Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025) || Movie Review

Let me give my review upfront. Of the three movies in the Knives Out series, this latest installment is the best so far.

I admit I was reluctant to watch it because of how disappointed I was with the second movie, Glass Onion. But seeing the ensemble cast changed my mind and I watched with my fingers crossed.

The third movie in this franchise, Wake Up Dead Man (2025), unveils a case of ‘a perfectly impossible crime’ according to private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). And I have to agree with him as this murder mystery begins to unfold on my screen. At the end, I'm stunned into silence. This is a movie very well done.

It's narrated from the perspective of a young, optimistic priest, Reverend Jud Dupenticy (Josh O’Connor). After he punches an annoying deacon at a social gathering, he's sent to a small parish in New York to work with the presiding priest, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin).

Wicks rules this parish with anger and often times, cruel verbal attacks that sends new members away. He's left with a few members who seem loyal to him. There's Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), his secretary and most devoted member, Dr. Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), an alcoholic doctor who mourns his dead wife, Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), an attorney who hates the boy she's forced to raise to please her father, Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), a fiction writer searching for his next bestseller, Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny), a cellist who believes Wicks can heal her and Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), a grounds keeper who's loyal to Martha.

Jud is uncomfortable with Wicks' system of leadership and control and wants to change things in the parish. He reaches out to these members in a meeting that excludes Wicks, so it doesn't end well.

At a confession, Wicks verbally lashes out at Jud. In frustration, the young priest threatens to ‘cut Wicks out like cancer’. One of the members catches this scenario on camera. During mass, Wicks collapses in church and it's discovered he's been stabbed in the back.

All fingers point at the young priest but the evidence do not line up. Private detective Benoit Blanc shows up in the town at the invitation of the sheriff to solve the murder. Did Jud truly kill Wicks? If not, who did?

My Review And Rating

As the last scene fades to black and the end credits roll, I nod in satisfaction because this is one of the best movies I've watched lately. Director Rian Johnson did an impressive job putting this interesting piece together. I mean, the plot and storytelling are simply brilliant. Unlike Glass Onion, this script is well written with a great deal of effort and depth. The director immerses us into the world of a catholic parish, showing the woes of organised religion and highlighting themes like faith, hope, the consequences of anger and possible redemption. I like that it's told in an optimistic way that easily appeals to the audience regardless of beliefs.

Speaking about the dive into organised religion, the contrast between Reverend Jud and Monsignor Wicks is interesting and symbolic. Jud is a man of the cloth who believes in second chances, hope and is full of hugs. He likes to see the best in people and is quite optimistic about his religious journey. He's out to help people. Wicks on the other is more like a priest who's given up hope, cynical and sees the worst in people and himself. He's more interested in burying his parish unlike Jud who wants to save it. I applaud Josh O’Connor and Josh Brolin in these roles. They are convincing.

Like most whodunnit mysteries, the audience is left in the dark from the moment the victim is murdered until when the perpetrators are found. Every scene is gripping and the story is told in a complex way that it's almost difficult to predict who the murderers are as the movie unfolds. I was amazed at the final scene where the usual recap of the murder is narrated by Benoit Blanc and my guess of the murderers turned out wrong. Yes, Rian Johnson got me there and that's why I enjoy good murder mysteries like this.

The ensemble of actors make this movie better in my opinion. Daniel Craig returns as the clever, know-it-all detective, Benoit Blanc. Seeing Glenn Close as Wicks' secretary, Jeremy Renner as the alcoholic doctor, Kerry Washington as an angry attorney, Mila Kunis as the town's sheriff and others was refreshing. I wasn't disappointed. Their acting was great and they delivered convincingly in their roles.

I see this movie as a fine piece that showcases Rian Johnson's brilliant mind, wit and cinematic mastery. Clearly, the script is well written and neatly brought to life by these amazing actors. The cinematography is also neat and very well done.

Rating Wake Up Dead Man (2025), I will give it a solid 9 out of 10 stars! It's that good. Though the viewing time is about two hours and thirty minutes, you won't be bored. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. I laughed but also had moments of reflection on some themes. I recommend you watch this movie if you enjoy cool murder mysteries like I do.