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

 

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

8/10

 

Starring          

Daniel Craig

Josh O'Connor

Glenn Close

Josh Brolin

Mila Kunis

 

Directed by: Rian Johnson

 

I like this movie a lot for one main reason, the details.

This movie is packed with details that make it very easy to follow and at the same time very easy to trick you. The level of misdirection here is classy, you really will not guess who the culprit is, and the way information is planted feels intentional rather than loud. Those same details also make it easy to see this movie exactly as it is meant to be, a standalone mystery that you can enjoy without needing to have seen the two films before it.

The cast gave it their all, because the performances alone in the first five minutes are enough to make you sit back and settle in, as the movie slowly pulls you into this world of mystery and invites you to solve the case alongside Benoit Blanc. It is the third film in the Knives Out series on Netflix, written and directed by Rian Johnson, and you can feel that confidence in how controlled everything is.

One thing that really stood out to me is the way the movie handles loyalty and power. I have experienced something similar recently at a job I had, where loyalty to a cruel leader kept everyone in line, and watching that dynamic play out here can either snap you out of the movie or bring back uncomfortable memories if you have been in that kind of situation. The way Jud is slowly boxed in felt very real to me.

That said, some characters felt like they were there just for the sake of it. I could not fully sink my teeth into the lives of characters like Geraldine Scott or Dr. Nathaniel Sharp. I understood their issues and their purpose in the story, but there was a disconnect that kept me from fully caring about them, and that is the only real issue I had with the movie.

I will be honest, unlike the first two films, this one did not have that tiring first hour feeling, even with a runtime of two hours and twenty six minutes. You are not sitting around waiting for the crime to happen so the investigation can start. A lot is happening early on, and it slowly strengthens the one thing you can guess, that the death to be solved will be that of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks. The way the movie builds the tension between him and the young pastor Rev. Jud Duplenticy in the first forty minutes is engaging, and it becomes very clear that Jud is facing an uphill battle from the start.

So what is the plot. Rev. Jud Duplenticy, played by Josh O’Connor, is posted to a small church run by Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, played by Josh Brolin, after Jud punches another pastor. It is framed as a redemption posting, but this church is ruled by Jefferson with an iron fist. He does whatever it takes to keep new people away and maintain control over the old ones, exploiting their money, loyalty, and respect. Jud sees through this quickly and tries to push back, hoping to save the small town from Jefferson’s grip, but the two constantly clash as Jefferson quietly and publicly works to make Jud uncomfortable.

After a day at mass, Jefferson walks off and collapses, stabbed in the back. Everyone introduced to us, including Jud, appears to have been nowhere near him, and that is where the mystery truly begins for Benoit Blanc.

I highly recommend this movie. It is worth every minute, and the ending brings everything full circle, showing how pride, secrets, and greed sit at the root of every evil in this story.