Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Rian Johnson has done it again with Wake Up Dead Man, another clever and satisfying whodunit that offers something different to its two predecessors. It feels like a fitting film for the moment by focusing on the hatred festering in closed off communities and the importance of letting it go in order to move on but it's still a really fun mystery as well. It'll benefit from repeat viewings and definitely plays well on the big screen, making its future on Netflix frustrating.

Josh O'Connor is this film's greatest asset. He gives a fantastic performance where he gets to be sensitive, funny and navigate his character's anger in an empathetic fashion. Daniel Craig only continues to be a hilarious highlight who feels very comfortable with the intelligence and heart of Benoit Blanc now that he's played the character three times. Together, they are a wonderful pairing who only get funnier and more lovable when playing off each other.

Everyone else in the star studded cast is great. Josh Brolin is initially unrecognisable as he quickly becomes a commanding presence and Glenn Close has a suitably unwavering commitment. Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott and Daryl McCormack all know how to mine the pathetic nature of their characters for comedic effect. Cailee Spaeny and Thomas Haden Church are more sympathetic than the rest of the characteristically self-obsessed suspects here.

Rian Johnson's direction ensures this instalment has its own look and feel when compared to what came before thanks to some horror movie flourishes and a slightly darker tone. Steve Yedlin's dynamic cinematography also helps to make the film feel different and it generally looks a lot better than so many Netflix originals with graceful camerawork, striking lighting and a richer texture. Nathan Johnson's score effortlessly adapts to the new style too.

By Ian Chandler - November 27, 2025

Wake Up Dead Man is Rian Johnson's latest murder mystery in the Benoit Blanc franchise and, fortunately, the final installment produced under Netflix's oversight. Similar to Kenneth Branagh's third Poirot film, A Haunting in Venice, this third Blanc installment has a rich gothic atmosphere and religious themes. Like its predecessors, Wake Up Dead Man features an exemplary ensemble, including Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, and several other notable actors. This picture also has, in my view, the trickiest mystery of the trilogy. Despite the marvelous cast and improved suspense, this whodunit has one grave mistake: its unremarkable, stereotypical character writing. With its combination of sharp suspense and uneven characters, Wake Up Dead Man is simultaneously the Blanc series' finest and most flawed entry.

Similar to the opening of Glass Onion, Wake Up Dead Man brims with awkwardly executed humor that leaves a weak first impression. For example, a priest admits to masturbating -- a conversation drags on long after the punchline. But once the unamusing gags are out of the way, the film begins to dig into its unusual homicide with greater focus. Once that casket is opened, it also introduces more subtle, effective humor. Blanc is not as delightfully goofy as he was in the previous two, but he still retains his charming, Southern personality. The tone is not as overbearingly quirky as Glass Onion, dialing back forced comedy in favor of a slightly darker approach.

The film's most striking feature is its meticulously crafted setting. From the intricate, medieval structures to the gravestones recurring throughout, this Blanc adventure feels the most atmospheric. Though it is by no means as dark or as suffocating as A Haunting in Venice, its grave mood helps it differ from its two older siblings. However, the vibe is slightly downgraded by the fact that it was meant to be a Netflix movie. Its aspect ratio, camerawork, and editing are characteristic of typical Netflix productions. Even so, the set design and score overpower the streamlined post-production, helping preserve the film's unique character. Gratefully, the ghastly hands of Netflix will release the series from its grasp moving forward. With that, perhaps we will get the extra cinematic flourish that Knives Out enjoyed.

The mystery, while still not as brilliant as some of Agatha Christie's best, is notably sharper than Glass Onion's -- and arguably even Knives Out. It is more complicated, sinister, and frankly, weird. The case also benefits from a much-improved pace, gradually uncovering twists and clues instead of the abrupt nature some whodunits fall for. I failed to guess the guilty party, something I cannot say about the first two Blanc mysteries. Without spoiling anything, it is enough to say that the mystery's structure has never been this sharp and biting.

Wake Up Dead Man, though its mystery is alive and well, wears out on the character department. At least four of them barely utter ten lines throughout the entire film. A lot of them have limited personality, thanks to the film's embrace of unimaginative stereotypes. Catholicism is bizarre, cult-like, and flawed -- a great opportunity to create memorable suspects. But instead of properly exploring the characters' beliefs and perhaps uncovering more of the denomination's nature, the film delivers the same, shallow behavior and jokes you see across decades of filmmaking. While Blanc and a few other characters have enough substance to chew on, the rest are practically Post-it notes.

Moreover, Wake Up Dead Man fails to explore thought-provoking themes of spirituality. Given the stark contrasts between Blanc's atheism and the suspects' Christianity, there was plenty of potential to provide great arguments. Well implemented commentary could have served as sprinkles on top of the movie's mysterious platter. What we get instead is a tired retread of the most amateur arguments from both sides. It goes overboard by simplifying atheism and Christianity, rendering both stances far frailer than they actually are. I do not recall any film in recent memory that handled these opposing beliefs so poorly.

Where I would rank Johnson's newest movie is an enigma. It resolves a lot of issues I had with the otherwise solid Glass Onion, but it introduces new flaws that were not as apparent in the other Benoit Blanc cases. Its creepy environment adds a much-needed extra layer of flavor to the franchise. However, half of the characters are frankly nonexistent, and the others are stuck in outdated stereotypes. So, Wake Up Dead Man wastes its shot at being among the best whodunit pictures. The feature is simply a complicated, thoroughly written whodunit held under the clutches of lazy commentary on arguably the longest debate in human history.

Score: 74/100

Summary (for quick reference): Sharp, sinister, and weird, Wake Up Dead Man moves the whodunit forward -- but some characters are afterthoughts and its religious themes go numb.

I saw this movie on the opening night of the Philadelphia Film Festival, which explains why I saw it before it will be released to Netflix in November.

"Wake Up Dead Man" is pretty typical of Rian Johnson's two previous Knives Out films. First, it has a pretty amazing cast. Second, it does make fun of MAGA people. And, third, it's terrific is pretty much every way.

The setting for this one is most unusual...a small, dying Catholic church. But once Father Jud Duplenticy arrives at this new post, he's shocked to see that the Monsignor is evil and has created a small, nasty clique or cult within his dying congregation. The common thing that binds these people is a general hatred for mankind...making it not exactly the nicest church you could attend. As a result, the well meaning and decent Father is stumped as to what to do...and it's made worse when the Monsignor physically assaults him and encourages his cult to hate the Father! So, it's not at all surprising when the Monsignor is found murdered during a church service...and it appears is if the killing was impossible. This is where Benoit Blanc enters the story and, frankly, he's really stumped!

The writing and acting are just about perfect. Some might dislike the film because they might see it as an attack on religion, though I think this isn't necessarily fair. The Father IS a good man...the sort Rian Johnson seemed to indicate he wishes he had growing up in an evangelical household (we heard about this during the Q&A following the film). All in all, a most enjoyable film....one I nearly scored a 10.

I felt this one was a bit different from the first two. It's still engaging and packed with suspense and mystery, but it has a slightly new flavour of its own. I actually guessed the climax about 20 minutes before it happened - but I wouldn't call it predictable. I genuinely enjoyed it, and I think you will too. I'd just say it's the least best of the three. So, keep your expectations in check and watch it with an open mind.

All the actors nailed their roles as usual, and the characters are fun and interesting. The story is solid, the narration is smooth, and the screenplay is well written. The production quality is top-notch. I especially loved the cinematography - it really pulls you into the film's world. The background score is also spot-on.

Definitely worth watching in theatres, preferably with your gang.

And for fans of this series, I'd recommend checking out the Indian web series "Brinda". It's a bit slow and lengthy, but trust me - you'll like it.

If you're a fan of the classic mysteries, then you'll love Wake Up Dead Man. True to the last two Knives Out, Rian Johnson has a way of holding a mirror up on Americans (first with greed, second with stupidity); this time it's with following someone so blindly due to their charisma, even though we know better.

He adds an additional layer of the love/hate relationship in religion and calling out misogyny, hatred and racism for what it is and its disguise of traditionalism. He definitely did not hold back and as a modern Christian, I'm here for it!

But barring the modern parables, Rian Johnson delivers an omage to the great classic mysteries of the past by giving a new twist to the "who dun it". Anyone who has binged classic Sherlock, Marple, and Peroit will get a twinge of nostalgia filling this from start to finish.

The storytelling strikes the same notes as the previous two and of course with Poker Face with a "now, then, now" but in a way that feels different and not have you going "yep classic Rian"

Daniel Craig delivers once again a stellar performance and of course the cast is never disappointing. The only complaint is the same I have is the same as the previous installments; there are so many wonderfully casted heavy hitters, it's hard to given them all their fare share of screen time.

Can't wait for it to be out streaming so I can buy it and watch it over and over again like the first two. Benoit Blanc strikes again.

On a personal note, just a little sad that a character was teased out previously only to not see them again.