Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is probably my favorite out of the three movies. It was released in select theaters on November 26, 2025 until having its streaming release on December 12, 2025 through Netflix. The movie has a runtime of 144 minutes, which I personally think went by very quickly. As of January 15, 2026, Rotten Tomatoes critics gave the film a 92% while audiences gave it a 93%.
One of the biggest praises the film gets is that of the cast and their performances. The cast includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church. I think the cast was all selected well, I was confused at one choice but it was intentional and answered itself later in the film. It was directed and written by Rian Johnson, Rian also produced the movie with the help of Ram Bergman.
The actual plot is about a Catholic Priest, named Jud Duplenticy, who was transferred to a small-town parish in upstate New York after his past as a boxer bled into his current life. Jud, now an assistant pastor of the church, has gotten to know Monsignor Jefferson Wicks and now realizes he is not a good man. Wicks has a very interesting approach to preaching, which drives everyone but a small dedicated group out of his church. Jud has tried to make this church more accepting but nothing seems to stick thanks to Wicks. After confronting Wicks, Jud gets drunk at a bar and eventually comes back with a broken lamp topper and smashes a small window belonging to the Church. Monsignor Jefferson Wicks is then found dead mysteriously with that topper at the center of it all. The rest of the movie follows famous detective Benoit Blanc’s investigation into the case.
These Knives Out movies always seem to be what I wouldn’t expect, I always think I have it figured out but it is actually spun completely different. I also really like the theming of the movie, specifically the church looks amazing. I’m giving Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery a 4.6/5 because it is another amazing mystery that keeps me thinking. I really hope they keep making these because they are always a treat to watch.
