WAKE UP DEAD MAN REVIEW: Faith is restored with Knives Out director Rian Johnson’s latest murder mystery

FILM REVIEW: Wake Up Dead Man 

DIRECTOR: Rian Johnson 

Tyneside Cinema has once again partnered with the British Film Institute (BFI) to screen a series of films featured in the 2025 edition of London Film Festival, bringing premieres and new releases to North East audiences. 

The opening gala of the 2025 programme was the third film in the Knives Out franchise, Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man with Daniel Craig returning as lead detective Benoit Blanc. Like the previous entries in the series, the film had its premiere at Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) but has this year been selected by the BFI for a gala screening to officially open the 69th edition of the London Film Festival. The screening was pre-empted by a recorded introduction from director Rian Johnson in which he described a sense of homage that he wishes to pay to the detective genre through his work. This desire is clear to see throughout this film, with reference made to a wide spectrum of detective storytelling, from the classic novels of Agatha Christie to the cartoon hijinks of Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Gang. 

When the young Rev. Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) is sent away to a small village after a violent outburst, he sees it as an opportunity to make his mark as a priest, however, he begins to realise all may not be as it seems when he is greeted by the Monsignor, Jefferson Wicks (a frightful Josh Brolin) at Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude. His devoted yet small congregation – made up of the church’s secretary, its groundskeeper, a local doctor, a failed writer, a disabled cellist, and an attorney and her adopted influencer son – are cold toward this outsider upon his arrival, with his attempts at starting a new prayer group falling flat when the attendees learn of its secrecy. Jud begins doubting the preaching of Monsignor Wicks and, after nine months of putting up with his X-rated confessions, he breaks and tries to start a fight with his superior. The fight is swiftly turned into both a lesson and a warning, with Jud expressing concerns that Wicks is poisoning the minds of his congregation. Later that week, when a sudden death rocks the church, local town cop Mila Kunis calls in backup to help solve the ‘impossible crime’, in the form of Benoit Blanc. 

By now, audiences have grown to know what to expect from Daniel Craig’s mysterious sleuth, with his trademark grandiose monologues and ambiguous deep south accent immediately being showcased upon his arrival. The choice of location is key not just to the plot of the film, but also very much to its aesthetic. The Gothic architecture and surrounding forest allow for cinematographer Steve Yedlin to capture some truly beautiful shots, with one of the best featuring in Blanc’s opening scene. As Blanc shares his dislike and distrust of faith and religion, the light dissipates from the room to cast gloom over the detective, yet when Josh O’Connor delivers his rebuttal against him, the light returns to shine through the stained-glass windows, providing a sense of hope in the trying times the characters find themselves in. In fact, the theme of faith is never far from the characters’, or the audience’s, minds throughout the film. Everyone is taken along on the journey of discovery, as some find their faith in question, and others find themselves questioning whether faith is precisely what they were missing. Even the stubborn Blanc finds himself stuck in a moral dilemma once or twice, fighting a battle between his dramatic reveals, and the holy act of confession. 

While not much can be said of Wake Up Dead Man’s twists and turns without spoilers, it is safe to say that the film uses all its almost two-and-a-half-hour runtime to its advantage, never failing to engage an audience to participate in the whodunit. Daniel Craig again delivers a masterful performance as detective Benoit Blanc, but the plaudits must go to Glenn Close, as church secretary Martha, as she proves once again why she is deservedly known as one of the greats of Hollywood history, and Josh O’Connor strengthening his position as a star in the making, with both being able to bring a profound sincerity to their performances among such a strong ensemble cast. Wake Up Dead Man is a refreshing update to Rian Johnson’s catalogue of detective dramas, with its balance of dry humour and emotional authenticity making for quite possibly the best entry of the Knives Out franchise.

• Wake Up Dead Man is due to be screened in selected cinemas on November 26, and will stream on Netflix from December 12.