WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY (2025)

Rian Johnson returns with Wake Up Dead Man, the third instalment of his successful Knives Out (2019) franchise. After taking a sun-kissed Mediterranean detour for Glass Onion (2022), the film returns to its gothic roots with a religious-themed mystery starring Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). Set in the world of religious parishes, Wake Up Dead Man dissects the nature of belief through the lens of a classic, cosy murder mystery.

The story is narrated by Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor), a priest with a violent past as a boxer. After an incident involving Jud and a deacon, he’s shipped to a small parish to assist Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), a clergyman described as “a few beads short of a full rosary.” Jud only has to do one thing: stay out of trouble.

The first half-hour concentrates on world-building, introducing audiences to the church, the parish, and all the murder suspects. Not all the characters are given an equal amount of material, although a standout of the star-studded ensemble is devout Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), a woman of faith with her own skeletons in her closet.

Other players who don’t get the time they deserve include Doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner); bitter attorney Vera Draven (Kerry Washington); author looking for a scoop Lee Ross (Andrew Scott); cellist looking for a miracle Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny); failed political turned influencer Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack); and longtime groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church). All are painted with broad strokes and lack nuance or layers, existing as suspects and nothing more.

The first act focuses on the cultural clash between Father Jud and Monsignor Wicks. Both have very different ways of spreading the word of God. Jud is jovial and likable, if not a little naïve, while Wicks’ style is confrontational, targeting new congregation members until they walk out. He purposefully tests the young Jud, trying to get a rise out of the priest with a past. Both personas match the actors and their dynamic perfectly.

Josh O’Connor’s Jud is so engaging and dynamic you’ll almost forget this is Benoit’s crime to solve. But when a seemingly impossible murder happens, the sheriff (Mila Kunis) sends for the private detective and Benoit walks into the film, to be welcomed into the narrative despite not being entirely missed until then.

Wake Up Dead Man is Josh O’Connor’s film. He has the most material to work with and handles it with panache. A former boxer priest with a neck tattoo that is described as being “young, dumb, and full of Christ” isn’t a character every young actor can handle. It’ll be a shame if this is his last Knives Out mystery, as his hybrid Hot Priest/Father Brown act is so likeable it almost makes Craig’s Benoit redundant.

Glenn Close also perfectly toes the line between handling the camp material and playing it straight enough to deliver one of the film’s more emotional moments. She’s doing a lot, but at exactly the level this film needs. Josh Brolin is also delightful as a zany monsignor (not father) who seems to get a kick out of making those around him feel uncomfortable. Both actors know when to go big and when to bring subtlety to the moment.

Even with his shaky Foghorn Leghorn accent, Benoit Blanc represents Daniel Craig at his absolute best. He’s having the time of his life on screen again, hamming up every syllable of dialogue. He and O’Connor also make a formidable duo as a man of faith and a man of fact… both descending down a hole of twists, meta-killings, and conspiracies.

The rest of the starry ensemble is mostly wasted and could have been played by almost anyone. Andrew Scott and Cailee Spaeny, especially, feel like a huge missed opportunity, with such versatile stars relegated to side characters. Spaeny’s Simone feels like someone rife with intrigue, as a world-class musician whose career ended after an accident left her in permanent pain. She’s now run out of medical miracles and has turned to religion. Scott’s Lee is a failed author with a Substack and slight MAGA interests who hopes the outrageous Monsignor Wicks has a story worth telling. Their tantalising sideplots are all promise but do not amount to much.

Johnson spends almost too much time creating all these layered supporting characters, it feels a crime not to spend more time with them! Knives Out mysteries work because the writer-director puts so much care into creating his world and those inhabiting it. But with a runtime spanning over two hours, there’s simply no time to spare on side characters and their smaller arcs. And this lack of character build-up means a couple of last-act reveals struggle to land.

The previous two Knives Out films were themed around ‘Eat The Rich’. The screenplays satirised the out-of-touch non-working class and the brattish behaviour of millionaires behind closed doors. And while Wake Up Dead Man tackles the more complicated themes and is aesthetically the darkest instalment, it’s also the funniest in the franchise. The humour is more character-centric and fixed on the conspiracy theory-obsessed modern world.

Wake Up Dead Man explores the human need to believe in someone. But fear not, Johnson still delivers the same mystery format one expects from the franchise, just with a little more God involved. Some believe in higher powers, others in truth and fact, while others will believe anything told to them in the desperate need to believe in something. While predominantly a fun little murder mystery, Wake Up Dead Man isn’t afraid to get a little deep with talk of theology and philosophy.

The Catholic church makes an ideal backdrop for a whodunnit. Johnson makes good use of religious iconography, zooming in on absent crucifixes, pulpit speeches, and flirting with resurrection. Underneath all the religious imagery, Wake Up Dead Man wants to address the connection between America’s right-wing politicians, conspiracy theorists, and the Christian church. But if you just want to sit back and enjoy a whodunnit, there’s plenty to take away from the movie without looking at the politically-charged details.

At 140 minutes, Wake Up Dead Man could have been tightened up and edited down. And while it’s a delight, the film does start to feel baggy towards the climax, which adds red herring upon red herring until you start growing restless. The sheer number of fake-outs and false endings wears thin… but, luckily, Craig and O’Connor will keep you watching.

USA | 2025 | 140 MINUTES | 1.85:1 | COLOUR | ENGLISH

Cast & Crew

writer & director: Rian Johnson.
starring: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack & Thomas Haden Church.