Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

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.

Wake Up Dead Man is very different from its two predecessors. In fact, it's the least original in terms of story structure and feels the most like a traditional murder mystery. And yet, it's my second favorite in the franchise-I enjoyed it more than the second film. What fascinates me most about this series is how Rian Johnson reinvents the formula each time. The only constants are the title character-once again superbly portrayed by Daniel Craig-and the presence of a murder mystery. Everything else changes completely from film to film, and that's one of the franchise's greatest strengths.

Still, none of the sequels have reached the heights of the first for me.

As usual, the ensemble cast is incredible, but the clear standouts-excluding Craig-are Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, and Josh Brolin. The first two, in particular, absolutely deserve Oscar nominations. Their characters are also the most compelling in the entire story.

The screenplay is wonderful, tying up every thread. Everything-plotlines, mysteries, character arcs-has a clear beginning, middle, and end. That's something I loved, especially because the film is packed with story and information. I'd say it's the densest entry in the franchise. And despite a few comedic moments, it's also the darkest, diving into themes of religion, faith, and the morality of its characters more than ever before.

Everything in the film works incredibly well; I just didn't love 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.

Here I feel we are have reach a turning point for Rian Johnson as brings Benoit Blanc to the golden light of a seemingly impossible murder taken place in a small, tight knit parish. At first I'll admit that I balked at the meandering two and a half hour runtime; remembering the cloying finale of this film's predecessor in Glass Onion, in that while I didn't enjoy that film based on the mere performances alone, it did in fact feel too long. This however, was completely enjoyable from start to finish and I in fact did not reach for my phone once. I do, however, find that this film did not explore the radicalised parishioners, choosing to favor our tiresome Father Jud. I would love liked to have seen a little bit more from the writer Lee Ross, considering the amount of reliance on books in relation the first act mystery.

The choice to have a more significant focus on the charismatic Father Jud allows for a much richer exploration of the themes that Rian chooses to explore; finding redemption within the Church, how people choose to use their faith (whether justly or wrongly) and also the more traditional themes of guilt in both previous Knives Out films. The domineering nature of the Monsignor Wicks did feel whole and fulfilled in its place in the final proceedings as all the motives come to a glowing revelation, as did the development of Glenn Close's character Martha. She is the flock's most ardent believer and the strongest supporter of Wicks. She holds great contempt for Jud, as a new member of the Church which she has been a member of since her young childhood. At first, it's not a performance that stuns nor astounds, but in that final revelation, Close's talent at the nuanced approach to acting is wholly remarkable and her souls laid bare. All four main characters lead the audience into a deep world of religious harmony and the power that some choose to abuse.

Speaking of glowing revelation, I would definitely be in remits for not mentioning the distinctive tone and visual appearance that this film garners in correlation to Johnson prior whodunits; at first we had the Thrombly residence, with its mahogany interiors littered with trinkets of Harlan's own writer persuasion. It is a house of warmth, but resting underneath is an undercurrent of a bitter taste as family members seek to protect their unwarranted possessions. Next we had the Glass Onion, an impersonal and utterly immature creation of the unjust billionaire Miles Bron, who chose to fill his private island residence with symbols of his wealth and ego, an upside down Mark Rothko the most perfect example of a man fuelled by projection of his ego. And finally we come to the Church and the small rectory that abuts it, Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude. It's an aged church, tradition stone walls and religious paraphernalia but as mentioned by the characters the building is more so paying an homage to the Gothic eeriness of the 19th Century, rather than having any real connection to that world.

In terms of structure, Johnson chooses to instead use to lead with a much more conservative composition than his two previous films. It is so much more akin to a traditional murder mystery plot, with Benoit Blanc garnering facts as the audience also do. This time, the audience can join in on the sleuthing and try and peel apart the mystery as it unfolds in front of them. We jump into this mystery with Josh O'Connor's character, and are totally unaware of what lies ahead of the pass, distinguishing this from Marta's own involved in Harlan's death. We do not know if Jud committed the crime; it is the most conceivable outcome when you take apart that scene but the true ending reveal couldn't be more satisfying if it ever tried to be. I truly believe that Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle would be genuinely proud for the material Rian Johnson has been creating in the name of whodunits, with a special interest into the world of "locked room murders", mysteries that seem entirely illogical and inexplicably impossible.

As mentioned earlier, the first two films in question saw motives substrate in wealth and monetary gain, and while we do have such a conclusion here with this film's ending motive, the initial and primary thematic battle is in the hands of the different values found in Christianity. We see all different types of faith here, but the most distinctive are found within the redemptive faith that Jud Duplicity chooses to follow and the radicalised, organised power fabricating as religion that Monsignor Jefferson Wicks wields over his parish. It is not often that the world of believes and non-believers is held so balanced; we have a self proclaimed Heretic Blanc and just and righteous but ultimately fair Father Jud working together in a sweet harmony. There are no disparaging comments or remarks made towards the Church, but rather a welcomed space for the open discussion between the two men. It is their first meeting in the Church that sees such a positive impact made between the two of them.

The use of lightning and shadows are something that clued me on to the theme of divinity and enlightenment as well as the deep darknesses that reside within even the more pragmatic believers. Among the more somber, and grounded tone that Johnson has created here those moments where the heavy golden light quite literally shines down on the characters is a parallel to the muted dreariness of the church. It is a masterful piece of artistic creation, with just as much attention to detail witnessed in Johnson's other works. It is also in the exploration of light that we see another dimension of the theme of faith and logic, Jud and Blanc embodying each idea respectively. It is in the final moment that we see what the believers who describe as a moment of divine divinity as he comes to the conclusion that the mystery isn't to be solved by him own hand. His abilities of logic win, however, his own sense of humanity herald him to choose humility. He chooses not to be the domineering voice that Monsignor Wicks was, but rather the quiet voice of confidence and wisdom that Jud preaches. It is, indeed, his most personal case so far, and I would dare say that the ending of this film changes the landscape of any other Knives Out mysteries to come, thus making this a concluding chapter of this chapter of Benoit Blanc.

It is also incredibly vast and beautiful, and there is so much to unpack in the rewatches to come. Ultimately, I would place this neck and neck with the original Knives Out. We get a holistic approach to the story with vibrant storytelling and electric performances, with an engaging collection of well paced twists, lifting the narrative and avoiding the lulls that can sometimes occur with longer runtimes. It is a brilliant example of someone taking a delicate idea, religion, and choosing to give it respect in all corners of belief.

Wake Up Dead Man really surprised me. I will admit I was not a huge fan of the first two films, but this new Knives Out installment is a much different beast. It still has plenty of laugh out loud moments, but the tone tends to take a more serious approach than the other two films.

It may not be the best film of the year, but I still really enjoyed this film and about 90% of that is due to Josh O'connor. He gives a fantastic performance here and unlike the first two Knives Out, Daniel Craig takes somewhat of a backseat here.

The runtime of the film is a bit longer than it needs to be but overall it does everything right from the cinematography to the score and witty script. If you love murder mysteries like me, Wake Up Dead Man is an absolute must watch even though its definitely not a film that must be seen on the big screen.