Wayne Rock, Featured Writer
To say that Wake Up Dead Man, the third and latest entry in the ultra-successful Knives Out film franchise, was my most anticipated film of 2025 would be an understatement. That’s because I have been waiting for this movie’s release ever since it was first announced way back in 2024. I adore a good murder mystery and Rian Johnson’s takes on the genre have consistently cemented themselves as fast classics. If Knives Out gave us that more archetypal, Hitchcockian mystery feel that you knew was inspired by Agatha Christie and Glass Onion was a modernised take on the tropical getaway mysteries, then Wake Up Dead Man by contrast feels more gothic, dark and inspired by Edgar Allan Poe’s work.
In true Knives Out fashion, the film introduces us to the core characters first, without it ever feeling rote or repetitive, as each film’s groups are distinct from each other. The entire cast does an amazing job (save for maybe Mila Kunis, who doesn’t really fit the casting of the hard-assed police chief), but the real standout is British Actor Josh O’Connor (The Crown) as Father Jud Duplenticy. O’Connor sells the story of a guilt-ridden former boxer, searching for redemption through firm belief in his religion after accidentally killing a man in the ring. With more than a few stellar scenes, O’Connor even outshines Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc in some of their shared scenes.
Speaking of the private detective, though Blanc is introduced late into the movie, he never feels like an afterthought. Blanc has always functioned as a character that the main cast interacts with, more than as the main character himself. Yet each film reveals more and more of the man, giving us new layers and nuances to the performance every time. Craig seems extremely comfortable in the role now, which adds to the believability of the performance. I’d list the other great performances, but honestly, they were all amazing and perfectly cast for each of their roles. Even Andrew Scott’s (Sherlock) less-than-perfect American accent doesn’t pull you out of the film. The inclusion of Jeremy Renner (MCU) as the town doctor is especially hilarious given the Jeremy Renner small batch hot sauce gag from the previous film. There’s something so cheeky about the fact that there’s a doctor walking around who looks exactly like Jeremy Renner.
The plot itself is quite unique too, following the death of a particularly cruel priest with murder deemed impossible. Blanc himself seems stumped in the beginning and in true Knives Out fashion we get a mid-movie reveal that only serves to confuse the viewer even more. I consider myself quite adept at solving movie mysteries, but the Knives Out movies always have me guessing right till the end. I was wondering how Johnson would top the reveals of his other movies in this one, but he delivers a perfectly satisfying and emotional conclusion. The film is also solidly funny. I found myself laughing a lot, despite the mostly serious, mysterious tone. Johnson has a way of weaving in beats of natural humour, often leaning into the absurdity of the situation or playing off of Blanc’s over the top reactions. There’s a particular scene where Blanc is very nonchalantly fondling a dead body and the sharp contrast between the atheist Blanc’s treatment of a body as just a piece of meat and the religious Jud’s reaction to death had me rolling.
Another reason this film was particularly impactful for me was the religious themes. As someone who started deconstructing from religion over ten years ago, Johnson handles religion with respect, accurately representing multiple points on the spectrum. Jud is the true believer, someone who has fully bought into his beliefs, relying on faith rather than evidence. Blanc is ever the skeptic, a man who follows the evidence to its natural conclusion. Monsignor Wicks, played by the always fantastic Josh Brolin, represents those who weaponise religion to control through fear and cruelty while hiding behind the shield of belief. None of it is disrespectful in the slightest, and there’s no agenda pushed on the audience. I think if you are a believer, you can watch this film and come out with your faith strengthened. I also think if you are a skeptic, the movie does nothing to try to persuade you otherwise. That’s incredibly difficult to pull off, but Johnson does it smoothly.
This review is incredibly vague since I think everyone should go into these films blind. The less you know is the better the experience. I will say though that the Knives Out films are a ton of fun on rewatch. You pick up on a ton of clues that make you feel incredibly stupid for not seeing it the first time. A film with twists that does not rely on the twists in order to be a good movie is, in my opinion, a fantastic achievement.
Wayne’s Score: I give Wake Up Dead Man a solid 9.1/10, but it remains to be seen if it’s my favourite of the three films. Maybe, after a rewatch?
And you can check out Sommer’s review of comedy mystery thriller Vengeance below:
Goodbye Robo Mango Readers
It has been a blast contributing reviews to RMR over the years. I’m incredibly grateful to editor Julien for giving me the continued opportunity to write, despite not ever being held to a schedule. I’m sad to see RMR go, but I’m excited for the next chapter in Julien’s adventures!
Wayne loves to complain, and that was an unintentional rhyme. When I’m not watching movies, TV, anime or trophy hunting on PS4, you can usually find me deep in my thoughts preparing my next scathing review of a bad movie. I think Zack Snyder’s take on superheroes is terrible and that The Quick and the Dead is actually a decent movie. I rewatch Death Note every year. Unlike the other fine writers on this site, I’m not a critic, but I can definitely Rock a review…(Read More)