TIFF 2025 Review : Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Faith, mystery, and murder intertwine in Rian Johnson’s latest Knives Out instalment Wake Up Dead Man, with Daniel Craig returning as Benoit Blanc and Josh O’Connor stealing the spotlight
This is one of my favorite franchises, and I couldn’t have been more excited for the third film in the Knives Out series; Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Daniel Craig returns as the one and only Benoit Blanc, but this time he’s joined by a star-studded cast including Josh O’Connor, Kerry Washington, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, and Daryl McCormack.
Set against the backdrop of a small-town church, Wake Up Dead Man dives into themes of faith, morality, and the danger of blind devotion and somehow, it all fits perfectly into Rian Johnson’s trademark whodunnit world.
The story follows young priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor), assigned to assist the fiery Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). Their church is filled with an eclectic mix of parishioners from a fallen author Lee (Andrew Scott) to a local doctor (Jeremy Renner) but Jud quickly realizes something isn’t right. The churchgoers are a mess. Instead of finding faith, they seem to be sinking deeper into their own chaos and sorrow. Just as Jud tries to make sense of it all, Wicks ends up stabbed in the back, turning the church into the scene of a messy whodunnit scenario. As Jud has the most motive, he becomes the prime suspect, and Officer Geraldine (Mila Kunis) is called in to investigate. Realizing she’s in over her head, she enlists the help of Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), and together they try to untangle a mystery that’s as twisted as it is divine.
The first act moves a little slowly, but once the investigation begins, it completely finds its rhythm. It has that same spark that made the first two films so addictive, but with a darker, more introspective tone. By weaving in the themes of religion and morality, Wake Up Dead Man feels fresh like the perfect evolution of the Knives Out universe.
The real standout here is Josh O’Connor. Ever since Challengers, he’s been unstoppable, and here he steals every scene. Sorry, Benoit… this time, O’Connor takes the spotlight.
Watch the trailer for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery below
Netflix will release Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery in select theaters on November 26, with a global streaming debut on December 12.
If you can, definitely catch it in theaters , it’s worth experiencing on the big screen.
