The pantheon of legendary film and television detectives has remained largely unchanged for the last decade. Few recent characters have managed to eke out a spot next to legacies like Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot in the public consciousness. That was, until 2019, when director Rian Johnson came out with Knives Out and its lead detective Benoit Blanc. 

Blanc, played by Daniel Craig of James Bond fame, appeared in the first two films in the Knives Out series, and again in this year’s Wake Up Dead Man, which premiered at TIFF. Always appearing amongst an ensemble cast of newcomers and stars alike, Johnson’s Knives Out films follow Blanc to new places as he solves murder cases. 

This third installment, Wake Up Dead Man, follows a reclusive rural community where a murder has been committed at the community church. The victim, Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin), was killed during a service, but there seems to be no logical answer as to how. It is a locked room murder, one that appears blatantly unsolvable: an act of God, if the faithful are to be believed. 

The church community — a cast of locals featuring standouts like Glenn Close, Andrew Scott, and Kerry Washington — revolves around the recent addition to the clergy, a young priest played by Josh O’Connor. The local police chief (Mila Kunis) is dumbfounded, determined to find the culprit but with absolutely no leads to go on. Enter: Benoit Blanc. 

“This was dressed as a miracle,” Blanc says in a recent trailer. “It’s just a murder. And I solve murders.” The slaughtered priest’s close circle of devout followers are all under investigation as Blanc attempts to divine who could be responsible for the death. 

As has become the norm for the Knives Out series, the ensemble cast of Wake Up Dead Man sparkles with talent and variety. Close gives a compelling, straight-backed performance as the church’s primary caretaker, while others — such as Scott, Washington and Jeremy Renner — shine despite their more supplementary roles. 

Newer actors are also given chances to shine, such as Cailee Spaeny, who featured recently in Alien: Romulus (2024), and Daryl McCormack from Good Luck to You, Leo Grande (2022), and Twisters (2024). Each actor takes great advantage of their material, and the cast has not a single weak link. 

The highlight performance of the film, however, is Josh O’Connor by far. His over-eager, dirty-mouthed priest is instantly likable, and O’Connor skillfully plays each emotional beat. His dynamic with Craig is equally enjoyable, as the script pushes and explores the relationship between the atheist Blanc and the orthodox reverend. 

As the film progresses, we see O’Connor’s priest pushed to the limits of his faith, and forced to contend with the darkest parts of the human psyche. Thanks to skilled scripting and performance, we’re right there with him. The proper time and focus are given to selling this internal conflict, and it pays off. 

The cinematographic aspects of Wake Up Dead Man were also a real standout. While the previous films were also well-shot, there’s an intentionality to many of the compositions here that was just a delight to see. Motivated lighting plays a key role in many of the film’s crucial scenes to a strikingly beautiful effect. The gothic church interior is gorgeously captured, providing a dramatic contrast with the scenes that take place in the forest. The script is tightly written, knowing just when to slow down and when to run wild, creating a final product that felt closer to a 90-minute watch than 144.  

The Knives Out films are sublime, crowd-pleasing detective fiction, cartwheeling constantly between emotional sincerity and self-referential comedy. Wake Up Dead Man is a thoroughly satisfying entry to the series, in many ways surpassing the previous films with its deftness. It officially launches on Netflix on December 12. 

I sincerely look forward to giving it a rewatch, and I hope Benoit Blanc continues to grace our screens for years to come. He just doesn’t get old.