Daniel Craig returns as detective Benoit Blanc in the newest Knives Out film, Wake Up Dead Man. Photo: Netflix.
Murder mystery movies have been around as long as movies have existed.
The idea of an intricate plot that the audience can attempt to figure out in real time has drawn in audiences for decades and created an extra level of immersion that other genres just couldn’t.
However, for one reason or another, traditional murder mysteries took a back seat and TV started to dominate and oversaturate the genre.
Enter director Rian Johnson. In 2019, following his controversial time with Star Wars, Johnson hit back with a promise to revitalise the traditional feature film murder mystery with Knives Out.
Promoting an all-star cast headlined by Daniel Craig as detective Benoit Blanc, the film was universally beloved for its clever writing, fun characters and enjoyable mystery.
While the second film, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Story, wasn’t as charming as the first, it was another enjoyable mystery.
Fast forward to 2025 and the third film in the franchise, Wake Up Dead Man, has hit Netflix, offering a fun new mystery for audiences to solve.
Wake Up Dead Man tasks Detective Blanc with trying to discover who killed popular priest, Monsignor Wicks, in a small, tight-knit community.
During a Mass service, Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin) walks into a small closet with only one way in and one way out, but is somehow stabbed in the back.
With several people all in eyeshot of Wicks walking into the closet alone, the mystery is: how was he killed so suddenly, in front of so many people?
Putting it simply, Wake Up Dead Man is the best of the franchise so far. This is no mean feat either, as the first two films are also very, very good.
The setting of a church, the fantastic cast, the actual mystery and Blanc’s co-lead played by Josh O’Connor are all the best in the franchise and combine for one of the best movies of the year.
The first point I want to dive into is Josh O’Connor, who plays Father Jud, a former boxer turned priest who is made the assistant to Wicks. He despises the way Wicks preaches and is the prime suspect throughout the narrative.
The vast majority of the film is seen through his eyes, despite Blanc being the person making the discoveries. Father Jud consistently has his faith questioned and his values attacked and it makes for the best character arc in the entire franchise.
It makes the mystery so much more personal. We want him to be cleared even when all signs point to him. O’Connor gives his best performance since his turn as Prince Charles in The Crown and I would be absolutely devastated if he is not cast in more mainstream media following this film.
(sidenote: He was just announced in Steven Spielberg’s newest film and now I am very happy.)
The supporting cast is also incredible: Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner, Adam Scott, Cailee Spaney, Kerry Washington, Thomas Hayden Church, Mila Kunis and Daryl McCormack are all fantastic.
Each of them is a member of Monsignor Wicks’ flock and has some reason for hating the drunken priest.
Glenn Close, Josh Brolin and Kerry Washington are probably the best of the supporting cast and have the best individual moments of the film.
The production is also a step above the previous films. The church setting is fantastic and is in stark contrast to the private island of Glass Onion. It feels grimy and full of deceit, despite it supposedly being a place of hope and worship.
You feel Father Jud’s conflict just through the setting. This is compounded through the cinematography and use of lighting. Keep an eye out whenever Father Jud is on screen; you’ll notice a slight difference in how he is lit compared to every other character.
If there was a downside it’s that this film got a very, very limited run at the cinemas. Living in Wagga, I was forced to drive nearly two hours to the closest cinema that was showing it.
While watching it on Netflix was still great, I can’t help but feel it would have been even better on the big screen.
Wake Up Dead Man is fantastic, and some of the most fun I’ve had watching a movie all year. It’s the best of the franchise and deserves a lot of love.
Wake Up Dead Man is now available for streaming on Netflix.
