JacobsonCinemas

I love the Knives Out films! They all have amazing directing and writing from the amazing Rian Johnson. The characters are well written especially Benoit Blanc who is not only my favorite detective in fiction, but also one of my favorite characters of all time. You better believe that when a third film was announced it immediately became my most anticipated film of 2025. Wake Up Dead Man is about Rev. Jud Duplenticy being sent to a small town called Chimney Rock where he is assigned to the church led by Monsignor Jefferson Wicks. During the Good Friday service, Wicks is mysteriously murdered in a secret room and Jud is branded as the prime suspect. So, he hires famous detective Benoit Blanc to help him clear his name and solve who really killed Wicks in what’s possibly his most difficult case yet.

One of the things I love about the Knives Out films is that a majority of the characters are legit awful people, yet what keeps them from being too unlikable is that the actors give out amazing performances that make them enjoyable. One big standout was Josh O’Conner as Father Jud. He’s definitely one of the most sympathetic characters in the trilogy and very easy to root for him when he tries to fight back against Wick and his flock. Other standouts are the murder victim Jefferson Wicks played by Josh Brolin and his assistant Martha Delacroix played by Glenn Close. Wicks is such an enjoyable vile and despicable character and you really feel the corrupting influence he has put on the citizens of Chimney Rock. It’s one of the rare times where the murder victim’s death feels cathartic. His assistant Martha gets a lot of great moments especially near the end. Of course, the true MVP of the series is Danial Craig as Benoit Blanc. Danial Craig is my favorite James Bond yet Blanc is my favorite performance that he has done. His charm, and wit make him so enjoyable and every time you think he’s saying nonsense is actually deeper than you think.

Much like the other films, Wake Up Dead Man is wonderfully shot thanks to the amazing Rian Johnson. This film has such a great gothic feel to it that makes it stand out compared to the other Knives Out films. In terms of the mystery, this is possibly the most unpredictable of the trilogy. SPOILERS: If you look at the cast order from the previous films, it’s always a certain order. Danial Craig is listed first, then the culprit, then the supporting protagonist and lastly the murder victim. Yet here, Josh Brolin who’s listed fourth is the victim. It’s like Rian Johnson did this deliberately just throw us in a loop. I had no idea how the murder could’ve been done or who it could be. The film cleverly lays out clues and foreshadowing throughout the entire film and even when you think you’ve figured it out the film turns on its head. This might also be the funniest film in the trilogy. A lot of the jokes are smart and witty thanks to the amazing performances from the cast. One of my favorite gags is when Blanc plays Phantom of the Opera on the organ.

Wake Up Dead Man has everything that makes the Knives Out films so great. Great acting, directing, and writing that keeps you on your toes throughout the entire runtime. It’s not a huge mystery on why the Knives Out trilogy has become my absolute favorite film trilogy of all time (at least until Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse releases).

Verdict:

+Benoit Blanc

+The acting

+The directing

+The writing

+Unpredictable

Score: A+