The third installment of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out series, Wake Up Dead Man, has arrived to select theaters on November 26, with a Netflix release set for December 12. This series of movies are my absolute favorite for their ability to challenge the traditional norms of a murder mystery. Each installment thus far brings something entirely different than its predecessor. The first movie Knives Out, released in 2019, is anything but formulaic, with major tonal shifts throughout its runtime, rather than relying on its climax. Glass Onion, released in 2022, is more light-hearted in tone, and is able to separate itself from the previous installment by flipping the genre on its head.
Wake Up Dead Man yet again pushes the boundaries of what a murder mystery can be. Daniel Craig’s performance as Benoit Blanc, world class detective, is fantastic in each movie, leading a completely different ensemble cast every case.
Coming off of the brighter, summer-themed Glass Onion, Wake Up Dead Man is tonally and visually much darker. It takes place in a small church, with Blanc being hired to investigate the death of church leader Monsignor Wicks. After delivering a fanatical sermon, Wicks is murdered in a sealed concrete box, which Blanc observes as “an impossible crime”.
Something that is constant throughout all Knives Out movies is the one character who assists Blanc during the investigation. This time, it is Father Jud Duplenticy, a newly hired priest at the church, and seemingly the only person who hated Monsignor Wicks. Father Jud is played by Josh O’Connor, who does an outstanding job playing a sensitive, kind, yet hot-headed priest who Blanc takes under his wing in the investigation. Monsignor Wicks is played by Josh Brolin, another standout actor in the cast.
Being a huge fan of the Knives Out franchise, and the murder mystery genre in general, I had extremely high expectations for this movie, and unsurprisingly, those expectations were met. I love the dark tone and the center around the abuse of faith, as well as guilt and mortality. It was shot extremely well, being able to capture a gothic, sinister vibe.
The mystery itself is densely layered, offering small details that hint to the crime in true murder mystery fashion. The amount of thought and detail does not go unnoticed and is so satisfyingly unraveled at the end. What is also impressive is that beyond the mystery, the movie is able to offer a strong emotional core that ties in perfectly with its messaging, something I especially appreciated in the first Knives Out. In Wake Up Dead Man, Blanc himself goes through a full character arc, something we have not seen previously.
A minor complaint I have is that the full ensemble cast is not fully utilized. While I love these characters, they do not all share the spotlight like they do in Knives Out and Glass Onion. Some of them are not as thoroughly written as others, though this barely hindered my enjoyment of the film.
Wake Up Dead Man is yet another fantastic addition to the franchise, keeping the same Knives Out charm while offering many new things to distinguish it. I adore this franchise, and I am looking forward to more rewatches.