Wake Up Dead Man: A Terrific Tale of Twists and Turns

Opening a New Case

Crack open a new file and look for clues at every angle, because one of the most beloved mystery franchises is back for an all-new thrill! Wake Up Dead Man is the third installment of the murder-mystery Knives Out series, which has been performing strongly since its conception. When the original Knives Out premiered in cinemas at the end of 2019, it exceeded all expectations by receiving praise from critics and audiences, grossing over $100 million in North America alone, and even garnering an Academy Award nomination. Following its success, the door of opportunities for potential sequels flooded open with new ideas and settings.

To work around the first film’s conclusive ending, each subsequent installments would introduce a new cast and backdrop, while keeping pivotal protagonists and plot structures consistent. The first of these follow-ups, Glass Onion, premiered in limited theaters before streaming wide on Netflix, earning similar success to its predecessor. 

Now, the franchise is back and bolder than ever with Wake Up Dead Man, which has promised itself as another strong installment in the acclaimed series. Ever since its initial world premiere, the film has achieved high praise, with some even calling it the strongest Knives Out movie. Even now, as it gears up for its nationwide release, the acclaim has remained intact as hype continues to build ahead of its Netflix premiere. Admittedly, I have contributed to this anticipation, since I could not wait for this new addition to the franchise. 

I adore the first two Knives Out movies – especially the first one – not just for their massive ensembles and creative ideas, but also for their impeccable screenwriting. These films rank among some of the most creative murder-mysteries I’ve ever seen, particularly in how they combine clever wit with intense conflicts, while expertly utilizing their environments and interactions to subvert audience expectations. 

I had hope that Wake Up Dead Man could follow suit with this quality, especially with much of the same creative team carrying over. Plus, based on the trailers and marketing, it appeared this film would take the series into more of a dark tone, leaving me eager and curious to see how the latest mystery would play out. 

My desire to crack the case amplified when I discovered the film was playing at Reading Cinemas Manville – my go-to theater off campus. Without hesitation, I secured a ticket and caught a screening on Sunday, Nov. 30. As the file closed on this mystery, I was left with one question: did this film continue the consistent quality of one of my favorite mystery franchises, or was it better off to leave it asleep than to wake it up?

The Knives Come Out

The latest installment of the Knives Out saga focuses on Reverend Jud Duplenticy, who is sent to the Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude church in the town of Chimney Rock, New York. There, he meets many of the regular patrons and its holy foundation – headed by Jefferson Wicks, the overbearing monsignor. One day, an unexpected event occurs when one of the foundation’s key members is murdered, with no clear indication of who could’ve done it. With suspicion rising and the killer out in the open, skilled detective Benoit Blanc is called to the scene to solve the murder in the most mysterious and dangerous case of his entire career. 

Directed by Rian Johnson – who also helmed the first two installments and Star Wars: The Last Jedi – the film sees Daniel Craig return to the role of Blanc. He is accompanied by a massive ensemble including Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church among others.

This movie not only continued the consistent quality of the Knives Out franchise, but also proved to be one of my favorites of the entire year. The majority of its merit comes from its overall approach: it stays true to the core spirit and structure of its predecessors, while experimenting with a new tone to present its conflict. As a result, it does not feel too stale or one-note in its execution, keeping the series fresh even years after its conception. 

This can primarily be highlighted in the screenplay, which is one of the year’s sharpest and most well-rounded. Amid all the high stakes and character interactions, the main focus of the film is the mystery. It makes every member of the ensemble a suspect, raising suspicion among each of them as they all sport their own hardships and motivations as to why they might commit a crime to such a lethal extent. The resulting events are not only unpredictable, but they find the perfect balance between when to be tense and humorous. 

Much like the first two Knives Out films, Wake Up Dead Man is designed as an entertaining whodunnit at the end of the day, akin to the works of murder-mystery specialists like Agatha Christie. To that end, the film keeps its entertainment value consistent, never feeling too ominous or goofy, even with a darker tone compared to its predecessors. Much of the humor comes from occasional character interactions and dialogue, while the more intense moments result from the conflict and discovery of clues. In both cases, it never feels as though one factor is outweighing another, keeping the film efficiently entertaining even with its familiar concept.

When the film reaches its third act, all is revealed about the true perpetrator, including their motivation for the crime and how certain events played out in their scheme. I will refrain from going into detail about who the mystery antagonist is – this is a whodunnit film, after all – but I will say that I was greatly impressed by the reveal. It made sense in the context of what the film sets up, while still being unpredictable to immediately point out. 

The movie has a talent of getting audiences to ask questions throughout the runtime, and pinpoint how certain details could contribute to the overarching scheme. As such, when the final reveal comes to light, it leads to an impactful conclusion which brings the plot full circle and leads to a satisfactory payoff.

Uncovering the Clues

One of the biggest selling points of this movie, and one of the best aspects about it, is how it sets itself apart from the previous Knives Out films, particularly in the tone. As I said before, the film finds a balance between humor and intensity, but the overarching feel of it is evidently darker when compared to the first two, even a bit gothic to an extent. 

While the first Knives Out focused on two key protagonists and their own efforts to solve the case and Glass Onion leaned more into humor with its characters, Wake Up Dead Man takes itself quite seriously, never ignoring the true state of the situation and the impact it leaves. The darkness in the tone becomes amplified during the second half of the film, when more mysterious events occur which lead to shocking results in a sea of twists, turns, and an unforeseeable nature. This is arguably the most intense film in the entire trilogy, as it remains entertaining and unpredictable while amplifying the conflict at hand.

Part of what makes the movie so intense is the camera work and cinematography. Whether it be utilizing unique editing techniques like zoom-ins and quick cuts, or painting the picture of a grand landscape, the visual aspects of this movie add a sense of dreariness to the grand layer of intensity. 

Compared to the first film’s emphasis on a grand manor or Glass Onion’s more secluded cruise ship setting, this one has the darkest locations and some of the greatest scale of the series. Some highlight environments include the dilapidated interior of a shadow-filled chapel and open-yet-isolated woods drenched in rain during a storm, with a heavy emphasis on darkly-colored buildings and dimly-lit rooms. It adds an extra feeling of uncertainty to the tone, even feeling slightly gothic – akin to directors like Tim Burton – due to its shadowy nature. 

The only drawback which comes from this tone is the pacing, which does feel slower when compared to prior cases. Certain events in the film, particularly in the buildup of the first half, did feel a bit slow in comparison to the almost-hyper energy and humor of the last two Knives Out movies. Though this does allow for the conflict to simmer and ominously loom over the plot, it does lead to a few meandering moments which are strong in concept and general execution, but can occasionally overstay their welcome – an example is a phone call which Duplenticy has about midway through the film. These moments don’t detract from my overall enjoyment, and they can sport great craftsmanship, but the overall buildup did feel slower than in the first two films, which sticks out in the otherwise remarkable screenplay.

Eliminating No Suspects

Bringing the film’s incredibly talented foundation to life is a cast of incredible performers, who all commit to their characters amazingly. Each member has a distinguished personality from one another, leading to an unforgettable array of characters, both blessed and cursed.

Undoubtedly, the best characters of the movie are the ones who get the most screentime: Blanc and Duplenticy. These two have the strongest personalities and most screen presence of the whole ensemble, which they utilize to their full advantage. 

Namely, Blanc provides great insight to the case as he begins pointing out clues and piecing together other details – while also providing some of the film’s more endearing and funny lines – while Duplenticy is much more skeptical and fearful, especially as the church dissolves into a breeding ground of deceit and madness. He also has the most notable arc of the entire foundation, which is developed thoroughly as he traverses through the crime scene. 

The two are also portrayed amazingly by their actors, with O’Connor being perfectly eager-yet-frightened as Duplenticy, while Craig is as charismatic as ever in his latest take on Blanc – the only character in the Knives Out trilogy to appear in all three films. Their performances also crescendo in the third act, especially Craig as he puts together his final sermon on how the murder was conducted. 

The rest of the ensemble, though not as prominently onscreen, all do fantastically in convincingly portraying their characters, breathing effective life into the church’s foundation. Some standouts include Close as the devoutly exaggerated Martha Delacroix, Scott as sarcastic author Lee Ross, and McCormack as wannabe politician Cy Draven. However, of the entire supporting cast, one performer particularly stood out: Brolin as the church’s condescending monsignor, Wicks. 

From the moment he is introduced, Brolin immediately raises suspicion through his overbearing presence and line delivery, mainly in his direct communications with Duplenticy. In all his subsequent scenes, Brolin proves himself a force to be reckoned with through his words and intense sermons, while also having a few comedic lines of his own. 

When more is discovered about his overall connection to the scheme, it ties together established plot points flawlessly in some of the most mindblowing reveals in the entire movie. Brolin’s character stands out as a highlight of the feature, proving himself as a powerhouse while raising uncertainty of his own, and serving as a cornerstone in the foundation’s suspicion and activity.

An Intense Interrogation

Overall, though the pacing does meander in comparison to its predecessors, Wake Up Dead Man is arguably the strongest mystery film of the year thanks to its fantastic ensemble cast, expertise in building tension, gorgeous cinematography, well-balanced screenplay, dark tone, and unpredictable story. This is a film that puts the mystery at its forefront, but does not lose its entertainment factor, leading to a fantastically crafted picture which brings the Knives Out franchise back into the limelight.

If you’re a fan of whodunnit mysteries, the previous Knives Out installments, or cleverly crafted thrillers, I’d absolutely recommend giving this film a watch. Wake Up Dead Man is currently playing in limited theaters across the nation; it will be widely released on Netflix on Friday, Dec. 12. If you’re looking for one of the most creative and unpredictable screenplays of the year ahead of the holiday season, look no further than Blanc’s latest and darkest case yet.

This film keeps the quality of Knives Out consistent, laying out the clues efficiently and resulting in one of the most well-crafted cases of the entire year. 

My Rating