---
title: "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery"
year: 2025
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery"
fi1m_id: "wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery"
imdb_id: "tt14364480"
tmdb_id: 812583
wikidata_id: "Q115931717"
fi1m_score: 77
critics_score: 80
critics_reviews: 22
published: "2026-09-09"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:37:47.119816+00:00"
region: "IS"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

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

Directed by Rian Johnson · 2h 25m · Thriller, Mystery, Comedy

## Identity

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery
- **IMDb ID:** tt14364480
- **TMDB ID:** 812583
- **Wikidata ID:** Q115931717
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14364480/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/812583, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q115931717

**Fi1m score: 77** · Critics 80 from 22 reviews

*In a sentence:* A locked-church mystery in which the detective is the second most interesting man in the building

> Rian Johnson’s third Benoit Blanc mystery is colder and more serious than the last, and Josh O’Connor’s young priest gives it a heart. It is also 145 minutes long, and half a dozen good actors spend most of them waiting for a line.

## Synopsis

Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor), a young priest with a temper he is trying to lose, is sent to a small winter parish run by Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), whose sermons are more about enemies than about God. When Wicks dies in front of his congregation during a service, in a way nobody present can account for, suspicion settles on his curate. Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) arrives to look at the church, the congregation and the young man at the centre of it. Among those he questions are Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), the monsignor’s fiercest ally, the local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis), Dr Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), the lawyer Vera Draven (Kerry Washington) and her son Cy (Daryl McCormack).

## Review

Rian Johnson has made two films about Benoit Blanc, the gentleman detective with the Louisiana vowels, and both took place in good light: a New England mansion in *Knives Out*, a Greek island in *Glass Onion*. The third is set in winter, in a small stone church, and it opens not with Blanc but with a priest. Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) is sent to assist Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), who preaches grievance from the pulpit and enjoys it. Wicks dies in front of his congregation in a way that appears to be impossible, and Jud is the obvious suspect. This is a good film, the most serious of the three, and it takes nearly two and a half hours to be good in.

O’Connor is the reason to watch. He plays Jud as a man who believes and is a little embarrassed by how much, who wants his parishioners to like him and knows the wanting is a fault. He is funny without appearing to try. When Craig’s Blanc turns up, a good way into the film, the two settle into a partnership that is the best thing Johnson has written for this character, because for once Blanc has someone to argue with rather than someone to catch. Craig is quieter here. Blanc has less to do and does it with less flourish, and there is a running argument between a man who trusts only evidence and a man who has staked his life on something he cannot prove. We expected to find that argument decorative. It is not; it is the plot.

Brolin gives the film its cold. Wicks preaches to a congregation that has come to be told whom to hate, and Brolin does not wink at us or soften him. We were, for the length of that first sermon, uneasy in the way one is uneasy in a room where a man is enjoying his own anger, and the whole mystery is built on that unease. It is the film’s clearest satire and its least subtle, and it sits close enough to the news to sting.

Steve Yedlin, who shot the first two, drops the bright palette of the last one. The church is lit by candles and by grey daylight through coloured glass, so faces are half in shadow and the snow outside looks like the only clean thing for miles. Rick Heinrichs’s production design fills the rectory with worn wood and old paper and keeps the nave tall and bare, so the people in it look small. Jenny Eagan’s costumes do quiet work: Wicks’s vestments are a little too rich for the parish, and Blanc’s tweeds look like a man dressed for a different sort of case. Nathan Johnson’s score is heavier than in the earlier films and mostly knows when to stop.

The trouble is the crowd. Johnson has assembled a dozen well-known actors and given perhaps four of them a character. Glenn Close, as Martha Delacroix, the parishioner who has given her life to the church and to Wicks, gets the best of the rest and takes it. Mila Kunis’s police chief has a good running exchange with Blanc about whose case this is. But Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Geraldine Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church spend long stretches sitting in pews waiting to be suspected, and one or two of them could be lifted out without leaving a hole. Bob Ducsay cuts patiently, which suits the first hour and not the second. We were restless somewhere around the ninety-minute mark, during a round of interviews that told us things we had already gathered, and the film runs 145 minutes.

Against Johnson’s own work, this sits between the two earlier films. It lacks the clockwork pleasure of *Knives Out*, where every object in the house turned out to matter, and it is a great deal better than *Glass Onion*, which mistook a large set for a plot. The solution, when it comes, is fair, which is the least a whodunnit owes you and more than most deliver. We will say nothing about it except that the last twenty minutes explain slightly more than they need to.

Watch it on a dark evening with someone who will argue with you afterwards about whether Jud is right. The murder is settled by the end. The argument is not.

*Fi1m score 77, published 9 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

The reviews are warm and remarkably close together: almost every critic recommends the film, and a good number call it the strongest of the three, though a few also admit that is faint praise after Glass Onion. The praise clusters on Josh O’Connor, whose junior priest is singled out in nearly every notice as the film’s centre and as a proper foil for Daniel Craig’s Blanc. Critics also like the shift to a wintry, gothic church setting and the script’s willingness to argue about faith and reason without turning solemn.

Reservations are mild and consistent. Several find the plotting over-elaborate and the star-heavy cast of suspects underused; The Hollywood Reporter thinks the investigation loses momentum after a promising start, and Den of Geek complains that Blanc becomes a supporting player in his own film. The one outright negative score comes from Slant Magazine, though its objection is narrow: the satire of right-wing figures is effective but one-dimensional.

## Straight answers

**Is Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery worth watching?**

*Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery* is worth watching for anyone who likes a whodunnit with more on its mind than the puzzle, and we scored it 77. Josh O'Connor's young priest is the reason to see it, and his argument with Daniel Craig's Blanc about faith and evidence is the best thing in the series. Be warned that it runs 145 minutes and slackens in the second hour.

**How long is Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and what is it rated?**

*Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery* runs 2h 25m. It is a thriller and mystery film.

**Where can I watch Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery in Iceland?**

*Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery* is streaming on Netflix in Iceland. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and is it suitable for children?**

*Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery* is a UK 12A, so it is a murder mystery rather than a horror, and the death at its centre is more baffling than gory. The unsettling parts are Josh Brolin's sermons, in which a priest works his congregation into anger, which younger children may find dull rather than frightening. Older children who can sit through two and a half hours of talk will be fine.

**How does Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery compare to Calvary?**

*Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery* shares a good priest and a hostile parish with [*Calvary*](https://film.one/film/calvary), but one is a whodunnit with jokes and the other is a bleak drama with a week-long deadline. *Calvary* is the darker and more concentrated film, and Brendan Gleeson gives it a greater performance. Choose Johnson's film if you want a solution at the end; choose McDonagh's if you want to be shaken.

**What should I watch after Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery?**

After *Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery*, try [*The Name of the Rose*](https://film.one/film/the-name-of-the-rose) (1986, Fi1m 77): Sean Connery solves murders in a medieval abbey; the faith is the mystery. Then [*Calvary*](https://film.one/film/calvary) (2014, Fi1m 81): An Irish priest is told he will be killed in a week; darker, no jokes wasted; and [*Gosford Park*](https://film.one/film/gosford-park) (2001, Fi1m 85): Altman’s country-house murder, where the servants know more than the detective.

### Reviews we read (33)

- **The Times** (★★★★★): Rian Johnson bounds back triumphantly with an enthralling puzzle-box whodunnit that is funny, dark, moving and meaningful. Standout performances, especially from Josh O’Connor, and a probing script exploring faith elevate the film. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-review-josh-o-connor-daniel-craig-netflix-5r78x67f7)
- **The i Paper**, Emily Bootle (90/100, inferred): The third Knives Out film reverts to a traditional whodunnit feel for a smart, funny Gothic-camp romp that blends mystery with religious-horror satire. It delivers vintage Knives Out pleasures with a satisfying conclusion and strong turns from Daniel Craig and Josh O’Connor. [Read](https://inews.co.uk/culture/film/knives-out-3-melodramatic-masterpiece-4052548)
- **Empire**, John Nugent (85/100, inferred): Rian Johnson delivers another consistent, rewarding entry in the Benoit Blanc series with a wintry, morbid Gothic tone that skewers contemporary culture while respecting faith traditions. The intricate plotting, strong ensemble (led by Josh O’Connor) and Craig’s dapper detective make for an engrossing, very funny whodunnit. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/wake-up-dead-man/)
- **The Observer**, Wendy Ide (85/100, inferred): The third Knives Out film is sharper and smarter than Glass Onion, with a confident screenplay that dares to ask existential questions. Josh O’Connor stands out in a heavy-hitting cast as the best instalment yet. [Read](https://observer.co.uk/culture/film/article/wendy-ides-pick-of-other-films-blue-moon-wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-and-more)
- **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (Critics Pick): The third entry may be the sharpest yet, delivering a clever, droll, nearly pitch-perfect whodunit that fuses intrigue, confession, and themes of rationality versus faith on a human scale. It returns to the immersive ingenuity of the first film while adding philosophical depth. [Read](https://variety.com/2025/film/reviews/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-review-daniel-craig-1236510178/)
- **Vulture** (85/100, inferred): The review calls this the best Knives Out yet for its beauty, ideological curiosity, and shift to timeless targets like corrupt religious power, making it more urgent than prior entries. It praises the focus on O’Connor’s priest character and the film’s blend of formula with deeper emotional and thematic resonance. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/article/the-pope-would-love-wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery.html)
- **Little White Lies**, Cheyenne Bart-Stewart (4/4/4): Rian Johnson’s sharp and witty Knives Out threequel is powered by a standout lead turn from Josh O’Connor. It charts a refreshing new course while proving that despite the increasing body count, this franchise is very much alive and kicking. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery)
- **Radio Times** (4/5): It’s a great joy to see Daniel Craig break out his Southern drawl once again in this excellent third outing for eccentric sleuth Benoit Blanc. It all adds up to a film that might just be the best entry in the series so far. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movies/wake-up-dead-man-knives-out-review/)
- **The Guardian** (80/100, inferred): Rian Johnson’s latest Knives Out film delivers an enjoyable deadpan-absurdist ensemble comedy with a religious undercurrent. The critic singles out Josh O’Connor’s standout performance as the junior priest for particular praise amid a sparkling cast. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2025/nov/26/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-review-josh-oconnor-excels-in-another-deadpan-delight)
- **The Telegraph**, Robbie Collin (4/5): The cosiest Knives Out film yet offers enormous fun and witty cosy crime in a church setting. Josh O’Connor’s sincere performance as a man of faith lends unexpected spiritual depth. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/2025/12/12/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-review/)
- **Time Out**, Phil de Semlyen (4/5): Rian Johnson’s latest addition to the franchise is the most out-there and fun so far, with Daniel Craig and Josh O’Connor forming a sleuthing double act with shades of Holmes and Watson. Johnson has assembled his strongest cast yet and provides them with entertainingly ‘extra’ characters. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-2025)
- **Total Film**, Emily Garbutt (80/100, inferred): The film brings Knives Out back to its roots with a sequel that's almost on a par with the original. It offers a satisfying return to classic mystery form with strong performances and clever twists. [Read](https://www.gamesradar.com/entertainment/mystery-movies/wake-up-dead-man-knives-out-3-review/)
- **The AV Club**, Jacob Oller (B): The review deems the film another lively, vital entry that smartly uses its church setting for both mystery and existential questions, with standout buddy chemistry between Craig and O’Connor. It notes some shagginess and overstuffed moments but highlights its cleverness, silliness, and visual flair. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-review)
- **Slant Magazine**, Ross McIndoe (1/4): The review praises the film’s razor-sharp command of detective tropes, misdirection, and exploration of seeing versus believing, plus strong turns from Craig and especially O’Connor. It notes the satire on right-wing figures is effective if one-dimensional, while the central debate between rationalism and grace gives it lasting resonance. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-review-daniel-craig/)
- **Financial Times**, Danny Leigh (★★★☆☆): The film is never less than entertaining as it mixes God, locked-room murder and Scooby-Doo homages in another round of cartoonish Cluedo. It does what the series does best while touching on serious themes. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/f5523c2b-1525-460a-bc14-aa661607610d)
- **IndieWire**, Kate Erbland: The review calls the film a darker, Poe-inspired take that still delivers laughs, strong performances from Daniel Craig and Josh O’Connor, and thematic depth on disinformation and faith. It praises the shift to a church setting while noting the franchise’s continued vitality. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/wake-up-dead-man-review-rian-johnson-third-knives-out-1235149631/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Amy Nicholson: Rian Johnson’s darkest and funniest Knives Out installment features Daniel Craig investigating an impossible murder at a parish and satirizes hypocritical strongmen abusing religious power. It weaves contemporary social critique into an entertaining mystery plot. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/0000019a-b8d4-d9c7-a3bf-fcfd79d20000-123)
- **RogerEbert.com**: The third Knives Out film corrects the lighter tone of the previous entry with a chillier, more gothic locked-room mystery that explores faith versus logic. Johnson’s sharp script champions understanding and hope without sentimentality. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/knives-out-3-wake-up-dead-man-movie-review-2025)
- **Screen Daily**: For the third instalment in his Knives Out franchise, writer-director Rian Johnson adds an element of spiritual searching that blends nicely with this sequel’s darker tone. This mystery-comedy is as clever as the previous films, and is bolstered by a graceful performance from series newcomer Josh O’Connor. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-review-daniel-craig-returns-in-crowd-pleasing-sequel/5208644.article)
- **Sight and Sound**, Kim Newman: Daniel Craig’s sleuth is pushed to find his spiritual side as he investigates the murder of a badly-behaved pastor in this dark and satisfying addition to the Knives Out film series. It’s darker in look and subject than the earlier films, but remains extraordinarily pleasurable, a meal of brain food garnished with wicked wit. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/wake-dead-man-knives-out-mystery-religion-latest-puzzle-rian-johnsons-extraordinarily-pleasurable-whodunit)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney: The review finds the third Knives Out entry overworked and convoluted after a promising start, with too many underused stars and momentum lost in the investigation. It singles out Josh O’Connor’s revelatory performance as the young priest-turned-suspect/Watson for praise. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-daniel-craig-1236363835/)
- **The New York Times**, Alissa Wilkinson (Critic’s Pick): Rian Johnson’s latest Benoit Blanc mystery tackles a murder in a church amid themes of religious cults of personality and twisted faith, with a light irreverent touch. Josh O’Connor’s Father Jud emerges as the real heart of the film in his verbal sparring with Blanc about belief. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/movies/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-review.html)
- **HeyUGuys**, Linda Marric (5/5): Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out entry is a triumph: devilishly clever, darkly funny and unexpectedly heartfelt. The critic singles out Josh O’Connor’s standout turn as the conflicted priest Father Jud for grounding the gothic mystery with real human tension. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-review/)
- **Consequence** (A-): The critic hails it as the year's best murder mystery and cements Rian Johnson as mystery’s modern master, praising the clever locked-room puzzle, thematic depth on faith, and standout ensemble led by Josh O’Connor's nuanced performance. [Read](https://consequence.net/2025/11/wake-up-dead-man-review-daniel-craig/)
- **Collider**, Ross Bonaime (8/10): The critic calls it twistier, darker, and more emotional than prior entries, exploring faith, logic, and mythologizing in a brilliant murder mystery that caps one of film's great trilogies. Singles out the strong ensemble, especially Josh O’Connor and Glenn Close, alongside Johnson's inventive direction. [Read](https://collider.com/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-review-daniel-craig-rian-johnson/)
- **Digital Spy**, Ian Sandwell (4/5): The critic calls it the darkest yet but still totally entertaining, praising the devilish locked-room mystery, the strong double-act between Blanc and Jud, and the fresh Gothic tone while noting some supporting cast members are underused. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a68997134/wake-up-dead-man-review-knives-out/)
- **NME**, James Mottram (4/5): The critic finds it largely enjoyable with a riotously entertaining cast and clever Christie-inspired plotting that prods the Catholic Church, though the script is a little over-elaborate and Blanc’s arrival feels tenuous. [Read](https://www.nme.com/reviews/film-reviews/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-review-daniel-craig-3898565)
- **The Ringer**, Adam Nayman (80/100, inferred): The critic views it as a faithful series addition that takes on big ideas with a standout Josh O’Connor performance, calling it probably the best Knives Out film for its sophisticated structure and personal investment while noting a predictable wrap-up. [Read](https://www.theringer.com/2025/11/26/movies/knives-out-wake-up-dead-man-netflix-review)
- **Den of Geek**, Joe George (3.5/5): The critic finds the film bold but disappointing as it prioritizes religious introspection over the usual mystery elements, making Blanc a supporting character and the mystery less central. [Read](https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/wake-up-dead-man-review-rian-johnson-loses-knives-out-edge/)
- **/Film**, Chris Evangelista (7/10): The third Knives Out film is sharp, smart and the most overtly political entry yet, using religion and exploitation as a lens on modern divisiveness while remaining engrossing and fun. The critic praises Josh O’Connor’s central performance and the film’s stylish flourishes but notes it feels less interested in its ensemble of suspects than prior installments. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/2032606/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-movie-review/)
- **Deadline**, Damon Wise: Rian Johnson returns the Knives Out franchise to its gothic roots with a wintry whodunit that might be the best yet. The film is more introspective than its predecessors, using a religious community setting to explore themes of faith, modernity, and miracles while retaining plenty of fun and comedy. [Read](https://deadline.com/2025/09/wake-up-dead-man-review-rian-johnson-1236510199)
- **The Playlist**, Gregory Ellwood (A-/B+): Johnson delivers another murder mystery with even more delicious twists than its predecessors, plus a slightly more serious tone and gorgeous cinematography. The critic highlights the film’s timely philosophical debates on faith and forgiveness alongside its strong ensemble, especially Josh O’Connor and Glenn Close. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-review-rian-johnson-tackles-faith-forgiveness-in-benoit-blancs-most-twisty-murder-yet-tiff-20250907/)
- **The Wrap**, Chase Hutchinson: Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out film is the most elaborate murder mystery yet and also his most emotional, with Josh O’Connor delivering an excellent comedic and graceful performance. The film explores faith, community, anger, and redemption without sacrificing entertainment, featuring rapid pacing, killer jokes, and thoughtful reflection. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/wake-up-dead-man-review-rian-johnson-daniel-craig-knives-out-3/)

## Details

- **Director:** Rian Johnson
- **Director:** Rian Johnson
- **Writer:** Rian Johnson
- **Cinematography:** Steve Yedlin
- **Editor:** Bob Ducsay
- **Music:** Nathan Johnson
- **Production design:** Rick Heinrichs
- **Costume design:** Jenny Eagan
- **Producer:** Rian Johnson, Ram Bergman
- **Cast:** Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc; Josh O'Connor as Fr. Jud Duplenticy; Glenn Close as Martha Delacroix; Josh Brolin as Mons. Jefferson Wicks; Mila Kunis as Chief Geraldine Scott; Jeremy Renner as Dr. Nat Sharp; Kerry Washington as Vera Draven, Esq.; Andrew Scott as Lee Ross
- **Runtime:** 2h 25m
- **Release (Iceland):** 12 December 2025
- **Genres:** Thriller, Mystery, Comedy
- **Budget:** $210 million
- **Box office:** $4 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hc8yz5-d5Y

## Where to watch in Iceland

- Netflix: streaming

*Checked 2026-09-10.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, AZ, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, ID, IE, IL, IN, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, MY, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PH, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, SK, TH, TR, UA, US, VN, ZA. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## If you liked this

- *The Name of the Rose* (1986), Fi1m 77: Sean Connery solves murders in a medieval abbey; the faith is the mystery — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-name-of-the-rose.md)
- *Calvary* (2014), Fi1m 81: An Irish priest is told he will be killed in a week; darker, no jokes wasted — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/calvary.md)
- *Gosford Park* (2001), Fi1m 85: Altman’s country-house murder, where the servants know more than the detective — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/gosford-park.md)
- *The Last of Sheila* (1973): Rich people, a yacht, a puzzle; the film Johnson’s whole series is chasing
- *Knives Out* (2019), Fi1m 81: The first Blanc case, still the tightest; every object in the house matters — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/knives-out.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery