Wake Up Dead Man is the darkest Knives Out mystery yet – but still totally entertaining

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While cosy crime is popular now, many believe Rian Johnson’s 2019 film *Knives Out* really brought the murder mystery genre back into the spotlight. Kenneth Branagh’s series of Agatha Christie adaptations, starting with *Murder on the Orient Express* in 2017, also contributed, but haven’t achieved the same level of critical or public success as the *Knives Out* films.

Rian Johnson successfully revitalized the classic murder mystery with both *Knives Out* and *Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery*. He took familiar settings – a grand estate and a vacation getaway – and updated them for contemporary audiences. While maintaining the traditional whodunit structure, including a dramatic reveal with all suspects present, the films also tackled current and relevant social issues.

The latest Knives Out mystery, Wake Up Dead Man, successfully revives a classic detective story element – the locked-room mystery, popularized by Edgar Allan Poe in the 19th century. Despite using such a familiar trope, the story feels fresh and exciting, leaving viewers eager for the next installment.

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A key part of what makes the *Knives Out* films so appealing is writer/director Rian Johnson’s knack for assembling a fantastic cast. The newest installment features rising stars Josh O’Connor and Cailee Spaeny, both recently acclaimed for their roles in *Challengers* and *Priscilla*, alongside veteran actors like Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, and Kerry Washington.

One of the biggest weaknesses of *Wake Up Dead Man* is that its larger cast isn’t used as effectively as the ensembles in the previous two films. While Josh Brolin as Monsignor Jefferson Wicks and Glenn Close as Martha Delacroix deliver strong performances, characters like Simone Vivane (played by Anya Spaeny) and Lee Ross (Andrew Scott) unfortunately don’t get the character development they deserve.

Okay, so the story has some slow parts, but honestly, Josh O’Connor as the new priest, Jud Duplenticy, is *amazing*. He plays this really naive, slightly clueless guy who’s full of religious zeal – the character description is ‘young, dumb and full of Christ,’ and it fits perfectly! He’s sent to help Jefferson at this little church in upstate New York after getting in trouble with the church, but you can tell right away that these two are going to clash. It’s setting up a really interesting dynamic!

When Reverend Wicks is mysteriously killed during his Easter sermon, suspicion immediately falls on a young priest. Famous detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) arrives to investigate, but the beginning of the story actually focuses on events *before* he gets involved.

O’Connor’s captivating performance and Johnson’s clever plotting work so well together that you don’t even realize anything is missing. When Benoit finally appears, he forms a fantastic partnership with the other detective, similar to his dynamic with Marta or Helen/Andi in past films – he doesn’t dominate the story, but enhances it.

It’s always enjoyable to see the actors from *Knives Out* again, but the real draw of these films is the murder mystery itself. Rian Johnson has created another clever and complex plot that will challenge you to figure out the truth, and might even make you question your own intelligence in the process.

This mystery connects to the film’s broader themes of religion and belief, particularly the contrast between Jud’s faith in God and Benoit’s strong belief in reason. While the solution might depend on a couple of unlikely events, the director includes enough misleading clues and possible culprits to make the unraveling of the mystery highly enjoyable.

Like the earlier films, watching *Wake Up Dead Man* multiple times rewards you with new clues that were cleverly hidden throughout. Though it shares a similar framework and a big, game-changing reveal with its predecessors, this movie has a noticeably darker and more gothic atmosphere. This makes it feel as unique compared to the first two films as *Glass Onion* did to *Knives Out*.

It’s still uncertain if detective Benoit Blanc will return for another case, but the new movie, *Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery*, shows that the series remains fresh and exciting. We’re hoping for more movies like this!

The new Knives Out mystery, Wake Up Dead Man, will be in select theaters starting November 28th, and will be available to stream on Netflix beginning December 12th.

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2025-10-11 10:20