Wake Up Dead Man: A Masterclass Mystery

A promotional image for “Wake Up Dead Man”, which was released in theaters on November 26, 2025, and via Netflix on December 13, 2025. The Knives Out franchise contains two previous films, each popular murder mysteries starring Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, and this new movie is no different. Photo credits: Netflix

Rebecca Billette, Editor-in-Chief of The Powderhorn

Last Friday, Netflix released the latest installment in the “Knives Out” franchise, “Wake Up Dead Man.” Directed by Rian Johnson, the original “Knives Out” was first released in 2019 and instantly became a hit among murder mystery fans, catapulting protagonist Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) into the hall of fame of classic detectives, among the likes of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot. Since then, two more installments (“Glass Onion” in 2022, and now “Wake Up Dead Man” in 2025) have been released, each placing Blanc in a different setting with a new cast of suspicious characters. 

As someone who has watched the first “Knives Out” upwards of a dozen times, I had high expectations for this film. “Glass Onion” showed a decline in the franchise, lacking the clever twist and a well-crafted plot the first one featured, but “Wake Up Dead Man” has defied my expectations and certainly found its way onto my most-watched list. This latest release stood out due to its use of foreshadowing, allusions, and warping of viewers’ expectations. You can read the following paragraph for a quick, spoiler-free review of the movie, or continue below for an in-depth, mystery-enthusiast’s take:

“Wake Up Dead Man” takes Blanc to a small, declining Catholic Church in upstate New York. This film follows the classic premise of a “locked-door mystery,” where a murder has occurred in a seemingly impossible manner, with no one in the same room as the victim. Blanc has been called to solve the case, and recruits the help of Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor), a new-to-town priest and apprentice to Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), whose radical teachings have formed a cult of personality around him. Like most typical whodunits, there is a set cast of characters who could have committed the crime, including a has-been science fiction writer, a social-media political activist and a retired cellist. Each member of this cast does a spectacular job bringing just enough suspicion onto their character to keep viewers in the dark about who the culprit is. If you are looking for a suspenseful, clever and comedic whodunit, I highly recommend it as a great watch.

MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD: ONLY READ ONCE YOU’VE WATCHED THE FILM 

One of my favorite parts of watching this film was the easter eggs hidden throughout for true mystery fans and the clever use of foreshadowing that truly sets Director Johnson’s films apart from others. Additionally, Craig’s performance as Blanc was once again flawless, and solidified the image of a disillusioned detective with a sharp wit and a southern accent.

About half an hour into the film, Monsignor Wicks (Brolin) is murdered during one of his passionate sermons. He ducks into a storage closet, a thud is heard, and he is found with a knife in his back. Through Blanc’s thorough investigative work, he begins to uncover the secrets and lies each member of the church is hiding.

A highlight of this film for me was the reveal of the church’s Book Club reading list, which featured titles such as “The Hollow Man” by John Dickson Carr and “The Murder of Roger Ackeroyd” by Agatha Christie, both classic locked-door mysteries. Once I saw this, I immediately grew suspicious of the protagonist, Jud Duplenticy (O’Connor). This is because “The Murder of Roger Ackeroyd” is famous for its clever twist, as we learn at the end that the narrator himself was the killer, revealed by Poirot’s scheme to have him write out the order of events and see what information he omitted. “Wake Up Dead Man” clearly references and replicates this plot, but, instead of revealing Jud to be the killer, simply uncovers his dishonesty about Monsignor Wicks’s alcoholism. This is even foreshadowed during Jud and Blanc’s first meeting, when Jud says, “You can always be honest by not saying the unhonest part,” which also tipped me off as to what was to come. I believe the writers included this as a fun allusion for Agatha Christie fans, but still put a twist on it to avoid copying her work.

Another reference the film makes is in Jud’s name, referring to the Biblical character, Jude. In the film, Jud hates Wicks because of his ostracizing view of Christianity, often shaming others and purposefully keeping them enraged. In the Bible, Jude is a church leader who warns against false teachers, often emphasizing “grace.” This allusion is further referenced when Jud changes the name of the church “Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude” to “Our Lady of Perpetual Grace”. 

The film also grapples with difficult topics surrounding faith, such as exploitation, false hope, and corruption, but ultimately toes the delicate balance and artfully shows the positive side of religion, despite the negative actions of some people. This also provides an interesting dynamic as Blanc is openly secular.

The reveal at the end of the film is a masterful plot twist, tying together elements mentioned throughout the movie to form a cohesive storyline in the way a true detective novel should. It is discovered that Martha (Glenn Close), the church secretary, conspired with Dr. Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner) to kill Monsignor Wicks and stage his resurrection in order to steal “Eve’s Apple,” a jewel his father had hidden before he died. However, Martha wanted to destroy the jewel whereas Sharp wanted to keep it, leading Martha to eventually murder Sharp as well. 

The actual murder of Wicks was done with a tranquilizer in Wicks’ flask, a duplicate wolf head figurine, a remote-controlled disbursement of fake blood and a clever distraction allowing Sharp to stab the body after he was in the closet.

Like the other two “Knives Out” mysteries, “Wake Up Dead Man” relied on circumventing the expectations of viewers, by making things appear to be acceptable facts and then turning them on their heads.

Overall, “Wake Up Dead Man” did a masterful job of misleading viewers and foreshadowing plot twists, while also leaving easter eggs and allusions for those looking for deeper meanings. It deals with difficult subject matter in a tasteful way and offers mystery fans a clever whodunit with a bittersweet ending. I would give this film a 10/10 and highly recommend it to any movie fan.