Knives Out Collection

Daniel Craig

Josh O'Connor

Glenn Close

Josh Brolin

Mila Kunis

Jeremy Renner

Kerry Washington

Andrew Scott

Cailee Spaeny

Daryl McCormack

Thomas Haden Church

Jeffrey Wright

Annie Hamilton

James Faulkner

Bridget Everett

Noah Segan

Jamie Karitzis

Kit Burden

Gavin Spokes

Paul Hilton

Joseph Gordon-Levitt

Cecilia Blair

Georgie Drain

Bertie Drain

Leo Abelo Perry

Ray Bolton

Nicola Hughes

Laura Elsworthy

Daphne Cheung

Hugh Wyld

Matthew Jacobs Morgan

Kerry Frances

Ian Porter

Dan Chariton

Eddie Gorodetsky

Bill Davey

Rian Johnson

Ram Bergman

Nathan Johnson

Steve Yedlin

Rick Heinrichs

Jim Barr

Leopold Hughes

Bret Howe

Mary Vernieu

Kathryn Pyle

Jenny Eagan

Kate Suzanne Hunter

Quinn Robinson

Christopher Knight

Marie Duboscq

Matthew Wood

Stephen Urata

Chris Munro

Jaron Presant

Katie Swain

Gary Spratling

Matthew Sharp

Julius Lechner

Ren Klyce

Thomas Golubić

Guillermo del Toro

Bob Ducsay

Jeremy Woodhead

Nikos Karamigios

Tom Karnowski

Adele Franck

Richard Goodwin

Elena Zokas

Freddie Mason

Roy Taylor

Joel Conlan

Ellie Keighley

Stuart Boother

Donna Williams

Andy Torbet

Luke Ioannou

Olivia Reeve

Tilly Powell

Elliot Collins

Christian Cole

Matt Sherren

Richard Leggett

Tom Rodgers

John Street

Lucy Allen

Matthew Webster

Rick English

Anna Benton

Kye Mckee

Justin Sysum

Ray Nicholas

Daniel Rawlins

Marcus White

Giles Harding

Dean Clegg

Simon Elsley

Hugh McClelland

Paddy Paddison

Irene Dimarca

Heather Rackstraw

Ray Perry Sr.

Gary Martin

Dave Hamilton-Green

Miles Proudfoot

Paula Price

Polly Earnshaw

Daniel Erdman

Charlotte Hayward

Andrew Simonin

Rebecca Walker

Tracey Levy

Dumebi Anozie

Linda Villalobos

Hayley Williams

Sarah Pearce

Rory McVicker

Thomas Roberts

Grace McComisky

Sophie Mac

David Smith

Robert Binnall

Barney Shakespeare

Timothy Stuart Hildebrandt

Raelyn Tepper

Yunea Cruz

Renee J. Vaca

David Holmes

Thriller

Mystery

Comedy

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

T-Street

United States of America

Manuel São Bento

FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/wake-up-dead-man-review/

"Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery exceeds expectations by diving into a darker register without losing the layers of humor and captivating mystery that define the franchise.

The howdunnit mechanics become unnecessarily complex before the climax, but given the brilliance of the whydunnit — exceptional character work and rich thematic exploration — every minute is a valuable experience.The witty banter between Daniel Craig and Josh O'Connor, coupled with the depth of their discussion on what it means to "believe," is one of many proofs in this sequel that a whodunnit doesn't need to be perfect to be a resounding success. Rian Johnson offers a worthy continuation of the saga, surpassing expectations by delving into a somber register.

The truth may be winding, but in this mystery, faith and forgiveness are the biggest plot twists of all."

Rating: A-

CinemaSerf

Pugilistic priest “Fr. Jud” (Josh O’Connor) has lost his temper with a deacon and been consigned to a remote country parish where his plain-speaking bishop (Jeffrey Wright) hopes he can do less damage. Upon his arrival, though, he realises that this is quite an eccentric little congregation led by the mildly megalomaniacal “Monsignor” (Josh Brolin) and his ever so slightly menacing factotum “Martha” (Glenn Close). The new arrival isn’t universally welcome, especially when he tries to impose his own more religious approach to parish affairs, and then somewhat out of the blue, the older churchman is mysteriously killed. Of course, “Jud” is the obvious suspect but the arrival of the Poirot-esque “Benoit Blanc” (Daniel Craig) to help with the investigation soon reveals that just about anyone from this tightly knit community had some sort of axe to grind. It also transpires that there’s a missing eighty million dollar fortune, a bit of illegitimacy, a secret romance and even an acid bath to be factored in, too! It’s Cluedo on steroids! Brolin reminded me of Kris Kristofferson the whole way through as his behaviour gets wackier and more manipulative and he does gel well with an O’Connor who’s clearly having some fun as the plot thickens nicely, and suitably convolutedly. I could have done with a little more from Miss Close, and neither Andrew Scott nor Jeremy Renner really have enough of the plot either, but the writing and pacing of this quirky and personality-driven mystery keeps it quite enthralling in the best tradition of Agatha Christie as it mixes some good old fashioned detective work with some provocative religiosity; technical wizardry and even a little biblical mythology. Don’t be put off by it’s lengthy duration, it’s the best of these “Knives Out” tales so far.

Chandler Danier

Man oh man. Christianity is making a comeback. Let’s all listen to holy men say holy things for the whole runtime.

The mystery is stupidly mysterious. The whole thing feels sloppy but I found the slop a little more welcoming than the last one. The false endings ignore a recently explained giant piece of evidence. Like it’s not a mystery as there’s no way to solve and it isn’t a mystery when the film is misleading you. But I found it more fun than lots of stuff I’ve seen. 

Murdoch could out-detective this guy any day of the week.

Zara Schwartz

> **A Puzzle That Knows You’re Watching It**

I walked out of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery feeling mentally wrung out—in the best way. It was one of those rare cinema experiences where I could feel my brain buzzing, like I’d just had a very long, very clever conversation with someone who kept interrupting me to ask, “Are you sure about that?” I live in the UK now, and maybe it’s the weather or the mood, but this film felt perfectly timed: sharp, chilly, and quietly furious beneath the wit.

What struck me immediately was how confident it is. Not loud-confidence. Not flashy. The kind that doesn’t need to explain itself. Rian Johnson understands the grammar of the mystery genre so well that he can bend it without breaking it. The structure toys with your expectations, then politely steps back and lets you realise you’ve been outplayed. I admired that restraint, even when it made me uncomfortable. Especially then.

Daniel Craig continues to be a joy as Benoit Blanc. There’s something softer here, almost melancholy. His line delivery is slower, weighted. He listens more than he speaks, and that silence does a lot of work. It reminded me of watching a seasoned chess player never rushing, always watching hands instead of faces.

The ensemble is stacked, but what impressed me most was how the film uses them. No one feels wasted, even when they’re barely on screen. A raised eyebrow here, a pause too long there the editing trusts us to notice. The score threads tension into scenes without announcing itself, and the cinematography favors intimacy over spectacle. Tight frames. Lingering shadows. You feel like an eavesdropper rather than an audience member.

I won’t pretend it’s comfortable viewing. Some ideas sit with you, unresolved. The film seems less interested in moral clarity and more curious about how easily narratives are shaped and sold. That ambiguity worked on me. I found myself thinking about it on the walk home, replaying moments, questioning my own assumptions. That’s not passive entertainment. That’s engagement.

I laughed, yes—but not casually. More like a sharp exhale. And when it ended, I didn’t clap. I just sat there, oddly still, feeling like the film had clocked me as much as I’d tried to decode it.

Wake Up Dead Man doesn’t just solve a mystery. It examines why we want one solved. And honestly? I loved being challenged like that.

Brent Marchant

How refreshing it is when a movie turns out to be better than expected. And such is very much the case in this third installment in the “Knives Out” murder mystery franchise, arguably the best offering in the series. In the interest of full disclosure, I was not particularly looking forward to watching this release. While the first two films were modestly entertaining, they had occasional tendencies toward silliness and incredulity that detracted from their core focus and overall quality. However, this latest effort is a pleasant surprise, primarily due to a noteworthy maturation of the material, with better writing, better storytelling, deeper and more believable character development, and solid performances across the board. In addition, the narrative has made a deliberate attempt to incorporate more substantive, more thoughtful content in the story and script, a notable improvement over the two previous pictures. Also, in an attempt to add a sense of relevance, the screenplay includes references to contemporary events and trends, elements noticeably lacking in the franchise’s two prior works. While the story here is too complicated to address in considerable detail, it essentially marks the return of unconventional private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) in an investigation of the murder of a dubious monsignor, Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), a killing that’s believed to have been committed by his parish’s junior priest, Fr. Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor). Given Duplenticy’s checkered past as a boxer and his combative relationship with the monsignor, he’s seen as the prime suspect, but did he do it? And can Blanc prove his innocence? That’s a legitimate question in light of the possible motives of a handful of allegedly loyal parishioners, all of whom carry secrets that could prove devastating if revealed – and that the shady monsignor could readily do if he wanted to, his vows of confidentiality notwithstanding. The result is a complex tale full of twists and turns on its way to the revelation of the truth, one with ties to the parish’s colorful past. Admittedly, some of those misdirections and other plot devices seem a little forced to carry the narrative forward. In addition, the pacing tends to sag a bit in the middle, which some viewers may find a little tedious. But these modest shortcomings are easily overlooked given the picture’s many other strengths, most notably its genuinely funny humor, the fine portrayals of the three principals, and the excellent performances of supporting players Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, Jeffrey Wright and Daryl McCormack. Writer-director Rian Johnson has turned in a better-than-expected outing with “Wake Up Dead Man,” qualities that one can only hope will be apparent again in any future installments of this franchise.

English

Scene at the Academy

Drag Queens Trixie Mattel & Katya React to Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Tale

Script to Screen - Sermon

Cast Take You Behind the Scenes

Script to Screen - Meeting

Josh O'Connor and Josh Brolin Interview Each Other

Rian Johnson on Creating the World of Wake Up Dead Man with Daniel Craig

Behind the Scenes with The Cast

Josh O’Connor Talks Wake Up Dead Man, Frog Ponds, and More | Skip Intro

The Wake Up Dead Man Cast Try Benoit Blanc's Accent

Walk the WAKE UP DEAD MAN Red Carpet with Josh O'Connor at TIFF 2025

Rian Johnson and the Cast and Crew at The Lineup

How Rian Johnson's Growing Up in the Church Shaped 'Wake Up Dead Man'

Mystery ASMR with the Cast

Which member of the KNIVES OUT cast would win a murder mystery game?

'Forks Out': A Benoit Blanc Sesame Street Mystery

Cast and Crew Q&A | TIFF 2025

Interview with Director Rian Johnson

Miracles, Rain Machines & Jeremy Renner’s Comeback! Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man Cast Spill | BAFTA

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

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