Film Review – Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

December 13th, 2025 | POSTED BY Allen Almachar

Wake Up Dead Man (2025) continues the series of Benoit Blanc mystery thrillers headed by writer/director Rian Johnson. And just like the previous two entries – Knives Out (2019) and Glass Onion (2022) – Johnson infuses his whodunit with sharp writing, colorful characters, an engaging plot, and insightful social commentary. Even though the basic premise as remained the same – with the master sleuth Blanc unraveling a murder – they each have their own distinct identity. Johnson continues to make each entry feel fresh and unique. The same sentiment applies to star Daniel Craig, who clearly enjoys the role and gives Blanc a different dimension with each go around. Benoit Blanc now has a serious chance of overtaking James Bond as Craig’s signature role, if not already. Johnson and Craig have struck gold with this series, and they don’t appear to be slowing down.

This time, the sun drenched, resort-like locales of Glass Onion are traded for the colder, cloudier backdrop of upstate New York. Oddly, despite Blanc being the connecting thread of each film, he does not show up here until well into the second act. The real main character is Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) who – after an altercation with another priest – gets reassigned to a small Catholic parish run by Father… excuse me…“Monsignor” Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). Wicks is a fire-and-brimstone kind of preacher, whose angry tirades about “fighting” against the church’s enemies goes against Jud’s beliefs of compassion, empathy, and service. Jud and Wicks’ clashing philosophies causes tension within the congregation. This all comes to a head when (surprise!) a dead body shows up at the church, with suspicious eyes pointed at Jud’s direction.

The highlight of the Benoit Blanc mysteries has been its casts and Wake Up Dead Man is no different. There is a menagerie of names and faces here, each delivering exactly as needed in their respective parts. Wicks’ most loyal devotee is Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), who basically runs the church’s day-to-day operations. Her devotion to Wicks is only matched by her husband, Samson (Thomas Haden Church) and his devotion to her. Dr. Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner) is suffering from his marriage falling apart and whose only refuge is the bottom of a bottle. Lee Ross (Andrew Scott) is a successful writer, but his latest work has taken a backseat to his increasing obsession with internet conspiracy theories. Vera Draven (Kerry Washington) has been burdened with raising her half-brother Cy (Daryl McCormack) only to see him turn into a failed politician and right-wing social media influencer. The saddest case is Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny) who suffers from a chronic medical condition and turns to religion in hopes of finding a miracle cure. Each of these characters have a growing anger and resentment in their hearts. They find Wicks’ intense and hateful sermons the perfect avenue to funnel their emotions. Of course, this also makes them formidable adversaries for Father Jud.

Rian Johnson has been a consistently good filmmaker for a long time, and it seems he is only getting better. His biggest strength is in taking genre elements and combining them with thoughtful social insights. Here, his themes are clear, notably how a charismatic and passionate leader can persuade a vulnerable section of society and turn them into ardent followers. You can mirror that notion to several well-known figures in positions of authority. There is also an interesting examination of faith vs. atheism. Father Jud and Benoit Blanc both want the same thing – the truth behind the murder – but they go about it from different perspectives. Father Jud is motivated by his belief in a higher power, sacrifice, peace, and loving those who despise him. Blanc, who is obviously not religious, relies on evidence, testimony, and separating truth from misinformation. The two cannot be any more different, yet they find equal ground and mutual respect. It’s the kind of level-headed thinking that we don’t hear enough nowadays.

Josh O’Connor has had a very good couple of years (see his work in Rebuilding, The Mastermind, and Challengers). He continues that streak as Father Jud. So often in movies, the lead character is usually the blandest, allowing for the supporting players to shine. That is not the case in this instance. O’Connor inhabits Father Jud with various strengths and weaknesses. We learn that he was once a boxer, but after a life-changing incident decided to put his gloves away. Jud went from a world of violence to one of non-violence. His go-to gesture involves him opening his arms like a welcoming embrace as opposed to closed fists and a fighting stance. However, once a corpse is discovered, Jud gets put into the fight of his life. His efforts to prove his innocence tests his resolve, and the stress results in moments that are both dramatic and humorous. He’s a character stuck in a plot that quickly escalates all around him, and his desperate actions to stay afloat is a joy to watch.

The cinematography (Steve Yedlin), editing (Bob Ducsay) and production design (Rick Heinrichs) gives Wake Up Dead Man a spooky, gothic visual palette. I wonder if Johnson would ever consider making one of these films in black and white, because stylistically they have much in common with classic-era movies like The Spiral Staircase (1946), The Uninvited (1944), or any number of Boris Karloff or Lon Chaney Jr. monster flicks. During night scenes, with Father Jud stumbling his way through the mud and rain, we half-expect him to run into some ghoul or goblin (excluding the human variety already present). The editing does an excellent job of keeping the intricate plot cohesive, adding several flashbacks and cutaways to past events to give us new revelations. Lesser movies would make this a gimmick, as though the screenplay was writing itself out of a corner. Here, it works to the story’s advantage. An ingenious feature has Blanc and Jud using a picture of the inside of a local bar and comparing it to its current state to pick out any clues. The way the narrative continuously goes back to the picture, spotting extra details every time, further proves Johnson’s creativity and the production’s technical skill in pulling it off.

Wake Up Dead Man lacks the newness factor that came with Knives Out and the size and scope of Glass Onion, yet it still manages to be a compelling, thought-provoking ride. One can view this simply as sheer entertainment, while others can dig into its subject matter for further analysis and debate.  This may very well be one of the best third entries into a movie franchise in recent memory, if ever. Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig have done it again, proving to be one of the best director/actor duos working today. It’s amazing to see them take the same setup yet explore such varying avenues each time. I hope the two never get tired of revisiting this world. As long as they’re willing to make more adventures of Benoit Blanc, I’ll be more than willing to see them. 

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