Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Review: The Killer Twist Is Faith and Forgiveness

Whodunnits are best when you chase the why more than the who. That is very much the lane for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, which ditches Glass Onion's sunburned satire and heads back indoors for a moodier, church-set puzzle. Lower your expectations for the gotcha twist, raise them for the character work, and you are in the right headspace.

The setup

Writer-director Rian Johnson aims darker and more grounded this time. The movie plants Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) inside a parish community somewhere in New York State, shepherded by a magnetic, iron-fisted monsignor named Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). Wicks is murdered in a way that looks like an impossible trick or, depending on who you ask in the pews, a straight-up miracle.

The story initially sticks with the parish's new arrival, Rev. Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor), who conveniently becomes Suspect No. 1. Blanc actually shows up later than you might expect; the film is so locked into Jud and the church's eerie vibe that, for a stretch, you could almost forget you're watching a Knives Out entry.

Faith vs facts (and why this one lingers)

Johnson dives headfirst into faith, guilt, and forgiveness without sermonizing. The movie listens to multiple perspectives on belief, sin, and the church, and it keeps the characters' voices specific and honest. The emotional core is the push-pull between Blanc, who runs on logic and evidence, and Jud, who runs on belief and grace. O'Connor gets a real showcase here, pivoting from dead-on comedic beats (yes, swears included) to raw spiritual turmoil without breaking rhythm. Craig, as ever, is sharp, but the sweet spot is their chemistry.

There is one standout scene where the two debate God, religion, and the institution of the Church, and it's not just the writing that sings. Cinematographer Steve Yedlin paints their viewpoints in light: darkness encroaches when Blanc talks about institutional hypocrisy; warm daylight washes in when Jud leans into the comfort of faith. It sounds simple, but it lands the movie's thematic contrast in a clean visual metaphor.

Johnson keeps the movie balanced: he critiques how faith can be weaponized (through Wicks) for personal and political gain, yet he respects sincere belief and makes the case for redemption. He refuses to hand the trophy to either side. The result is a whydunnit that is as much about how people search for meaning as it is about catching a killer.

Suspects, allies, and agendas

• Msgr. Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin, No Country for Old Men): A charismatic tyrant who leads with fear and fury, manipulating his flock for personal benefit. His death cracks open everything he buried.
• Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close, Fatal Attraction): Wicks's fiercely loyal right hand, the face of unwavering devotion and the institutional status quo. A perfect foil for Blanc's skepticism.
• Rev. Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor, Challengers): The newest priest in the community and early primary suspect, torn between faith, guilt, and the need for forgiveness.
• Dr. Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner, The Hurt Locker): Reeling from divorce and alcohol issues, vulnerable and easily swayed by Wicks's rhetoric.
• Lee Ross (Andrew Scott, All of Us Strangers): A once-promising sci-fi writer who traded art for rage and polarization under Wicks's influence.
• Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack, Good Luck to You, Leo Grande): A savvy would-be politician who turns out-of-context clips into viral disinformation, tying religious hypocrisy to modern political clout.
• Vera Draven (Kerry Washington, Django Unchained): A lawyer with discreet ties throughout the community that quietly become crucial in the third act.
• Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny, Civil War): A former cellist living with chronic pain; thematically rich (miracles, comfort), though the film does not give her as much runway as it could.
• Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, No Time to Die): The rationalist in the room, whose eventual arrival resets the chessboard and sparks the film's best conversations.

The clockwork and the cracks

Johnson is surgical with character detail. Even the lighter grace notes pull weight, and the humor hits real laugh-out-loud pockets. The craft backs it up: Yedlin's framing squeezes the parish into a quasi-single-location thriller (you can count the main spaces on one hand), and Nathan Johnson's score nudges the pace without getting shouty.

Where it stumbles is the pure howdunnit machinery. The third act ties itself in a few extra knots, and while the clues are all there, the payoff does not deliver a capital-S shocker. The movie takes a couple of detours on the way to the finish when a cleaner sprint would have hit harder. Still, as a character-and-theme piece, it hums.

Bottom line (and when you can watch it)

Wake Up Dead Man earns the darker tone without losing the franchise's wit. It is not as airtight as the original Knives Out, but it stands on its own: smart, atmospheric, and genuinely engaged with what people believe and why. Craig and O'Connor's back-and-forth is reason enough to show up; the film's willingness to respect both skepticism and faith is what makes it stick.

Release dates: in theaters November 26, and on Netflix December 12.