Fans of the Knives Out movies enjoy trying to solve the mysteries, but director Rian Johnson thinks figuring out who committed the crime isn’t the most important part of a good whodunit.
The director spoke with Digital Spy about Wake Up Dead Man, the latest installment featuring detective Benoit Blanc. Daniel Craig reprises his role as Blanc in this film, which shifts the setting to Upstate New York. The story centers around the murder of a controlling Monsignor, played by Josh Brolin, who is killed on Good Friday.
With the release of Wake Up Dead Man on Netflix today, Johnson discussed how he enjoys watching mystery films and why they’re so enjoyable to revisit after you know the solution.
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You know, I really think the first time you watch this movie, it’s best to go in completely blind. It’s designed to give you a real thrill when things are revealed, and knowing too much beforehand would ruin that!
The show feels a bit staged, but that’s intended to make it more engaging, especially if you think you’ve already figured out who did it. The clues are there, but you might miss them on a first viewing.
As a huge mystery fan, I always appreciate when an author really creates a complete world around a crime, and that’s something Agatha Christie was amazing at! It’s cool to see that influence even shows up in books like Wake Up Dead Man – they actually mention how Christie built these little worlds around her murders, and it’s a big part of what makes her books so good.
He believes the most important part of a murder mystery isn’t figuring out who committed the crime, but everything else surrounding it. He feels that the ‘whodunnit’ aspect is actually the least compelling or impactful part of the story.
What truly sets Christie apart is her ability to create compelling stories and characters you genuinely connect with, culminating in a deeply satisfying and impactful ending.
Inspired by the style of Agatha Christie, Johnson crafts an engaging mystery in Wake Up Dead Man, with a particularly strong lead character in Father Jud, played by Josh O’Connor.
Jud is a suspect in the murder of Wicks, and many other members of the church are also being considered. Actors Andrew Scott and Daryl McCormack, who play Wicks’ followers Lee Ross and Cy Draven, revealed that the director, Johnson, asked them to deliberately mislead the audience with false clues.
Scott explained that Rian often requested different acting choices to keep the audience guessing about who the killer might be. He emphasized the importance of providing Rian with plenty of options so he could craft the story effectively. McCormack concurred, stating that they aimed for performances that didn’t immediately reveal a character’s innocence or guilt, wanting to maintain ambiguity.
“So having that grey area, that in between, is fun and actually serves the overall story.”
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is now available to watch on Netflix.
Enjoy the holidays with the Good Housekeeping Christmas TV Guide! It’s packed with 14 days of listings to help you plan your festive viewing, and it’s available now for just £4.75 at Morrisons, TG Jones, and other magazine shops.
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2025-12-12 11:19