Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

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-

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.

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.

> **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.

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.

Rian Johnson's third release for the eponymously named **KNIVES OUT** franchise -- **WAKE UP DEAD MAN** -- shows no signs of depreciating in quality -- as the latest offering is arguably better than its predecessors, a rare trait of film franchises that tend to degrade with audiences.

But **WAKE UP DEAD MAN** is no slouch -- delivering, yet again, another whip-smart screenplay with compelling, multidimensional characters that will keep viewers guessing in this thrilling whodunnit that tackles theology, and faith in a small, suspicious town after a mysterious murder is committed.

Josh Brolin's austere, fire and brimstone parish priest fires on all cylinders here -- castigating outsiders and insiders with his Bible-thumping speeches; Glenn Close as Brolin's lickspittle assistant, fussing over all the parish's needs and affairs -- is brilliant, as always -- but the arrival of Josh O'Connor as the assistant priest to the parish provides an outsider's glimpse into the very insular and loyal town coterie that sit in the nave and endure Brolin's judgments week after week.

O'Connor gives a master class as a man torn between the parishioner's suspicions and his own spiritual journey towards redemption, as he balances his faith with his pursuit of the truth.

When Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc does arrive to unpack the mystery and put right all that is amiss, how the entanglements get resolved offers another fascinating experience in Craig's performance as he takes us through the labyrinthine connections between the characters, exploring motive, opportunity in this taut mystery thriller.

Johnson has done it again with Craig -- and the incredible supporting cast from O'Connor (tipped to be the next James Bond some say, which I could very well enjoy!), Brolin, Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Jeremy Renner, Mila Kunis, Jeffrey Wright, Thomas Haden Church and Daryl McCormack capably help carry what is arguable the best of the KNIVES OUT trilogy of films -- leaving fans with only one lingering question:

How long do we need to wait for the next **KNIVES OUT** film?