A Knives Out Mystery Review – Benoit Blanc’s Most Elaborate Case Yet [TIFF 2025]

Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” movies are odd ones to review over two months before the general public gets to watch them (here are some similar movies you can watch while you wait for the new one), because they’re the sort of movies where essential details of the premise could be considered spoilers. As both mysteries and comedies, they rely heavily on the element of surprise, and their screenplays throw in so many twists and misdirections that even the most obvious parts of the plot can feel unexpected. The main viewpoint character counted as a spoiler for the first “Knives Out,” as did the very murder(s) in need of solving in the sequel “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.”

I can at least describe the initial set-up mystery in “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” the third film in the series. This is a locked room case involving the seemingly impossible death of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), a fire-and-brimstone preacher who’d been in conflict with the more love-and-forgiveness Reverend Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor). Jud is automatically suspected of guilt by Wicks’ faithful congregants — themselves also all suspects — but he knows he didn’t do it, so he decides to waive his right to remain silent and instead helps detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) solve the case. Expect even more mysteries to emerge from there — one of which is hiding in plain sight, for anyone willing to make a wild guess.

To get the big question out of the way, yes, “Wake Up Dead Man” lives up to the standards of quality set by the past two films. In a few ways, it’s even better. This is the most intricately crafted mystery in the series thus far, and the solution avoids falling into what could have become a repetitive formula (this isn’t a spoiler so much as the end result of a very different set-up). Also key to avoiding repetition is the shift in thematic focus from satirizing the wealthy to the complications of religion. “Wake Up Dead Man” isn’t a clear-cut best of the series — “Glass Onion” was funnier and made better use of its ensemble cast — but it solidifies the franchise’s record for consistent entertainment.

The opening act of “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery,” presented as Jud’s written account of events for Benoit, establishes the conflict between Jud and Wicks leading up to the latter’s demise. Jud’s a former boxer, now “young, dumb, and full of Jesus,” whose violent side can still break out when he’s very annoyed. An incident at his convent leads him to be reassigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Grace, Wicks’ church in upstate New York. Wicks sees Jud as a threat to his vision of a church that fights the outside world rather than lives within it, and the aggressive right-winger does all he can to provoke Jud’s anger.

Blanc becomes a third pole in this Catholic conflict, a happy “heretic” roughly aligned with Jud in values but not in faith. The Southern-accented detective’s personal life remains beside the point in this series, but from his comments about his mother here combined with what we know about the character from previous films, it’s easy to imagine what led to his disillusionment with religion. Jud and Blanc’s conversations about belief, truth, and storytelling offer thoughtful, compelling points on both ends. The phrase “Christian cinema” has often been associated with “God’s Not Dead”-style schlock, but “Wake Up Dead Man” is part of a welcome recent trend, alongside the likes of the twisty thriller “Conclave” and the historical musical “The Testament of Ann Lee” (which also played at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival), of films taking Christianity seriously from a progressive viewpoint.

Like previous “Knives Out” movies, “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” comes from a place of infectious love for the mystery genre. This installment even provides its own reading list of inspirations for fans to check out (John Dickson Carr’s “The Hollow Man” plays the most significant role in the plot). It combines this respect for classic formulas with perhaps the most up-to-the-moment satirical sensibility of any major movie series being made now. Even though it was shot before the 2024 election, it ends up the most “2025” movie of 2025. Rian Johnson is just that good at seeing where the culture is going — remember how “Glass Onion” accidentally ended up the perfect response to Elon Musk buying Twitter?

Wicks’ congregation presents an array of different personality types within the religious right. Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack) is a failed political candidate and extremely online influencer who films all of Wicks’ offensive sermons; his lawyer half-sister Vera (Kerry Washington) takes care of him. Dr. Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner) has turned bitter and misogynistic after his divorce, while Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny) sought out the church for faith-healing. Lee Ross (Andrew Scott) is an acclaimed sci-fi author now writing a fawning hagiography of Wicks — think Orson Scott Card if he was Catholic instead of Mormon — and record keeper Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close) is Wicks’ closest confidante. The actors all play these suspects well, though some don’t get as many standout scenes as you might be hoping for; this is less an ensemble film than it is a showcase for the two Joshes, O’Connor and Brolin, balanced with Daniel Craig’s reliable comedy.

“Wake Up Dead Man” takes its time setting all its complicated pieces into place, and like a lot of movies at TIFF this year, it feels long, but the payoff of the final act is absolutely worth it. This is where the need for secrecy makes it really hard to talk about in advance, but beyond just being clever and unexpected, there’s something quietly powerful to this story of truth-seekers in a post-truth world. And there are also some great Andrew Lloyd Webber references.

“Wake Up Dead Man” premiered at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival. It will play in theaters on November 26 before streaming on Netflix December 12.