you saying Miles murdered
Duke?
BLANC
Yes!

LIONEL
Why?

BLANC
Because the night Andi sent you all
the email, when Duke got to Andi's
house early on his motorcycle -

EXT. ANDI'S HOUSE - FLASHBACK - EVENING

Duke zipping down the road, he is almost PLOWED OVER by

Miles in his distinctive blue Porsche.

BLANC (O.C.)
he saw Miles leaving. Was almost
struck by him.

Miles doesn't stop but keeps zooming off. Duke watches him
go, shaking his head, then continues to Andi's house.

BLANC (O.S.)
In fact he told all of us, right out
in the open clear as day he told us -

EXT. POOL - FLASHBACK - DAY

The painting of the Porsche on the wall. The mix is a TINY

bit different this time and we clearly hear Duke complete
his sentence over Miles cutting him off:

DUKE MILES
Iconic. Remember you almost
pancaked me with it on the
road that night at Andi's Anderson Cooper's birthday,
in Spain, my god.

INT. LOUNGE AREA - NIGHT

BLANC
That night. At Andi's.
 131.

CLAIRE
And that night he told us, he almost
had an accident... pancaked...
LIONEL
But that was - Miles has been in
Greece for the past six months.

BLANC
No. Whiskey. Miles saw you on your
birthday in New York. Gave you that
necklace. For your birthday.

Blanc motions to her necklace.

BLANC (cont'd)
And you're a Taurus.

WHISKEY
A week ago. May first.

BLANC
Forget the hydrofuels and sweat shops
and consentual cuckolding for cable
news assignments

PEG
Sorry what?

BLANC
Focus... on the envelope!

He dramatically points and they all turn. Helen, still

covered in hot sauce, stands on the stairs.

Birdie SCREAMS.

CLAIRE PEG
Holy shit! Oh my god

LIONEL
Andi!

BIRDIE
WHAT IS REALITY??

Miles stands, looking at Helen, pale. But Helen calmly

paces into the room, holding the frame and the red envelope.

BLANC
Who did the envelope threaten? Miles
Bron.
 132.

INT. AEROSPACE FACTORY - FLASHBACK - AFTERNOON

Lionel looks around guiltily, feeding a printout of Andi's

email into a FAX machine.

BLANC (O.C.)
That night. Lionel faxed Andi's
email to Miles.

INT. NEW YORK PENTHOUSE - FLASHBACK - AFTERNOON

Miles in a robe receives it, reading it, troubled.

BLANC (O.C.)
Who received it, in New York.
(beat)
The one thing that can destroy his
empire of lies: the truth. In the
hands of the only person unafraid to
tell it.

EXT. ANDI'S HOUSE - FLASHBACK - LATE AFTERNOON

Miles flies down the country road in his Porsche, turning

into Andi's driveway.

BLANC (O.C.)
So. He drove his baby blue to Andi's
house.

INT. ANDI'S KITCHEN - FLASHBACK - LATE AFTERNOON

Miles at Andi's kitchen table, both drinking tea. He talks

gently, beseeching. She watches him coldly.

BLANC (O.C.)
And she let him in. Of course she
did. Miles's machine of lawyers and
power could burn her through sheer
dumb force but Miles himself? She
was clever enough to not fear Miles.

Andi's head droops. She looks up at Miles as her

consciousness slips from her grasp, and she realizes what is
happening.

BLANC
No. She did not see the real threat,
the obvious threat, until it was too
late.
 133.

But Miles has become distracted. By a spider on the table.

He gently scoops it up and lets it out an open window.
BLANC (cont'd)
And one final time, she was pulled
in. And succumbed.

One glint of horrible realization in her eyes. And she

slips away, her head hitting the table.

INT. LOUNGE AREA - NIGHT

Miles looks from Helen, tears of rage in her eyes, to Blanc

with a blankness that is terrifying.

BLANC
Duke alone knew you were there that
night. But he didn't know Andi was
dead. He didn't know that... until
this evening. Right here. When he
got a google alert on his phone,
which has now fallen strangely
silent. And which he showed to you.
(beat)
Because you don't own a phone.

On Miles's thin jacket, a very faint rectangular outline has

been visible since the lights came back on. Blanc touches
it, revealing a phone in Miles's jacket pocket.

Blanc takes it as Miles just stares. A lion sticker on the

back of the phone.

WHISKEY
Duke...

FLASHBACK - As everyone gathers around Duke, Miles

surreptitiously scoops up his fallen phone.

BACK TO SCENE -

HELEN
Did Miles think he could stop them
all from finding out about Andi's
death? They all have phones.

All the suspects, who have been caught up in the moment,

suddenly realize this and all pull out their phones at once,
checking the news. All but Birdie, who reaches for hers but
still doesn't have it.
 134.

BIRDIE
(to Peg)
Peggy? Phone?
PEG
(reading her phone)
No.

BLANC
He didn't need to hide the death. He
only had to hide that Duke had shown
him the death moments before he was
killed.

INT. LOUNGE AREA - FLASHBACK - EARLIER THAT NIGHT

Duke shows the phone to Miles, but this time we see the news
story is about Andi's death.

BLANC (O.C.)
Right in the open, in front of
everyone.

DUKE
This changes everything doesn't it?

MILES
It sure does.

BLANC (O.C.)
He showed him, and told him what he
wanted in return for his silence.

DUKE
Numbers like this, maybe we can talk
Alpha News?

Miles goes to the bar cart and fixes a drink, hips swinging

MILES
I think we can.

Miles at the bar cart, putting ice and whiskey in his glass.

BLANC (O.C.)
And so what does Miles do?
 135.

INT. LOUNGE AREA - NIGHT

HELEN
Does he keep a vial of poison in his
tooth or something, is that a rich
person thing?

BLANC
No! No it's so much stupider than
that! Birdie, what is in your Cuban
Breeze?

BIRDIE
Vodka, amaretto...

WHISKEY
Oh god...

INT. LOUNGE AREA - FLASHBACK - NIGHT

The bar cart. Miles quietly reaches for the can of

BIRDIE (O.S.)
...and pineapple juice.

He puts a tiny bit in the whiskey. Looks up at Duke.

BLANC (O.S.)
Yes! Pineapple juice!

INT. LOUNGE AREA - NIGHT

BLANC
Duke does not dance with pineapple!
An allergy?

WHISKEY
He can't even have a drop.

BLANC
Pineapple juice! He just put
pineapple juice in his whiskey! My
god! It's so DUMB!

BIRDIE
So dumb it's brilliant

BLANC
No! No! It's just DUMB!
 136.

Lionel, Claire and Peg all finish reading the news, looking
from their phones to Helen.
LIONEL
"Survived by her sister Helen."

CLAIRE
"Helen."

BIRDIE
Who? Oh, you told me about Helen
once, your twin sister OH WAIT!

Birdie points to Helen, hand in front of her mouth, finally

getting it.

BLANC
And now we come to Helen's attempted
murder. Which I have to give you
credit for, though it was spur of the
moment, it did have a sound
foundation of thought. The lights go
out.

INT. LOUNGE AREA - NIGHT - FLASHBACK

The light go out. Miles in the dark. But as he howls in

panic, his eyes are calculating, looking around.

BLANC
And you realize the opportunity laid
out in front of you. You have a house
on a remote island, full of desperate
people all of whom have reason to
wish this woman harm.

INT. LOUNGE AREA - NIGHT

Having said these words, Blanc squints. Hm. But he plows

on:

BLANC
Furthermore,

INT. LOUNGE AREA - FLASHBACK - NIGHT

BLANC (O.C.)
you had a loaded gun conveniently
within reach,
 137.

In the dark confusion Miles grabs Duke's gun.

INT. LOUNGE AREA - NIGHT

Again Blanc narrows his eyes, as if the words coming out of

his mouth are strange. Slowly:

INT. HALLWAYS - FLASHBACK - NIGHT

Miles in the dark halls, pocketing Duke's phone, gun in

hand.

BLANC (O.C.)
and the lights had even been turned
off

INT. LOUNGE AREA - NIGHT

BLANC
OH MY GOD.

He's realized why all this sounded familiar.

INT. THE GLASS ONION - FLASHBACK - EVENING

The scene after Blanc ruined Miles's game. Blanc patiently

explains to Miles:

BLANC
You have taken seven people, each of
whom has a real life reason to wish
you harm, gathered them together on a
remote island, and placed the idea of
your murder in their heads. It's
like putting a loaded gun on the
table and turning off the lights.

INT. LOUNGE AREA

He turns to Miles, unbelieving.

BLANC
Oh you brainless jackass! Your one
murder with any panache at all and
you stole the entire idea from me!
 138.

INT. HALLWAYS - FLASHBACK - NIGHT

Blanc and Helen outside the window. Miles in the foreground

raises Duke's gun and takes careful aim at Helen.

FIRES.

The glass SPLINTERS out from a central hole.

INT. LOUNGE AREA - NIGHT

Everyone in the room looking at Miles.

LIONEL
And after all that... you KEPT the
envelope?

HELEN
It was just hangin in his office.

LIONEL
Why didn't you burn it or something?

Miles looks blankly at him, like a confused dog. Blanc

gesticulates to Miles - "I rest my case."

Helen approaches Miles. Pulls the real, original NAPKIN

from the red envelope. Older and yellowed. The same
diagram on it as the framed one, but in a different hand.

HELEN
Recognize this? Andi's handwriting.
Gotcha, you son of a bitch.

MILES
Ok, first - How could you prove this
is the original? She could have
faked -

HELEN
Because the bar closed nine years
ago. And hers has one thing yours
doesn't.

Helen moves her thumb revealing, embossed in fading letters

on the corner, the name of the bar. "THE GLASS ONION."

Miles nods coolly.

MILES
But second -
 139.

He ignites the LIGHTER in his hand. An eight inch long thin

blue jet of flame leaps out.
It spears the napkin. Which IGNITES like flash paper and in
a fraction of a second is turned into a crisp of ash, which
floats away.

SHHHHTICK! Down comes the Mona Lisa glass.

Helen can't even move, shocked. Horrified.

Miles turns, points and smiles to Lionel, like "thanks for

that great idea!"

Blanc dashes up to Helen.

BLANC
What did he do?

HELEN
He burned it.

MILES
Burned what? That was so weird.

HELEN
He just burned it, it's gone

MILES
I don't see anything?

BLANC
This will not stand -

MILES
Blanc, did you see this proof? No?
Anyone else?

Everyone looks at each other, then back to him. They aren't

going to contradict him.

MILES (cont'd)
Wild accusations of murder and
deceit, with nothing but
circumspective evidence

Blanc flinches but bites his tongue

MILES (cont'd)
and dodgy memories of what we all
saw.
(MORE)
 140.

MILES (cont'd)
Now if we were playing my murder
mystery game, which by the way is
what we should have just been doing
all weekend, then maybe you'd win,
Blanc. But this is the real world.
And you've got nothing. Have you?

Helen looks at Blanc, panicked.

BLANC
It's true. The contents of that
envelope and his possession of it
were our only physical evidence.

Helen can't believe it. She looks at Miles.

MILES
You wanna take this to the cops? The
courts? Pick your poison. It's your
version of the truth against mine.
Let's see how that goes.
(to Helen)
Probably about how it went for your
sister. Oh. Wait. Jeez. I'm sorry
for your loss.

Silence. Everyone in the room hates him right now, but

everyone stays silent.

HELEN
Nobody's stepping up? Not one of
you, just raise your hand - "I saw
him at Andi's that night" - "I saw
him grab Duke's gun" - "I saw the
napkin before he burned it"

CLAIRE
We didn't -

HELEN
You lied for a lie, you won't lie for
the truth? Still on his titties.
You shit heads.
(in tears)
Blanc? You can do something right?

Blanc approaches Helen. He pauses only to pick up her

whiskey soda, which still sits on a statue.

BLANC
Ms. Brand. I'm very sorry. But this
is where my jurisdiction ends.
 141.

HELEN
This is it? You're just walking
away?
BLANC
He's right. I have to answer to the
police, to the courts. The system.
There is nothing I can do. But maybe
offer you courage.

He hands her the drink.

BLANC (cont'd)
And a reminder of why your sister
walked away in the first place.

With strange delicate formality, Blanc shakes her hand, then

walks out into the night.

Helen watches him go. Then stares at Miles, the same stare
she gave the invite in her sister's garage.

A long beat.

Then she drains the whiskey soda. Holds the framed napkin/
photo out at arms length. And lets it fall.

It shatters on the ground.

Miles doesn't react.

She takes a few steps towards him. Weighs the crystal

tumbler in her hand.

And SMASHES IT on the ground.

Miles smirks.

Helen picks up a slightly larger trinket and SMASHES it.

Then a small vase. Then a slightly larger piece of glass
sculpture.

Miles laughs, genuinely amused - what is she doing?

Everyone else exchanges looks, wondering the same thing.

She smashes another thing, then another, eyes locked on

Miles.

It's Whiskey who breaks the weird tension with:

WHISKEY
You go girl!
 142.

SMASH! A slight smile breaks on Lionel's face. This feel

good to watch.
LIONEL
Yeah. Why the hell not.

CLAIRE
Go Helen!

SMASH! The bar cart, smashing bottles everywhere.

A MASSIVE SMASH from offscreen draws everyone's attention:

BIRDIE has just smashed a large glass vase. She gives a
PRIMAL SCREAM that stuns everyone.

BIRDIE
Screw you Miles! Goddamn that felt
good.

Whiskey pushes something over, gives Miles the finger.

Lionel picks up something and with a grin at Miles BREAKS

it. Claire too. Peg DIVES IN with vigor.

In all this Miles leans back, a tight grin on his face, his
arms raised in a gesture of "fine, have fun"

MILES
That's right guys, get it out.

After a round of this, with smashed art and pottery and

bottles everywhere, there's a natural lull. Everyone laughs
like kids who just played in the mud.

Miles claps, grins.

MILES (cont'd)
Ok. Alright.

But Helen does not stop or slow down. She takes an ornate
war hammer and SMASHES the crystal suit of armor.

LIONEL
Whoa - ok

Still laughing but a little uncomfortable. Then she swings

it into a glass piano.

LIONEL CLAIRE
Ok, Helen - ha - Helen, Helen! Whoa -
alright
 143.

BIRDIE
I think that belonged to Liberace
A HUGE container of crystal marbles, SMASH and they go
everywhere. The mood in the room is turning as Helen shows
no sign of stopping but goes bigger and bigger.

BIRDIE LIONEL
Helen ok - ok, Helen Stop, ok. That's plenty,
that's good

CLAIRE WHISKEY
Whoa! Whoa whoa whoa Holy shit

Then Helen grabs Miles's lighter from the table. And

IGNITES the pile of alcohol-soaked rubble that was the bar
cart. It goes up like a small pyre in the center of the
room.

EVERYONE
WHOA!

They all panic as Helen starts grabbing anything flammable -

cushions, pillows, rugs, throwing them on the growing fire.

Everyone SLIPS and SLIDES on the crystal marbles, trying to

catch her, like a scene from a Buster Keaton movie.

The SPRINKLERS come on but barely beat back the mini

bonfire.

MILES
Ok STOP! Helen! Stop!

She stops. Walks over to him at the table, water from the
sprinklers running down her face, the fire behind her.

MILES (cont'd)
Helen. It's over. Walk away.

She nods.

HELEN
Sure Miles. With a reminder of why
my sister walked away in the first
place.

FLASHBACK - Blanc shaking her hand. Handing her something.

Giving her the subtlest of nods.

Something she now straightens her posture and places on the

table in front of Miles.
 144.

The marble sized crystal of Klear.

Miles looks from it to the growing fire, his eyes go wide.

Flashing to: The fireplace. The lights. The heating
ducts. The appliances in the kitchen. The coffee machine.
Everything.

As do Lionel's.

LIONEL
Oh sh-

The bonfire suddenly plumes upwards as if the air itself is

catching fire, up into the ceiling, into the vents, into the
walls, like the house itself is sucking the fire into its
lungs.

One moment of horrible silence.

EXT. THE GLASS ONION - NIGHT

And the glass onion structure EXPLODES like a balloon with a

BURST of glass and fire.

Then, like the end of Caddyshack, every Villa goes up,

billows of fire, debris, all of it popping off like firework
champagne corks in the night. Somewhere:

SOOTHING ROBOT VOICE

This is a smokeless garden. This is
a smokeless garden. This...

Pull back to reveal: Blanc, bemused and satisfied. He

lights up his cigar. Hands the lighter to Derol, who sits
next to him in a lawn chair, mind blown. Blanc nods.

BLANC
Disruption.

DEROL
Fuckin A.

INT. ATRIUM - NIGHT

There isn't much structural damage but streams of fire jet

from ruptured walls, the floor, everywhere. Everyone raises
their heads, dazed.

Miles and Helen lock eyes. She isn't done yet.

 145.

She turns and runs, and as she passes everyone they realize
in horror where he is going.
They ALL run after her, grabbing her, all of them, slipping
and yelling in slow motion trying to hold her back but she's
too strong, she struggles forward, reaching her hand out...

To the over-ride button

For the Mona Lisa.

Which is comfortable behind its fire-proof glass, the flames

licking off its ambiguous gaze.

Miles tries to hold her back, screaming.

Helen looks back at him, reaches the button and without

hesitation PRESSES it.

SHHHTICK.

As the glass rises, the painting is almost instantly

consumed in the inferno of fire.

The entire group watches in slack jawed disbelief.

Miles drops to his knees, dumbstruck. Looks in the

painting's eyes one last time before they burn away to ash.

EXT. THE GLASS ONION - MOMENTS LATER

Everyone stumbles out onto the steps, choking and gasping.

Miles looks around him, tears in his eyes, then turns on

Helen.

MILES
Well that was BRILLIANT! You
monster! You feel better?! You get
your anger out?! Cause that
accomplished NOTHING!

HELEN
Your fuel of the future just
barbecued the most famous painting in
the world, you dumbass.
Congratulations on the public launch
of Klear and the end of Miles Bron.

This starts to sink in. Miles's face hollows out. The

glass onion still burning behind him.
 146.

HELEN (cont'd)
But you did get your wish. You will
forever be remembered in the same
breath as the Mona Lisa.

Helen wipes her hands on her pants and walks off, past the
disruptors spread out on the steps, past the flaming remains
of the entire compound.

When she's gone, the disruptors all look at him hatefully.

Birdie raises her hand.

BIRDIE
I saw the napkin he burned.

Claire raises her hand.

CLAIRE
God, now you mention it, I clearly
saw him grab Duke's gun.

Then Lionel.

LIONEL
I saw him leaving Andi's house the
night she was killed.

They all look at him. He stares back, unbelieving.

MILES
Oh you shit heads.

EXT. BEACH - NIGHT

And onto the beach. Where Blanc sits, staring out to sea at
the distant FERRY and several POLICE boats with flashing
sirens.

BLANC
Did you get the son of a bitch?

HELEN
Yup.

BLANC
I don't know about you, but I've had
enough of all this. Ready to go
home?

Helen sits with straightened posture, looking out at the

approaching boat. Gazing out at it a long while. Maybe
smiling, maybe not, it's hard to tell.