A new chapter in the Knives Out universe arrives with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, a film that trades the glitter of high-society whodunits for something darker, more gothic — a murder inside a church, faith and power, and a dying monsignor whose death challenges belief itself. The movie opens with the shocking death of a charismatic church leader, pushing longtime sleuth Benoit Blanc back into action — this time in a small Upstate New York parish embroiled in secrets, guilt, and suspicion.
The film is written and directed by Rian Johnson, who once again frames the mystery as a confined puzzle room, but this time imbued with themes of authority, religion, and community fracture. At the center is Daniel Craig returning as Blanc, but more prominent than ever is his counterpart, Josh O’Connor, playing Father Jud Duplenticy — a young priest whose faith and doubts make him both suspect and victim in the unfolding drama.
The supporting ensemble is as formidable as in previous instalments: Josh Brolin plays the late Monsignor whose death sets the plot in motion; Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church — among others — fill the pews and pulpit, each carrying secrets, doubts, or inexplicable loyalties.
Word of mouth is strong and loaded with caveats: many praise the film as the “darkest and most ambitious” of the series, admiring its willingness to dive into themes of power, faith, and corruption rather than rely solely on clever plot twists. Josh O’Connor’s performance has earned particular acclaim, with reviewers calling him the emotional core of the film — a man whose crisis of faith becomes the audience’s moral compass. Some critics describe Wake Up Dead Man as a gothic-hued mystery that trades the light comedy of earlier entries for a heavier, more unsettling atmosphere. Others worry that its shift in tone comes with a heavier payload and a pace less forgiving than previous instalments.
The mystery remains rich, the suspects many. As Blanc unravels lie after lie — and as the church’s murky past resurfaces — the film challenges viewers to ask hard questions about what we believe, what we’re willing to forgive, and how easily faith can become a weapon.
At the box office and in early streaming buzz, Wake Up Dead Man is shaping up to be the sort of revisionist mystery that lingers — one part whodunit, one part moral reckoning, and entirely in the spirit of a series willing to evolve with its audience.
