The Knives Out franchise has managed to churn out some of the most popular mystery movies of the 21st century. This was thanks to the success of its namesake first film that grossed 312 million dollars worldwide and featured stars such as Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas. Although The Glass Onion, the second film, went straight to streaming following its release, it still received the same commercial and critical acclaim while packing star power to match the third. By all accounts, Wake Up Dead Man is an equal crowd-pleaser that still separates itself from the others aesthetically.
Wake Up Dead Man sees Daniel Craig return as Benoit Blanc, a typical eccentric but brilliant detective, who is asked to investigate the murder of Msgr. Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), a passionate Catholic priest with a dark family past. Blanc receives help in the investigation from Wicks’s fellow priest, a former boxer named Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) who happens to be the prime suspect. Just as the previous Knives Out films use unique, Agatha-Christie inspired settings and characters, Wake Up Dead Man sees this adventure take place in a rural New York town where many of the suspects, such as politician Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack), Dr. Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), and groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), are both members of the church and stereotypical small-town citizens.
As with the previous Knives Out movies, Daniel Craig as Blanc and Josh O’Connor as the suspect/sidekick were a great duo. Daniel Craig in particular was able to bring Benoit Blanc’s calm and craziness to life. All of the other characters, particularly Jeremy Renner’s, managed to fill out the murder mystery tropes really well. Even though they were stereotypes for the most part, they still had enough screentime to show their uniqueness and stay relevant through the rest of the movie.
Visually, Wake Up Dead Man managed to be as eye-catching as the previous installments. Director Rian Johnson had stated that he took influence from American authors Edgar Allen Poe and John Dickinson Carr, both of whom specialized in horror/mystery. This was well-reflected in the movie’s dimmer lighting, emptier looking town, and frequent shots of the creepy church’s interior.
Although Wake Up Dead Man’s ending was a little underwhelming, it still cements itself as a really entertaining mystery movie and worthy addition to Knives Out. A fourth installment has not yet been announced, but given that both Rian Johnson and Daniel Craig have expressed interest in returning, it is expected to come relatively soon and hopefully be another win for fans of the franchise.
