The “Knives Out” franchise is a bit of a miracle, as Rian Johnson was able to use the goodwill he’d earned from “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” and his contributions to “Breaking Bad” to create a thoroughly old-fashioned ensemble mystery in the vein of Agatha Christie. Its success didn’t only prove that there was an appetite for original stories, but that Johnson’s snarky, yet earnest approach was able to reach an audience broader than just niche mystery buffs.
It’s to Johnson’s credit that each of the film’s sequels exists as a true standalone, in which the appearance of the idiosyncratic private eye Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is the only connective tissue. If “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery” took a broader, more farcical approach to its layer cake of a murder case, then “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” (2025) is the most profound and emotionally affecting installment in the trilogy.
There is a classical magic to the world that Johnson has created in these films. While there are occasional references to contemporary popular culture and modern technology, the patient, deliberate pacing harkens back to a time when cinema wasn’t unnecessarily hurried. Johnson’s eye is also turned towards satirical targets, as each installment in the franchise has addressed some form of societal friction that has kept people divided (which, as it turns out, is a great way to introduce red herrings in a mystery).
If the original “Knives Out” attacked generational wealth and “Glass Onion” eviscerated the entrepreneur tech bubble, then “Wake Up Dead Man” examines the challenges in retaining one’s faith in a world where religions have been hijacked by those with extremist agendas.
Those expecting to see Blanc popping up to pick up clues may have to wait until the first act of “Wake Up Dead Man” is almost over, because the film’s essential main character is the good-natured young priest Reverend Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor), who has been moved to serve at a New York church after a controversial incident.
Jud finds himself working for the captivating Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), whose increasingly inflammatory rhetoric has earned him a loyal following both online and within his community. It’s after a particularly aggressive sermon that Wicks is found dead, moments after preparing to take confession. Although Jud is considered a potential suspect, Blanc arrives to look at the self-serving regulars of the church, who had found themselves entranced by Wicks’ shocking statements.
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“Wake Up Dead Man” is ultimately a story about the perseverance required to have faith, and how Blanc’s eyes are opened to a more secular understanding of belief and redemption. While the story is just as focused on Jud’s personal crisis of confidence as it is on the details of Wicks’ murder, Johnson has once again assembled a terrific ensemble to populate the lineup of suspects. As was the case with both previous films, every member of the extended cast could have easily headlined their own star vehicle.
Blanc’s investigations introduce him to the recently divorced local doctor, Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), the popular science fiction author Less Ross (Andrew Scott), the wheelchair-using cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeney), and both the ambitious lawyer Vera Draven (Kerry Washington) and her half-brother, Cy (Daryl McCormack), who has aspirations to be a politician. Although Wicks’ staff included the devout church attendee Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close) and the kind-hearted groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Hayden Church), Blanc hasn’t entirely ruled out the possibility that either was involved.
“Wake Up Dead Man” is oddly the most confined and low-key installment in the trilogy, as the entire film is set within the church grounds and small town in which Jud has served. Although those expecting another devious explanation for how the case could baffle someone as experienced as Blanc won’t be left disappointed, “Wake Up Dead Man” exists as a form of therapy between characters who feel burdened by their faith.
Blanc may not be a believer, but he’s both fascinated by and respectful of those who value the notion of repenting for their mistakes and asking for forgiveness. For Jud, the question is whether he is worthy to hold this position of influence and if he is to blame for the increasingly toxic atmosphere of the church.
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By examining the ramifications of Wicks’ words, and not just the nature of his murder, “Wake Up Dead Man” finds a different way to investigate its subjects. Even if the intellectual debates between Blanc, Jud, and the police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) are most dominant, “Wake Up Dead Man” is able to sneak in a few clever, touching, or thought-provoking moments with each of its extended cast members.
Scott is particularly amusing as a fictional writer who has found a cottage industry in catering to anti-progressive audiences, and McCormack is terrific as a thorny, exploitative charlatan who does his best to subvert any of Blanc’s wisdom. If there’s a duo who do the best subtle work, it’s the subdued performance of Church and Close, who benefit the most from some third-act revelations.
“Wake Up Dead Man” is among the most aesthetically beautiful works of Johnson’s entire career, as the framing of religious works of art from different angles gives the film a gothic, existential feeling at times. The staticity of Johnson’s shots, which contain almost zero handheld camerawork, allows each environment to be enveloping and inviting. It also makes any moment of action feel like a jolt of energy, particularly when the film doubles back to show the same event from multiple perspectives. In addition to another strong score from Nathan Johnson, the film includes a few well-timed needle drops that perfectly tie up the loose ends.
Johnson’s deliberate approach to making each entry in this trilogy tonally different hasn’t just allowed him to keep the stories fresh, but it has also revealed that the recurring pleasure of the series is its kind-hearted optimism. These are stories of murder and conspiracy, but Blanc is a character who sees the good in people and believes that communities shouldn’t be defined by their most loathsome members.
Craig has aged into a wiser, self-assured version of the character, but with O’Connor’s Jud, Johnson may have found the best protagonist thus far. It remains to be seen if “Wake Up Dead Man” is the last of the franchise. It’s either an indication of the saga’s durability or a thoughtful, impactful way to close it out.
