WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY
Starring: Josh O'Connor, Daniel Craig, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, Thomas Haden Church, and Jeffrey Wright
Director: Rian Johnson
NICK
I hate to pigeonhole a director, but if Rian Johnson continues making murder mysteries for the rest of his career, I'd be fine with that. Johnson has a knack for this, and his pairing with the now iconic Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is magic. Although Blanc takes a backseat to Rev. Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) here, he still has moments to shine as Johnson tries his hand at creating a gothic horror film. It's ambitious, but it works, though not quite as well as the previous two entries. That said, I will still gladly take a fourth film on the work of one Benoit Blanc.
ADRIANO
Wake Up Dead Man is Benoit Blanc's (Daniel Craig) most ambitious mystery yet. Continuing the trend of writer/director Rian Johnson's Knives Out films, Johnson flips audience expectations on their heads in ways that had my eyes glued. Even if you guess who the killer is, the “how” will still shock you. Easily the darkest of the franchise so far, it has great Poe-esque iconography and an interesting take on the radicalizing power of organized religion, all while keeping that Knives Out humour intact. You could argue this is the best of the franchise, and I wouldn't fight you on that.
QUENTIN
By default, one of the Knives Out movies must be considered the “least good,” a mantle that falls upon Wake Up Dead Man. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a worthy franchise entry, but it’s so different that it’s comparatively weaker. The biggest change is that Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) isn’t really the main character, playing second fiddle to Rev. Deplenticy (a fantastic Josh O’Connor). Also, although it maintains a sense of humor, it’s much heavier and somewhat predictable, which makes it less lively and fun. Lastly, Josh Brolin aside, the ensemble cast mostly fades away as glorified cameos. Still, it’s a highly recommendable mystery.
PAIGE
Wake Up Dead Man is a darker Knives Out entry, and while the mystery is still fun and intriguing, a convoluted plot and messy screenplay hold it back from being as good as its predecessors. The movie takes far too long to find its footing, and when all is finally revealed, it’s dense and unnecessarily complicated. Not to mention, aside from Josh O’Connor, its star-studded ensemble of suspects are completely underutilized and don’t feel like integral pieces to the puzzle. In the end, I didn’t find Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc/Scooby-Doo crime angle to be that clever this time around.
ROBERT
I know it’s been Kenneth Branagh’s corner to bring Agatha Christie adaptations to modern cinema as Hercule Poirot lately. But it’s director Rian Johnson that has more aptly captured that spirit with the Knives Out franchise and Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), albeit a wholly Americanized version. Regardless, Wake Up Dead Man keeps the high standard alive in this now-trilogy with an engaging mystery and referential material regarding religiosity and politics, and how they intertwine in an entertaining package. Overall, I would rank it second behind the original due to an overall weaker ensemble, except Josh O’Connor, and Blanc being somewhat muted in his own universe.
KATIE
I’ve never been a fan of whodunnits, and whilst I’ve not disliked Rian Johnson’s Knives Out films, I’m not enamoured with them. Like its predecessors, the murder plot in Wake Up Dead Man is convoluted, predictable, and somewhat annoying. However, I loved Josh O’Connor as Reverend Jud, as this is his film. Daniel Craig’s performance as Benoit Blanc is fantastic, and I liked the focus on his and the Reverend's compelling dynamic, as well as the religious themes; however, I wasn’t ecstatic that Blanc takes a back seat, and the rest of the cast feels much less a part of the story than the previous films.
AMARÚ
Director Rian Johnson went scorched earth on our incessant habit to repeat the historical hypocrisy of power, but the initial lack of subtlety isn’t always effective. That is until the revelatory juxtaposition of Josh O’Connor’s stand-out performance repeatedly generates genuine spiritual catharsis through his Priest Duplenticy’s authentic displays of grace’s healing power. Going HAM on the real-life idiocracy in which we currently reside makes the acts of faith much more resonant, laying a foundation for Duplenticy’s narrative arc and the star-studded ensemble’s performances that allow the “Scooby-Doo shit” mystery to unfold so damn entertainingly. Sorry, Rian, I didn’t see the vision until it was already checkmate.
BODE
While the Knives Out films have continued to show writer-director Rian Johnson’s knack for crafting compellingly breezy murder mysteries, I think his awkward attempts at social commentary held the first two movies back from true greatness. That’s what makes Wake Up Dead Man, the third in the franchise, fascinating for me. His social commentary on religion is surprisingly poignant, holding the film together in a way that the needlessly convoluted and overlong mystery almost can’t. Maybe he’ll never get the balance right with this series. Oh, well. Josh O’Connor is a star, at least.
This film was reviewed by Nick and Adriano as part of Bitesize Breakdown's coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.