Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery 2025 – A Clever Return to Form

Wake Up Dead Man review: Rian Johnson’s third Benoit Blanc mystery landed on Netflix last month, and I got to say, it’s exactly what I needed. After the chaos of Glass Onion, I wasn’t sure where this franchise could go next, but Wake Up Dead Man proves there’s still plenty of life in this series.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery 2025 – Review Scores

Review scores are based on publicly available data collected on December 13, 2025.

The movie throws us into something completely unexpected this time. Without giving too much away, Blanc finds himself investigating a murder in a place you’d never expect mystery and mayhem to unfold. The setting alone makes this feel fresh.

Johnson really knows how to take familiar detective story beats and twist them into something that feels new. Yeah, I had some ideas about who could be the main suspect, but I never figured it out properly until the last act of the movie. And that’s next level for me! Why? Because I was always enjoying trying to figure out what’s going on before the end. That’s the best kind of mystery, where you’re engaged the whole time, throwing theories around in your head, and the movie still manages to surprise you

What really stands out is the cinematography. The camera work is superb, like seriously impressive. There’s this way the film uses space and lighting that kept me locked in. Every shot feels intentional. You can tell Johnson and his team put real thought into the visual storytelling.

The acting ensemble deserves major props too. Daniel Craig is back as Blanc, and he’s clearly having the time of his life with this character. But what makes these movies work is the supporting cast, and this one delivers. Josh O’Connor as Fr. Jud Duplentier showed a great, fun performance that really added to the whole mystery. The rest of the cast—Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, and Jeremy Renner—all did a great job bringing their characters to life.

Now, is it as good as the original Knives Out? I’d say no, and that’s okay. The first one had something really special, that lightning in a bottle feeling. This one doesn’t quite reach that level, but it comes closer than Glass Onion did. It’s definitely a great, enjoyable movie in its own right. You can feel Johnson’s confidence with this material. He knows what works and leans into it while still trying new things.

My one complaint is the runtime. At two and a half hours, it does feel a bit long. There were moments where I thought we could’ve trimmed some scenes without losing much. But here’s the thing, even with that length, the movie still managed to keep me on edge. I never felt bored, just occasionally aware that my back was getting sore from sitting. That’s a testament to how engaging the mystery is. Johnson paces things well enough that even when scenes linger, they’re usually serving the story.

The mystery keeps you guessing the whole time. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, something new pops up that changes everything. It rewards you for paying attention to details. I love that about these films. You can watch them again and catch things you missed the first time.

If you’re a fan of mystery movies or detective stories, this is absolutely worth your time.It’s got that classic whodunit vibe but with modern sensibilities and sharp humor. It’s the kind of movie you can recommend to someone who loves crime dramas without worrying they’ll get bored. There’s enough depth here for mystery nerds to appreciate, but it’s also just plain entertaining.

Wake Up Dead Man reminds me why I fell in love with the Knives Out franchise in the first place. It’s smart without being pretentious, fun without being silly, and it respects your intelligence as a viewer.

I really hope this franchise continues with the same level of quality. If they can keep delivering mysteries this engaging and well-crafted, I’ll be first in line for whatever case Benoit Blanc takes on next.