LFF 2025: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Daniel Craig is back as Benoit Blanc in Rian Johnson’s third instalment in his Knives Out series. While not quite as sharp as the earlier films, there's still much fun to be had in this mystery featuring Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin and more
Rian Johnson’s third Benoit Blanc murder mystery is the least of the series to date. Daniel Craig’s folksy Southern detective is largely relegated to following Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) around after the young priest calls Blanc to upstate New York. Monseigneur Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin) has been murdered in a seemingly impossible locked door mystery. The suspects: devout churchgoer Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), spiralling doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), lawyer Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), content creator Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack), sci-fi author Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), disabled cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny), and Father Jud himself.
Despite a killer premise, Wake Up Dead Man misses the sharp specificity of Knives Out and the arch silliness of Glass Onion, struggling to maintain pace and mystery. It squanders the dramatic potential of its Easter Week setting, and its congregation feel more generically American Evangelical than seeped in Catholic traditions, peculiarities, or the challenges of changing times. Despite committed performances and the star powers of O’Connor, Craig, Brolin, and Close, the supporting cast is relegated to types; they deliver their comedy lines with aplomb, but the barbs rarely transcend the scenarios.
That said, a mediocre Johnson mystery is still a great time. O’Connor’s Father Jud affirms the actor’s leading man credentials, and his ease with physical comedy is the film’s highlight. The reveals – traced by Blanc through pulpy tropes – are satisfying if not mind-blowing. Wake Up Dead Man is a treat to watch with a crowd, perfectly suited for the cold months ahead.
Wake Up Dead Man had its UK premiere at London Film Festival
Released 26 Nov by Netflix; certificate 15
Streaming on Netflix from 12 Dec