TIFF Review: ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ is Rian Johnson’s Best and Most Ambitious Installment Yet

The Knives Out franchise has progressively been able to hook me. I thought Knives Out itself was just fine, up until the end when Benoit Blanc finally put it all together. Then, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery was an upgrade on almost every level for me. So, I did go into Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery wondering if that could again be the case. Well, lo and behold, Rian Johnson has done it yet again. This installment is the best and most complete one yet. Not only is it the best the series has put forward, it’s currently the best thing I’ve seen at the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery impressed me in a number of regards. Not only is this a different riff on a new style of whodunit, the central ideas of the film are darker, headier, and more serious than in previous installments. This movie is tackling religion, as well as the battle of wills between faith and logic. Luckily, that sombre aspect only makes the humor pop even more. There might be less jokes here than last time around, but it’s somehow an overall funnier flick.

This time around, the action is set in and near a small upstate New York church. Former boxer turned priest Rev. Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) has been sent there after striking a deacon, his punishment being to work under the tough as nails Msgr. Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). They clash almost immediately, and that’s before he meets the small but reverential flock that Wicks commands. There’s Wicks’ church assistant Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), as well as groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church). We have the town physician Dr. Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), lawyer Vera Draven (Kerry Washington) and her aspiring right wing politician Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack), former bestselling science fiction writer Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), and musician Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny). For various reasons, they’re devoted to Wicks, looking askance at Jud. When someone is murdered, who gets called in? None other than legendary private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig).

As Blanc arrives, having been summoned by police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis), he quickly ascertains that the locked room scenario has been presented as the perfect crime. Talking to all the survivors and working with one of the suspects, he begins breaking things down in his signature style. This time, however, the stakes are higher, the body count is larger, and the very notion of faith itself is up for debate. It all ends with the most satisfying climax yet, but what else would you expect at this point?

Daniel Craig turns in his best Benoit Blanc so far, having become so comfortable in the role that he can play with it in some ways. Among the newcomers, Josh O’Connor is a major standout, actually giving the best performance overall in the trilogy. Josh Brolin and Glenn Close are next in line with the most to do, while on the other side of the coin, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, and Kerry Washington have the least, though still make the most of their time. Thomas Haden Church, Mila Kunis, Daryl McCormick, and Jeremy Renner are no slouches either. I’m keeping this vague since the murder victim has not been revealed, but Craig and O’Connor are the most impressive performances, without question. The cast is huge, though it still has time for a cameo from Jeffrey Wright, plus a handful more characters who briefly show up.

Filmmaker Rian Johnson trusts the strength of his franchise to play around with format and theme. The gothic elements on display, as well as the religious aspect, may initially seem like a left turn, but it all ends up fitting like a glove. He knows the must haves for a Knives Out flick and absolutely delivers. A few big sequences here at TIFF received ovations once completed. You just can feel that you’re in the hands of a master storyteller, so you’ll follow him anywhere. Johnson knows that and 100% makes the most of it.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is the highlight of TIFF so far, as well as a high water mark for an already top notch franchise. I really loved this one and appreciate all of the chances it took, as well as how consistently effective the humor was. Hell, even the emotions land. It’s hard to imagine anyone not being delighted by this film. Now, here’s hoping that Craig and Johnson reunite for more. I’d love to have a dozen more Benoit Blanc movies before all is said and done!

SCORE: ★★★1/2