Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025) | Film Review

Writer and director Rian Johnson returns for round three of Benoit Blanc’s misadventures, and this time he’s aiming for something a little thornier, a little moodier, and shockingly contemplative. In fact, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery might just be the most thematically ambitious film in the series, and one that digs into a conflict far older than any murder mystery: faith vs. doubt.

Before Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc even steps onto the scene, the film establishes a tight, insular world inside a troubled parish where tension simmers. Josh O’Connor anchors the story as Reverend Jud, a gentle man struggling to keep a fractured congregation together. Josh Brolin already dominates this church as Monsignor Wicks, the domineering religious authority whose iron-fisted leadership has created more fear than faith through his manipulative sermons.

Surrounding them is a less present ensemble than we are used to in this franchise: Cailee Spaeny as Simone, a young cellist besieged by chronic pain in search of a heavenly cure; Glenn Close as Martha, Wicks’s stalwart right-hand who dallies with the local groundskeeper Samson (Thomas Hayden Church); Kerry Washington as Vera, a lawyer tasked with raising an orphan brother (Daryl McCormack) who spends all of his time and her money chasing influence; Jeremy Renner as alcoholic Dr. Sharp, still reeling from his wife leaving him; and Andrew Scott as Lee, a desperate author struggling to find his next inspiration. Together, they form a tightly wound ecosystem of motives, secrets, and buried resentments – a perfect breeding ground for the kind of mystery only Benoit Blanc could untangle.

Set inside a crumbling parish that looks like it was built for secrets, Johnson wastes no time laying out the tension between the religiously devout and the unapologetically atheist. Rather than mock either viewpoint, he uses the divide to fuel character, motivation, and the emotional stakes of the mystery. It’s an admirable balancing act and one that gives the film a bit more weight without sacrificing the fun we have come to expect whenever Blanc is on the case. The overall mystery is one I prefer you experience for yourself rather than spoiled in a review, but just know there is a murder, and the line between orchestration and miracle are appropriately blurred.

The emotional center of that struggle is Josh O’Connor, delivering an understatedly nuanced performance. As a priest desperate to save his increasingly fractured flock, and possibly himself, O’Connor brings a sincerity and vulnerability that instantly makes him relatable. It is a surprisingly grounded turn, and one that imbues enormous sincerity within his character’s religious beliefs.

Then there’s Josh Brolin’s Wicks, a man carved out of pure intimidation. Brolin plays him with such rigid conviction and simmering fury that you can practically feel his sermons rattling the pews. He is not a cartoonish villain, rather he is the embodiment of faith weaponized to terrifying effect, the very storm O’Connor’s priest is trying to shield his people from. Their dynamic becomes the film’s true heartbeat as Blanc arrives on the case and determines this relationship is pertinent to all of the events that transpire.

Of course, a Knives Out movie rises or falls on the shoulders of Benoit Blanc, and Daniel Craig delivers what might be his most satisfying take yet. The accent is still there (fear not), but this time Craig puts far more emphasis on the man beneath the molasses. Blanc gets quieter, more honest moments, even funny little character beats that deepen him beyond the melodramatic detective archetype. He’s still brilliant, but he’s also somehow more human, and Craig seems to relish every second that allows him to expand his character.

The mystery itself shifts gears from the previous two films. It’s not about the WHO anymore — it’s about the HOW. How the pieces connect, how the impossible becomes possible, how something so meticulously constructed can unravel with a single overlooked detail. Johnson leans into the mechanics of the crime by the conclusion, crafting a puzzle that forces you to pay attention not to the lineup of suspects but to the way the story is told. Thankfully, he also stays away from twins this time.

That said, the supporting cast is noticeably less prominent this time around. While past entries thrived on massive ensembles bursting with personality, Wake Up Dead Man is more tightly focused on Jud and Blanc, even as Mila Kunis pops up as the local Chief of Police on the case. The side players are delightful as always, but they’re never as memorable or as intricately woven into the narrative as before. The trade-off is a more character-driven story for the leads, though fans of the ensemble chaos may miss that dynamic.

What hasn’t changed is the writing. Rian Johnson’s script remains sharp, witty, and deceptively emotional. He’s not afraid to test the boundaries of what a Knives Out movie can be, and that willingness pays off. The film feels fresh and bold, yet another remix of the murder-mystery formula without losing the voice that made this franchise such a hit to begin with.

In the end, Wake Up Dead Man is a fantastic addition to the series and escapes the typical cliches of sequels by shaking up the foundation of the structure itself. Rich characters, a smart mystery, surprising emotional depth, and a filmmaker still pushing himself in all the right ways. If Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig want to keep making these, and I sincerely hope they both do, this entry proves there is plenty of life and laughs left in Benoit Blanc’s world of lies, riddles, and extremely questionable motives.