Star GoldStar GoldStar GoldStar GreyStar Grey
Tori Brazier
Published November 24, 2025 9:41pm
Updated November 24, 2025 9:41pm
Share this article via whatsappShare this article via xCopy the link to this article.Link is copiedShare this article via facebook
Comment now
Comments
(Picture: Netflix)
Daniel Craig’s gentleman detective Benoit Blanc is back once again for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third entry in writer-director Rian Johnson’s Netflix franchise, which has revitalised the murder mystery genre for movies.
Known for twists in cases and teases around Blanc’s life – it now turns out he’s an epically nerdy musical theatre fan – Knives Out 3 has the rich and shocking crime setting of a church.
But while Johnson has plenty to comment on with that setting in today’s political climate, he doesn’t quite manage to line it up with a collection of absorbing enough characters.
It’s an impressive ensemble of actors that’s been gathered, from Glenn Close to Josh O’Connor, and Jeremy Renner to Kerry Washington and Josh Brolin, and they all know the type of movie they’re in: sometimes dramatic, sometimes arch, sometimes camp.
By now it’s clear that Johnson has a passion for crafting an entertaining and winding whodunnit – and this outing is perhaps his ‘cosiest’ murder yet, given its church community setting.
Get personalised updates on all things Netflix
Wake up to find news on your TV shows in your inbox every morning with Metro’s TV Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your show in the link we’ll send you so we can get TV news tailored to you.
But unfortunately Wake Up Dead Man fails to live up to some of its promise, particularly when dragging audiences through its convoluted and rather boring second act.
To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video
Up Next
Previous Page Next Page
(Picture: John Wilson/Netflix)
While it’s odd to describe a murder mystery as joyful, this is exactly the quality the film sometimes appears to be missing – its sense of fun – outside the witty one-liners.
Wake Up Dead Man is largely a two-hander between Craig’s Blanc and Josh O’Connor as Rev. Judd Duplenticy, an ex-boxer described as ‘young, dumb and full of Christ’, who punches an unpopular deacon.
Comment now Are you going to watch Wake Up Dead Man at the cinema?Comment NowFor his sin(s), he finds himself banished to a small Catholic community in upstate New York, overseen by the domineering Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Brolin) and devoted right-hand woman Martha Delacroix (Close).
Wicks immediately reveals his eccentricities when he spews an unhinged confession to the freshly-arrived Duplenticy about masturbation while his new assistant desperately tries to find his feet.
(Picture: John Wilson/Netflix)
(Picture: Netflix)
He is then swiftly killed off, with the rest of the town’s community introduced as possible suspects, from Washington’s brittle lawyer Vera and her half-brother Cy (Daryl McCormack) – a gilet-wearing failed political candidate who’s tried all the hot-button ‘things’ including book banning, Israel, 5G conspiracies and trans representation – to Renner as sad town doctor Nat, whose wife has left him, Andrew Scott as a washed-up sci-fi author, Cailee Spaeny as a retired cellist and Mila Kunis as the local police chief.
It’s 40 minutes before Blanc actually enters the picture to begin his detective work, showing off a new shaggy-haired look and happily announcing himself as a ‘proud heretic’.
Religion and judgement provide fertile ground for the film as Wake Up Dead Man examines some hypocrisies and known failings of the Catholic Church with a cheeky, sharp edge. However, Johnson – himself raised a Catholic – toes the line carefully between skewering and respect.
(Picture: John Wilson/Netflix)
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery - Key details
Director
Rian Johnson
Writer
Rian Johnson
Cast
Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott, Daryl McCormack, Cailee Spaeny, Jeffrey Wright, Thomas Haden Church
Age rating
12A
Runtime
2hr 24m
Release date
In select cinemas from November 26; streaming on Netflix from December 12.
It also has fun with other references, from Scooby Doo to the whole community currently taking in Oprah’s recommendations for murder mysteries to read for their book club.
We also get some new teases of Blanc’s personal life and hobbies following on from 2022’s Glass Onion, with some beautifully unexpected uses of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s back catalogue – including one of the coolest moments on a church organ in recent cinema history.
Craig and O’Connor enjoy good odd couple energy as the film’s central double act, playing nicely off the fact that while Duplenticy looks like the guiltiest of them all when it comes to Wicks’ murder, he is also the most normal man in town – and desperate to clear his name.
(Picture: John Wilson/Netflix)
Their partnership does sadly leave less time onscreen for the supporting characters, which feels like a big missed opportunity given the calibre of their combined talent.
More Trending
-
Play Video
'One of the best films of the year' has just dropped on Netflix
Channel: Film Film 2 days ago By Emily Bashforth - 'One of the best': Your favourite sci-fi series no one's ever heard of
- Harrowing true crime series about sadistic predator soars to Netflix number 1
- Netflix adds intense TV thriller with 'best ending fans have ever seen'
Blanc faces his trickiest and most delicate case yet in Wake Up Dead Man, even announcing at one point that he doesn’t think he can solve it. This feels evident in the drag of the film’s central act as it flits between introducing everyone alongside the murder, before others start being picked off.
More could have been done in less time, given the film’s 144-minute duration, as my attention began to drift.
Verdict
Wake Up Dead Man is an entertaining if uneven entry in the Knives Out franchise, which allows Craig and O’Connor to shine but often at the expense of the rest of the cast. It still provides top-class silly humour thanks to Johnson’s flair for keeping these movies unserious – but I was left hoping for more.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is out in select cinemas from Wednesday, November 24. It streams exclusively on Netflix from December 12.
Got a story?
If you’ve got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the Metro.co.uk entertainment team by emailing us [email protected], calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we’d love to hear from you.
Arrow MORE: Netflix star Ghetts accused of fatal hit-and-run faces further dangerous driving charges
Arrow MORE: Harrowing true crime series about sadistic predator soars to Netflix number 1
Arrow MORE: Netflix adds intense TV thriller with ‘best ending fans have ever seen’
Comment now Comments Add Metro as a Preferred Source on Google Add as preferred source TV NewsletterSign up and tell us which TV shows you love to watch to get personalised updates every morning.
Show Expand Options ? Select All Select All Big Brother Big Brother Britain's Got Talent Britain's Got Talent Celebrity Big Brother Celebrity Big Brother Doctor Who Doctor Who Great British Bake Off Great British Bake Off I'm A Celeb I'm A Celeb Love Island Love Island Netflix Netflix Strictly Come Dancing Strictly Come Dancing The Apprentice The Apprentice The Traitors The Traitors Email I agree to receive newsletters from Metro I agree to receive newsletters from Metro Sign UpSign UpThis site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Your information will be used in line with our Privacy Policy
