Wake Up Dead Man Review: Benoit Blanc Is Back With His Sharpest Knives Out Whodunit Yet
Wake Up Dead Man puts Benoit Blanc back in peak form with a wickedly fun, twist-happy whodunit that proves Rian Johnson’s mystery franchise hasn’t lost a step.
I just saw Rian Johnsons latest Benoit Blanc mystery, and yes, Im keeping this one spoiler-light. Johnson literally asked critics not to spill the secrets, and frankly, these movies live or die on the rug-pulls. So lets talk about what I can say without ruining the fun.
The vibe and the setup
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery swaps the glassy, jet-set antics of the last film for something moodier and more gothic. Think upstate New York drenched in shadows, with an Edgar Allan Poe itch the movie keeps scratching.
Heres the curveball: Benoit Blanc is not the center of the story this time. He actually wanders in around the 40-minute mark. Until then, the movie belongs to Jud Duplenticy (Josh OConnor), a young Catholic priest with old-school film noir baggage. Before the collar, he was an ex-boxer who killed a man in the ring, so hes trying to atone and keep the temper tamped down... with mixed results. He lands at a parish run by Monsignor Jefferson Micks (Josh Brolin), a fire-and-brimstone power broker whose messaging leans hard into hate and obedience. The apprentice priest is not having it.
There is, of course, a murder. I am not telling you who. But the suspect pool is stacked, messy, and very fun to watch.
Suspects and players
- Jeremy Renner as a drunk doctor
- Andrew Scott as a wacky writer
- Kerry Washington as a lawyer
- Daryl McCormack as her much younger, right-leaning brother
- Cailee Spaeny as an ailing former cellist
- Glenn Close as the monsignors steely right-hand woman
- Thomas Haden Church as her lover
- Josh Brolin as Monsignor Jefferson Micks (the Trumpian edge is not subtle)
- Mila Kunis pops up as a deputy drafted to help Blanc
Blanc vs belief
When Blanc finally arrives, Daniel Craig leans even harder into Blancs theatricality. The most interesting thread is the push-pull between Blancs staunch atheism and Juds unshakable faith. Their conversations give the movie an unexpected pulse beneath the puzzles and punchlines.
Does it all hold together?
Mostly, yeah. Its a hefty 144 minutes, but Johnson keeps it nimble, with the usual magic-trick storytelling and a steady drip of laughs. The cast is arguably too big for everyone to feast: Renner and Scott are underused, and Kunis is stuck in a one-note helper role. The heavy lifting goes to OConnor, who makes Jud tortured and tender enough that it feels like a star-making turn. Brolin, meanwhile, chews through his scenes like the role was custom-built for him, and Close gets meaty moments too.
Ironically, Craig feels a bit shortchanged. Compared to previous outings, Blanc is more reactive than proactive here. Thats a choice, and it serves the story, but if youre here to watch him run circles around everyone from frame one, temper expectations.
The craft
Nathan Johnsons score has a Danny Elfman flavor that fits the gothic tilt. The atmosphere is rich without being suffocating. Also, watch for a Star Wars gag that absolutely destroyed with the crowd I saw it with.
Where this lands in the trilogy
Each Blanc movie has its own flavor: the first was a classic Agatha Christie-style whodunit; the second went big, shiny, and very 70s The Last of Sheila with that Netflix bankroll; this one leans dark and haunted. Wake Up Dead Man plays like a satisfying capper to the Benoit Blanc trilogy — if this is where Johnson chooses to close the book. Either way, its a blast with an audience and really deserves a proper theatrical run.