Becoming The Muse

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Wake Up Dead Man is a 2025 murder mystery film written and directed by Rian Johnson. It is the third instalment in the Knives Out Mystery franchise, a standalone sequel to Knives Out and Glass Onion. The movie was released on Netflix on 15 December 2025, following a limited theatrical release on November 26.

Once again, Daniel Craig reprises his role as detective Benoit Blanc who likes a challenge and must use all his wits to solve his most challenging murder yet…the impossible crime.

The Good

Daniel Craig’s Detective Benoit Blanc returns to the screen sporting longer hair than accustomed, but with his unparalleled deductive skills intact and pursuit of the checkmate, although tempered with a certain empathy that could make this one his best performances in the Knives Out movies.

I'm incapable of not solving a crime.
That moment of checkmate when I take the stage and unravel my opponent's web.

Father Jud played by Josh O’Connor an ex-boxer with a violent past who found grace in the church and extends that very same grace to those who need it. His character is a welcome and timely reminder of the role the church should be to its flock, in this era, where churches are becoming polarised institutions that make zealots out of congregants.

As a counterpoint to Father Jud we have Monsignor Wicks played by Josh Brolin, a flawed man and hypocritical priest who abuses the influence he wields, to corrupt his flock into intolerant sycophants; offering a sharp contrast to Father Jud’s compassion-driven faith.

The ensemble cast bring range into the fold, creating relatable experiences from a divorcee, to a recovering alcoholic, a struggling author and someone desperately in need of a miracle.

The plot is influenced by works of Edgar Allan Poe and Agatha Christie while John Dickson Carr‘s 1935 novel The Hollow Man is repeatedly referenced within the film, for its locked-room murder mystery.

While at its core it’s a whodunit murder mystery, it explores issues of faith, forgiveness and the church’s place in modern society.

The Bad

Previous movies in the franchise have had a light-hearted murder at a party aesthetic, while Wake Up Dead Man is tonally different from its goth setting, to tackling thematically heavy storylines without much room for jokes and satirical exposition. While there’s humour, overally its not as funny as the others.

Wake Up Dead Man has an ensemble cast but they are underutilised, despite being given intriguing personalities, they simply fade into the background for the most part.

The movie can come across as a bit preachy with its exploration of themes on faith, spirituality and morality.

The Ugly

As a social commentary on faith and religion, the movie casts a harsh light on institutionalised religion, which shames and guilts people into compliance instead of extending grace to those who are in need of it the most.

Final Thoughts

Wake Up Dead is a bold and mature Knives Out movie which sees Detective Benoit Blanc trade flamboyance for empathy, in a darker, twistier and emotionally resonant Knives Out movie which some critics have lauded as the best so far.

Have you watched the Knives Out movies? How do you rate them?