Rian Johnson's latest Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man, is finally here! It's another fine opportunity for Daniel Craig to don one of cinema's great accents and solve yet another unsolvable crime, this time with unique horror-laced energy.
The franchise's first film, 2019's Knives Out, wowed audiences with its creative, surprising plot, tight mystery, star-studded ensemble cast, and Craig's brilliant but enjoyably eccentric detective. It grossed a hefty $312 million at the box office (on a $40 million budget), receiving an Academy Award nomination for Johnson's tight script, so no one was surprised to find that more Blanc mysteries were in the cards.
Producer Lionsgate greenlit the sequel in early 2020, and streaming titan Netflix outbid stiff competition (at a hefty $450 million) for a two-picture deal for new Blanc investigations. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, the franchise's first Netflix-exclusive feature, premiered in 2022. It was a standalone Greece-set mystery featuring a tech entrepreneur who hosts a murder mystery party that turns into a true mystery, with Blanc squarely in the middle.
Wake Up Dead Man takes Blanc on another stunning ensemble mystery, this time tackling themes of faith and the miraculous for the detective's biggest challenge.
A Top-Notch Cast Fuels Wake Up Dead Man
Wake Up Dead Man sees Craig's Blanc investigate a small parish when its controversial priest, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), mysteriously dies under seemingly impossible conditions. He's aided by Reverend Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor), a relatively new arrival who is at odds with Wicks' methods.
Blanc has to examine possible motives of Wicks' curious flock, including devout church lady Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), author Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), cellist Simone (Cailee Spaeny), lawyer Vera (Kerry Washington), and right-wing hopeful politician Cy (Daryl McCormack).
Once again, Daniel Craig is a brilliant riot as esteemed detective Benoit Blanc, here facing his toughest case yet. He's whip-smart and charismatic, with his best brought out as he partners this time with O'Connor's Rev. Duplenticy. The latter is youthfully out of his depth at times but genuinely good-natured, a potent combination that O'Connor plays well for both tension and humor.
The rest of the cast excels, each character getting a few moments to shine in balance with the rest of the large cast. Glenn Close is detestably intense about the angry, far-right pastor Wicks. Kerry Washington gives a powerful and sometimes emotional performance as Vera, whose life has become other than what she deserves. Daryl McCormack is beautifully infuriating as the cynical rage-bait political hopeful Cy, an eminently watchable charlatan who stands in for those who would use religion to stoke hate and divide communities for fun and profit.
A Tight Script Makes Wake Up Dead Man the Best Knives Out Film Yet
Rian Johnson is an excellent writer, and once again, he crafts a tight script full of mystery and charm. He lands the whole premise of 'an impossible murder' nicely, thanks to crafting a mystery that feels impossible and evolves, twists, and turns as the narrative unfolds. It keeps audiences guessing, and even the most astute among us will have a hard time predicting exactly how it shakes out. There are also ample comedic moments scattered throughout, delivered with gusto, for a tense Blanc outing.
The film also capably tackles numerous themes around religion, including its cynical misuse for political ends, the dangerous potential for cultlike adherence, and the odd fervency of desperate believers. These hard-to-challenge themes are handled in a fun and timely manner, balanced against both Blanc's level-headed humanistic atheism and Duplenticy's loving Christian ethos. There's a lot to handle, and it's all well-scripted and performed with aplomb.
The film's biggest issue centers around pacing. Overall, the switching between perspectives is handled with skill, but there are occasions where it stalls otherwise strong narrative progression. A few momentum blips aside, it's a stellar outing for cinema's new favorite detective, with much still yet to explore in the Knives Out world.
Wake Up Dead Man is another fine outing from Johnson and Craig, with stellar performances from a talented cast and the franchise's toughest mystery to date. Three films into the franchise, each having a wildly different locale, tone (beyond 'fun'), and crux to the mystery, and it's clear that Johnson is still at the peak of his creative Knives Out prowess. The Knives Out franchise is one of cinema's most consistently excellent these days, and Wake Up Dead Man is its best entry yet.
Final Rating: 9/10
Wake Up Dead Man is playing in select theaters and will be released on Netflix on December 12, 2025.
