Wake Up Dead Man ending explained: So, who was the killer and why?

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Wake Up Dead Man ending spoilers follow.

Benoit Blanc returns to Netflix with a thrilling new mystery, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. This case centers around a seemingly impossible murder – and a possible resurrection – with a young priest named Jud Duplenticy as the prime suspect.

Trying to figure out if Jud was actually the killer? It’s understandable if you’re confused after all the surprises in Wake Up Dead Man. We’re here to break down what happened, but be warned: major spoilers are coming up.

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Who killed Wicks in Wake Up Dead Man?

Let’s get straight to the point: Dr. Nat Sharp was the one who killed Monsignor Jefferson Wicks. He put something in Wicks’s flask, causing him to lose consciousness after drinking from it during the sermon. Then, Dr. Sharp activated a device that made it look like Wicks had been struck by something from the devil’s head attached to his clothing.

Jud initially believed Wicks died after being stabbed by a knife on a devil’s head ornament. However, it turned out Wicks was actually stabbed when Nat examined the body, using a knife from a similar devil’s head ornament, which ultimately caused his death.

However, things are even more complicated in Knives Out because Nat wasn’t the only one involved in the scheme. Wicks’s assistant, Martha, actually came up with the plan. She discovered that Wicks was about to leave the church with “Eve’s Apple,” a precious diamond. Martha had previously told Wicks that his grandfather, Prentice Wicks, had swallowed the diamond before he died.

After Martha learned Wicks had arranged for the tomb to be opened shortly after she confided in him, she understood he was after the diamond. She then joined forces with Nat to plan Wicks’s murder, and they convinced Samson to pretend to be Wicks in the coffin.

The idea was for Samson to steal the diamond from inside Prentice’s coffin. Then, disguised as Wicks, he would emerge from the tomb, making it look like Wicks had come back to life. A security camera would record this, and Martha hoped it would renew people’s belief in the church.

But Nat’s greed got the better of him, and he quickly killed Samson after he escaped the tomb, once again making it look like Jud was responsible. He then tried to poison Martha and steal the diamond for himself, but Martha was too clever and swapped the poisoned drink, causing Nat to drink it instead. Martha then cleverly placed Nat’s body in the acid bath, where Wicks’s body was already dissolving, to make it appear as if Nat had killed Wicks after he came back to life.

Seems easy enough, doesn’t it? But we haven’t finished yet. What about the diamond that started all this trouble?

Wake Up Dead Man ending explained

Although Benoit Blanc reveals that Nat was responsible for Wicks’s death, he lets Martha admit her own involvement to the group. She’s already made amends privately by finishing the poison Nat intended to use on her – a fact Benoit realizes as she confesses.

Martha passes away peacefully in Jud’s arms, finding forgiveness for her wrongdoings and also clearing Jud of any blame. As she dies, the diamond she was holding slips from her grasp, and it’s uncertain where it lands.

The film jumps forward a year to the church’s reopening. Cy, revealed to be Wicks’s son and the rightful heir to his wealth, is furious and threatens legal action if the church doesn’t disclose the diamond’s location. Both Jud and Benoit maintain their innocence, claiming they have no idea what happened to it.

The final scene of Wake Up Dead Man reveals a new crucifix in the church, subtly enhanced by the inclusion of the “Eve’s Apple” diamond.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is now available to watch on Netflix.

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2025-12-12 21:20