Wake Up Dead Man is the third film in the ongoing Knives Out series. It was written and directed by Rian Johnson, and released in theatres on 26 November, 2025. Like both of its predecessors, Dead Man features detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) solving a murder-mystery. This time, he is hunting down the killer of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, a Catholic priest. 

The movie begins with Jud Duplenticy, a boxer-turned-priest, being assigned assistant pastor to Monsignor Wicks at his church, Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude. Jud soon discovers the cult-like nature of the church, as Wicks’ extremist preaching has driven away all newcomers to the church and left only a tight-knit inner circle. When Wicks is killed during a Good Friday sermon, suspicion falls on Jud, who must rely on Detective Blanc to clear his name.

Blanc doesn’t actually appear on screen for the first forty minutes of the film, making a dramatic entrance only after Wicks has died. Despite his absence, the first act is thoroughly engaging for viewers, as Jud is an interesting character on his own. When the investigation does start, it is a healthy mix of entertaining and confounding, making it difficult to solve without frustrating the audience. 

While the mystery is fantastic, the real highlight of Wake Up Dead Man is the characters and their dynamics. Jud and Blanc are particularly interesting, as one is a man deeply connected to his faith and the other is a staunch atheist. Despite their fundamental differences, both are able to learn from each other – especially Blanc, who ends up sacrificing his pride in order to do something gracious for another character, something he openly admits to learning from Jud.

Wake Up Dead Man is another wonderful installment in the Knives Out series, equal parts hilarious and sweet. The characters and the plot are both layered and interesting, and even just the aesthetics of the film are pleasing. It’s streaming now on Netflix, and it is definitely worth a watch. 5/5 pomegranate seeds.