If you thought detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) had already solved every type of murder mystery a man with a southern drawl and a pipe possibly could, think again. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery — the third and maybe the most chaotic film in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out series — delivers the series’ mix of twists and humor, but with a new setting.
This time, Blanc is summoned to a small, crumbling rural church where something very unholy has gone down. The film opens with Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), a preacher whose sermons are more like YouTube rants than peaceful Sunday reflections. When a body appears in the sanctuary, the church becomes a locked room both literally and morally. And that’s where Blanc comes in.
Though Johnson continues to get inspiration from writers like Agatha Christie and John Dickson Carr, this movie pushes the mystery genre in a whole new direction. Instead of a tech billionaire’s island or a wealthy family’s mansion, we get a community in crisis. It’s a setting that lets Johnson explore belief, authority and fear. It sounds heavy, but the jokes still land, the tone stays peppy and the movie remains entirely appropriate for a school audience.
The breakout star this time isn’t Blanc, but Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor): ex-boxer, current priest, accidental theologian. Watching him spar (verbally… mostly) with Blanc might be some of the most thoughtful and funny moments in the entire series. Their dynamic is so good, it should honestly count as the film’s B-plot romance. One believes in God. One believes in humanity. Both believe everyone around them is acting extremely suspicious.
And of course, no Knives Out film would be complete without its ensemble of suspicious weirdos. You’ve got Kerry Washington as the church lawyer with a secret; Cailee Spaeny as a cellist with chronic pain; Andrew Scott as a washed-up sci-fi author; Jeremy Renner as a doctor who looks like he hasn’t slept since 2016; and Glenn Close, who kind of steals every scene simply by existing. Each character has something to hide, and Johnson makes sure every reveal is perfectly timed.
What really makes Wake Up Dead Man stand out is how its mystery and themes mirror each other. Everyone in the film is wrestling with power — who has it, who wants it, who shouldn’t have it — and the movie subtly asks what happens when people let fear guide their choices. But you don’t have to walk in thinking about philosophy to enjoy it. This is still a classic popcorn mystery: red herrings, small details and that feeling of trying to outrun Benoit Blanc’s brain.
By the time of the final twist, the film has delivered exactly what fans want: a clever mystery with a big heart and a bigger personality. And maybe a reminder that even heroes have their own stories to reckon with.
Verdict: 5/5, would watch again.
