Money Reveals Not Just Actions: Unmasking Greed of Wealth in the Knives Out Trilogy
Starting my summer vacation, I found myself binge-watching the Knives Out mystery trilogy, more commonly known as the Benoit Blanc films (Knives Out (2019), Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022), and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025). Each one is a whodunit, a murder mystery with its own story, its own group of characters, and its own unique setting. Every film stands on its own, yet what binds them together is not only the detective, Benoit Blanc, but also the pattern behind each case.
Without revealing who the murderers are, one thing becomes clear: the motives are strikingly similar. The films are heavily focused on wealth, on rich people, and on the human thirst for money. It strongly suggests a truth we already know but often ignore: that it is not money itself, but the love of money, that becomes the root of evil. As Scripture reminds us in the First Epistle to Timothy, this disordered love can lead a person far from what is good and true.
Money, as shown in the films, has the power to change people. It can make a person greedy, turning relationships into transactions. It can make a person hateful, breeding resentment and envy. It can make a person a liar, willing to twist the truth for personal gain. And at its worst, it can push someone to do evil things, even to the extent of harming or killing those they are closest to. In this sense, money reveals not just actions, but the condition of the heart.
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The first film revolves around a family fighting over inheritance, exposing how wealth can fracture even the closest bonds. The second centers on a group of friends who are described, quite bluntly, as people willing to “feed off the golden tit” of one powerful figure; an image that captures how far people will go for financial security and status. The third film presents a different set of characters and circumstances, yet in the end, it still circles back to the same truth: beneath all the layers, it is still about money.
It is unsettling because, although these films are fictional, they mirror reality. Stories like these are not far from the world we live in. People are, sadly, capable of betraying and even destroying others for the sake of wealth. And yet, the reflection does not end there — it turns back to us.
From a Catholic perspective, the issue is not money itself. Money is necessary. Even the kindest person needs it. Even the Church needs it to continue her mission. The real question is how we see it and how we relate to it. Do we see money like prey to a vulture, something to be seized and hoarded? Do we treat it as a ladder to an ivory tower, a means of elevating ourselves above others? Or do we see it as something that gives us power over people, turning them into instruments of our will?
Money is meant to be a tool, not a master. It is something entrusted to us, not something that defines us. When placed in the right order, it can serve love, justice, and generosity. But when it takes the place of God, it slowly corrupts the heart.
In the end, these films are more than clever mysteries being solved. They become reflections on the human condition. They remind us that the real mystery is not just who committed the crime, but what drives a person to such actions. And more importantly, they challenge us to look inward: what truly holds our hearts?
