Skilled filmmaker and whodunnit expert Rian Johnson has, once again, subverted the expectation of what should constitute a Knives Out mystery. Whereas the first film in this now continuing franchise was a tight riddle and the sequel (Glass Onion) indulged in its vacation villainy, Wake Up Dead Man takes its cues from such gothic fiction as Edgar Allan Poe, layering his intricate storytelling with a darker, further campier edge that, whilst likely to be the most divisive entrant so far, proves the series at its most exciting.
The mood is darker, but Johnson’s script and penchant for bringing out the melodramatic tendencies of his stacked, capable cast remains just as vibrant, with a doom-laden, yet beautifully rendered Neo-Gothic church serving as the backdrop for Benoit Blanc’s (Daniel Craig, once again having an absolute ball of a time) latest mystery, who comes to the questionable parish when a murder most foul (is there any other kind?) befalls, and he’s the only mind who can solve something so seemingly impossible.
Blanc, unlike the previous Knives Out mysteries, takes a bit more time to enter the fray here, with Johnson largely centering proceedings around Father Judd (Josh O’Connor), who has been assigned as second-in-command under the direction of Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin), a controversial religious figure who, in his small town, spews hate and division to a collection of devoted followers; Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close, leaning into the lush, camp sensibility of the role), a devout church lady and Wicks’ right-hand; Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), the town doctor; Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), a no-nonsense lawyer; her son, Cy (Daryl McCormack), an aspiring politician; Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), an author; Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny), a disabled former concert cellist; and Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), the groundskeeper.
With Johnson trading in the class politics and “eat the rich” temperament of the first two films for commentary on conservative rot, Wake Up Dead Man feels quite topical in how its self-appointed God – Wicks – uses religion to rant such cruelty. Johnson hasn’t forgotten there’s a mystery to solve and the fun that comes from such (Mila Kunis adding some respite as the bumbling, local police chief), but he also has plenty to say about how Christianity – which has always been about love and acceptance of all – has been appropriated by an agenda that ironically defies its own meaning.
This temperament, as well as Father Judd so desperately working with Blanc to prove his innocence when the murder takes place (the victim has been revealed online, but I’m going to keep the identity a secret in case you’d like to be surprised), adds a true compelling nature to the film, a feature that is already so delicious in the commentary of its ensemble, who are all, in one way or another, representing the blind faith many individuals misplace in a figure of unproven power.
Given the state of the world and how drastically it changes day to day, it’s exciting to think what Johnson will fuse his next Benoit Blanc mystery with. Wake Up Dead Man only reiterates how interesting a series Knives Out has become, with Johnson refusing to simply rehash a formula that worked so well proving how intelligent and careful he truly is as a storyteller. This third venture may be the most divisive, but in everything Johnson is saying, we really wouldn’t want it any other way.
FOUR STARS (OUT OF FIVE)
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery screened as part of this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, which ran between September 4th and 14th, 2025.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is scheduled to be released on Netflix on December 12th.
