Wake Up Dead Man takes Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) on yet another case, this time to a small fictional town called Chimney Rock. Josh O’Connor plays a young priest, reverend Jud Duplenticy, who is sent to assist Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, a charismatic figure who acts as the head of the religious congregation. The latter is made up on a small but faithful core group that includes town doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner); Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), popular science fiction author and local celebrity; Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), a lawyer whose family was very close to the Wicks; aspiring politician Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack); a retired cellist who suffers from chronic pain named Simon Vivian’s (Cailee Spaeny); Wick’s very devout right hand woman Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close); and her husband, groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Hayden Church). When a murder shocks the town, Blanc is called in to support the local chief of police, Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis).
Echoing its predecessors, the latest Knives Out film is a joy to watch thanks to its clever script that is equally funny, poignant, and provocative while also delivering an excellent mystery with twists and turns that will leave the audience shocked and will be very hard to predict. The ensemble cast is also very good: not only are they all excellent as individuals, but they work incredibly well all together, which has always been one of the strongest aspects of the franchise and is reconfirmed in this instalment. The different characters are also all introduced very well, and the dynamics between them are immediately clear and compelling to watch, as are their individual reasons for supporting Wicks.
The references to Trump are also quite interesting, with the main villain as an allegory for a right-wing Christian power that fuels the masses with hate. In a time when the opposition is struggling to find a strong solution to the disarmingly successful strategy of the far right, with his allegory, Johnson offers us a peek into what this alternative looks like in the character of Jud, a man who relies on personal human connection and compassion rather than relying on anger and speaking to the masses. Admittedly, some of the references to current politics may be too on the nose at times, but Wake Up Dead Man still delivers a very necessary and urgent commentary about the state of the world we live in.
The film also cleverly uses its setting as an integral part of the plot, especially the church, where a lot of the action takes place, and the viewers will soon get to know it very well. Chimney Rock also allows Johnson to explore small-town dynamics in his latest movie and, more specifically, the completed ones that tie the core group together. This is explored particularly well narratively because the protagonist, and partly narrator of the story, is a newcomer who has to figure out these dynamics for himself as the audience sees them happening on screen. The film also explores themes of wealth and power and how dangerous both of those might be if they end up in the hands of the wrong people.
Benoit Blanc feels less present in the third instalment of the series compared to the previous two films. While he may not be the main character, he is the common thread that unites all the movies, and it is a shame that the audience only sees him from the second act of the movie onwards. Blanc’s involvement in this case also seems slightly less clear on this occasion, but his dedication to solving the case, even a seemingly impossible one, remains unyielding. Comparisons with the other Knives Out movies come naturally, but this latest film manages to stand on its own rather than existing exclusively as a sequel, thanks to the self-contained nature of the murder mystery plotline.
Overall, Wake Up Dead Man is a film that holds up very well on its own and that fans of the franchise are bound to like. With a compelling mystery, a fantastic ensemble cast, and poignant political references, it is a Rian Johnson film through and through.
★★★★
Screening as part of the 2025 BFI London Film Festival on October 8th, 9th and 19th / In UK cinemas on November 26, on Netflix from December 12th / Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Jeremy Renner, Mila Kunis, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Thomas Haden Church, Daryl McCormack / Dir: Rian Johnson / Netflix / 12A
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