Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Review – Benoit Blanc’s Darkest, Most Divine Case Yet
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery marks the third outing for Daniel Craig’s gentleman sleuth Benoit Blanc, and it may be his most atmospherically distinct case to date. After the cozy autumnal knits of Knives Out and the sun-drenched tech satire of Glass Onion, writer-director Rian Johnson plunges audiences into the Gothic shadows of a remote upstate New York parish.
Streaming on Netflix as of December 12, 2025, this 144-minute whodunit trades modern satire for theological debate, delivering a “locked room” puzzle that tests Blanc’s reliance on logic against the mysteries of faith. While it remains a sharp, star-studded ensemble comedy, the film carries a heavier, more melancholic weight than its predecessors, anchored by a career-defining performance from Josh O’Connor.
Film Details
| Feature | Details |
| Director/Writer | Rian Johnson |
| Release Date | Nov 26, 2025 (Theaters), Dec 12, 2025 (Netflix) |
| Runtime | 2h 24m (144 min) |
| Cast | Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott |
| Genre | Mystery / Crime / Dark Comedy |
| Rating | PG-13 |
Plot Synopsis: Murder in the Sanctuary
The film opens in a secluded Catholic community led by the charismatic and domineering Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). Wicks rules his dwindling congregation with fire-and-brimstone ferocity, alienating outsiders while holding a tight grip on a core group of loyalists.
The peace is shattered during Sunday mass when Wicks is found dead in the sacristy—a room with no other exits and the door locked from the inside. The circumstances are baffling: Wicks was stabbed, yet no weapon is found, and witnesses swear no one entered or left.
Enter Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), sporting longer hair and a three-piece suit, who is hired by the local police chief, Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis). Blanc finds himself an outsider in a world of devout believers, immediately clashing with the prime suspect: Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor). Jud is a young, brooding priest and former boxer with a violent past, who was caught on camera threatening Wicks days prior.
As Blanc peels back the layers of the parish, he exposes a web of secrets among the eccentrics: the fiercely devout church lady Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), the alcoholic groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), the cynical town doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), and the wealthy lawyer Vera Draven (Kerry Washington).
Critique and Analysis
Themes: The Heretic vs. The Believer
Where Glass Onion deconstructed the myth of the genius billionaire, Wake Up Dead Man tackles the power of belief. The central conflict is not just about who killed Wicks, but a philosophical duel between Blanc and Father Jud. Blanc, self-described here as a “proud heretic” who worships at the altar of reason, is forced to navigate a crime that appears supernatural. Johnson brilliantly uses the “locked room” trope—a staple of John Dickson Carr novels—as a metaphor for the mysteries of religion: something that seems impossible only because we lack the perspective to understand it.
The Ensemble Cast
Daniel Craig continues to find new layers in Blanc. He is less whimsical here, more frustrated by a community that operates on faith rather than facts. However, the film belongs to Josh O’Connor. As Father Jud, he delivers a performance of quiet intensity and physical grace, oscillating between a suspect capable of violence and a man of genuine, radical faith. His chemistry with Craig drives the film’s emotional core.
Josh Brolin is terrifyingly effective in flashbacks as the bully pulpit Monsignor, while Glenn Close steals every scene she is in. Her portrayal of Martha Delacroix is a masterclass in ambiguity—simultaneously a sweet, grandmotherly figure and a zealot with eyes that miss nothing. Andrew Scott and Cailee Spaeny provide excellent support as a failed writer and a sickly cellist, respectively, filling out Johnson’s gallery of tragic, grotesque suspects.
Direction and Visuals
Cinematographer Steve Yedlin and Johnson lean heavily into Gothic horror aesthetics. The church interiors are shot with cool, desaturated tones, contrasting sharply with the warm, artificial light of the flashbacks. The “impossible” murder is staged with theatrical precision, and the eventual explanation of the locked room trick is one of the most satisfying mechanical reveals in the franchise’s history.
Screenplay and Pacing
Johnson’s script is dense, filled with theological arguments that may alienate viewers looking for the breezy fun of the first film. The middle act, which focuses heavily on the specific grievances of the parishioners regarding church inheritance and local politics, drags slightly. However, the third-act twist—revolving around the hidden “Eve’s Apple” inheritance and a staged “resurrection”—is a brilliant narrative pivot that recontextualizes the entire film as a story about the dangers of storytelling itself.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Strengths:
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Josh O’Connor: A breakout performance that grounds the film’s loftier themes.
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The Mystery: A true “fair play” whodunit. The clues are all there, but the solution requires thinking outside the box of traditional logic.
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Atmosphere: A distinct departure from the previous films, proving the franchise can adapt to different sub-genres (cozy mystery, tech thriller, gothic noir).
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The Reveal: The solution to the locked room is clever, tactile, and devoid of “cheats.”
Weaknesses:
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Pacing: At 144 minutes, it is the longest Knives Out mystery and feels it during the exposition-heavy second hour.
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Tone: The somber meditation on death and religion lacks the consistent laugh-out-loud energy of Glass Onion.
Final Verdict
Wake Up Dead Man is a mature, intricate, and visually stunning addition to the Benoit Blanc canon. While it trades some of the series’ signature whimsy for a darker exploration of faith and guilt, it rewards the viewer with a meticulously crafted puzzle and an ensemble cast operating at the peak of their powers. Rian Johnson proves once again that the traditional whodunit is not dead—it just needed a resurrection.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars