Helen Brand

**Helen Brand** is a main character in the film, *Glass Onion*. She is portrayed by Janelle Monáe.

## Biography

Helen grew up in Alabama with her twin sister Andi Brand. Though she was just as intelligent, Helen did not have her sister's grand ambition, and after Andi left for New York to pursue big dreams, Helen was happy to stay in Alabama and became a third grade teacher. At some point she and Andi grew apart, presumably over disagreements about her circle of friends, the Disruptors.

When Andi was reported to have committed suicide following her ousting from her tech company, Helen deduced that her sister was murdered. Shortly afterward, the invitation to Miles Bron's weekend getaway, intended for Andi, came into Helen's hands. Regretful over being unable to save her sister, and eager discover which of the Disruptors killed her, he teamed up with detective Benoit Blanc to discover the truth. Since Andi's death had not been announced yet, Blanc advised her to disguise herself as Andi to properly infiltrate the group. Imitating her sister's mannerisms, and drawing on their childhood game of imitating wealthy women, Helen kept an aloof, icy manner up as she joined the Disruptors, allowing her to keep her distance and investigate each of them for motives. She and Blanc were unable to find any solid evidence linking any one of the Disruptors to Andi's death.

Leaving the dinner party to search for the napkin that proved Andi's ownership of the company, the motivation behind the murder, she was unaware the Duke Cody had been murdered, and was surprised when the power was cut off. Finding herself blamed by Whiskey for Duke's murder, Helen quickly sought out Blanc, only to find herself shot by an unknown killer outside the mansion. Luckily, the bullet struck Andi's journal, which Helen had kept in her breast pocket. Blanc advised her to play dead, giving her a chance to search the Glass Onion, Bron's office, for the napkin, which she quickly discovered.

Once she confronted Miles, who Blanc had correctly deduced as both Andi and Duke's killer, Helen announced her intention to use the evidence to destroy him. However, Bron, taking a cue from Lionel Toussaint, used his cigarette lighter to destroy the napkin. With no evidence of his guilt remaining, none of the Disruptors were willing to back Helen up and risk their careers and fortunes, in spite of knowing the truth. Blanc admitted he could do nothing to help without solid evidence. Instead he discreetly passed a sample of Klear - the unstable hydrogen-based fuel source Miles had banked his company on - as a hint on how to bring him down her own way.

Taking Blanc's hint, Helen went on a destructive rampage through Miles' den, destroying many of his valued artworks and possessions. At first the Disruptors joined in, venting their own dislike of Miles, but began to withdraw when they realized Helen had no intention of stopping, and had more in mind than venting her rage. Helen quickly started a fire in the den, and before anyone could stop her, tossed the sample of Klear into it, causing a massive explosion that, as the hydrogen gas was sucked through the ventilators, set off a chain reaction that destroyed Miles' mansion. As a final act of revenge against him, Helen overrode the security measures protecting Miles' most prized possession, the Mona Lisa, loaned to him from the French government, and destroyed the painting.

Before leaving, she calmly informed Miles that the news of Klear's dangerous nature, and its destruction of the painting, would permanently destroy his reputation. The Disruptors, seeing her point, were no longer willing to support Miles, and agreed to tell the truth of his crimes. As she greeted Blanc again at the docks, Helen prepared to return home, having successfully avenged her sister, and proven herself equal to her.

## Personality

Helen is a kind, down-to-earth woman who just wants justice for her sister. Although she was equal to Andi in terms of intelligence, and courage, she did not have Andi's ambition, and stayed home in Alabama to become a teacher. It could be argued that Helen has stronger insight into people's' characters than Andi, as she tried to warn Andi about her new friends the Disruptors, who she referred to as 'shitheads,' sensing that none of them were reliable as friends, and were more interested in themselves. She has a strong moral compass, and though she appears timid, is willing to go the extra mile for her sister's sake, and when pushed far enough, she is not afraid to break the rules and go farther than anyone else is willing to go in her efforts to bring Miles Bron down. The ending reveals that, for all of Miles and his friends' claims to being pioneers and boundary-smashers, Helen, like Andi, is the only true Disruptor, the only one willing to go all the way.

#### Relationships

- Benoit Blanc (Partner in crime)

- Andi Brand (Twin Sister, deceased)

- Miles Bron (Enemy)

- Claire Debella (Acquaintance/enemy)

- Lionel Toussaint (Acquaintance/enemy)

- Birdie Jay (Acquaintance/enemy)

- Duke Cody (Acquaintance/enemy, deceased)

- Whiskey (Acquaintance)

- Peg (Acquaintance)