{"id":7043,"date":"2025-09-08T04:41:07","date_gmt":"2025-09-08T04:41:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/7043\/"},"modified":"2025-09-08T04:41:07","modified_gmt":"2025-09-08T04:41:07","slug":"wake-up-dead-man-a-knives-out-mystery-first-reviews-twistier-darker-and-more-emotional","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/7043\/","title":{"rendered":"Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery First Reviews: \u201cTwistier, Darker, and More Emotional\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

Daniel Craig<\/a> returns as Detective Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery<\/a>, the third (and possibly final) installment of Netflix\u2019s popular Knives Out franchise. The first reviews of the movie have arrived following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, and they\u2019re a relief, as filmmaker Rian Johnson<\/a> delivers another satisfying whodunit. Some are even calling it the best of the three.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what critics are saying about Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery:<\/p>\n

How does it compare to the First Two Knives Out Movies?<\/p>\n

Rian Johnson\u2019s\u00a0Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery\u00a0is another satisfying, impossible-to-predict yarn featuring all the series\u2019 hallmarks.
\u2014 Christopher Schobert, The Film Stage<\/a><\/p>\n

Johnson\u00a0has seamlessly crafted another murder mystery with even more delicious twists and turns than the previous two installments. Maybe even combined.
\u2014 Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist<\/a><\/p>\n

Johnson\u2019s third film in the series is also the one that\u2019s most full of life\u2026 [It\u2019s] also his most emotional.
\u2014 Chase Hutchinson, TheWrap<\/a><\/p>\n

Wake Up Dead Man\u00a0is twistier, darker, and more emotional than the previous two installments.
\u2014 Ross Bonaime, Collider<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s a bit darker than the first two movies.
\u2014 Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant<\/a><\/p>\n

After the bright, light, summery holiday special that was\u00a0Glass Onion, the\u00a0Knives Out\u00a0franchise returns to its gothic roots.
\u2014 Damon Wise, Deadline Hollywood Daily<\/a><\/p>\n

This one is more rooted and organic than Glass Onion, and it returns us to the trap-door-of-reality ingenuity of the first film.
\u2014 Owen Gleiberman, Variety<\/a><\/p>\n

Rather than chase the chaos of\u00a0Glass Onion, Rian Johnson opts for a more grounded tone in line with\u00a0Knives Out.
\u2014 Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies<\/a><\/p>\n

The tension between Blanc\u2019s quest for justice and Jud\u2019s desire for love and mercy lends\u00a0Wake Up Dead Man\u00a0a heft that wasn\u2019t present in its two predecessors.
\u2014 Nick Schager, The Daily Beast<\/a><\/p>\n

Wake Up Dead Man\u00a0is the most intricate mystery of them all, grappling with issues of faith, redemption, revenge, and forgiveness.
\u2014 Travis Hopson, Punch Drunk Critics<\/a><\/p>\n

Where does it rank in the trilogy?<\/p>\n

For some at least, [it] might endure as the best one yet.
\u2014 Damon Wise, Deadline Hollywood Daily<\/a><\/p>\n

This installment is the best and most complete one yet.
\u2014 Joey Magidson, Awards Radar<\/a><\/p>\n

[It] is the sharpest Knives Out movie yet.
\u2014 Owen Gleiberman, Variety<\/a><\/p>\n

In terms of pure, heady kicks, it outpaces\u00a0Knives Out\u00a0but falls just short of\u00a0Glass Onion.
\u2014 Nick Schager, The Daily Beast<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the weakest of the three\u00a0Knives Out\u00a0movies\u2026 The franchise has lost some of its footing with this one.
\u2014 Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant<\/a><\/p>\n

Wake Up Dead Man\u00a0is the series\u2019 weakest entry, and it\u2019s not even close.
\u2014 Christopher Schobert, The Film Stage<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Josh(Photo by Netflix)<\/p>\n

Is there more to the movie than just another fun mystery?<\/p>\n

Wake Up Dead Man\u00a0addresses our current political climate in a fairly damning way.
\u2014 Ross Bonaime, Collider<\/a><\/p>\n

Johnson has subtly or not-so-subtly included timely political themes in all the Knives Out films, but these tangents seem somewhat more personal this time around.
\u2014 Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist<\/a><\/p>\n

Wake Up Dead Man\u00a0is much more introspective\u2026 It poses metaphysical questions about its own popularity.
\u2014 Damon Wise, Deadline Hollywood Daily<\/a><\/p>\n

Johnson is just having fun, but he also sneaks a winking level of spiritual inquiry.
\u2014 Owen Gleiberman, Variety<\/a><\/p>\n

The greatest revelation comes in how effective Johnson is in his exploration of faith, community, anger, and redemption.
\u2014 Chase Hutchinson, TheWrap<\/a><\/p>\n

The film is trying to be reflective \u2014 about religion, the draw of power and money, and the people who abuse it \u2014 but it rings hollow.
\u2014 Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant<\/a><\/p>\n

How is Rian Johnson\u2019s script?<\/p>\n

Johnson trusts the strength of his franchise to play around with format and theme\u2026 You just can feel that you\u2019re in the hands of a master storyteller.
\u2014 Joey Magidson, Awards Radar<\/a><\/p>\n

The script, which Johnson wrote, is an impeccable fusion of intrigue and confession. It\u2019s always finding new ways to surprise us.
\u2014 Owen Gleiberman, Variety<\/a><\/p>\n

As always, Johnson lays out the pieces for us to catch, then, like his detective character, solves the mystery in stunning, exhilarating fashion.
\u2014 Ross Bonaime, Collider<\/a><\/p>\n

Johnson wisely doesn\u2019t try to outsmart the audience, because that route will always lead to a screenwriter\u2019s eventual demise.
\u2014 Travis Hopson, Punch Drunk Critics<\/a><\/p>\n

With so much going on, the material\u2019s wittiness occasionally suffers.
\u2014 Nick Schager, The Daily Beast<\/a><\/p>\n

[The new characters are] underwritten, which adds to the lackluster feel this movie so often gives off.
\u2014 Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant<\/a><\/p>\n

It also suffers from so much narrative baggage that it fails both as the darker, personal story it wants to be and as the lighter comic escapade these films usually promise.
\u2014 Trace Sauveur, Paste Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n

Is it as funny as the other two movies?<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t worry. It\u2019s also funny. Very funny.
\u2014 Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist<\/a><\/p>\n

The film might be a bit more serious than the previous two, but it\u2019s still quite funny. Something dramatic will happen, but a beat later, the audience will be laughing.
\u2014 Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant<\/a><\/p>\n

That sombre aspect only makes the humor pop even more. There might be less jokes here than last time around, but it\u2019s somehow an overall funnier flick.
\u2014 Joey Magidson, Awards Radar<\/a><\/p>\n

There\u2019s room for humor in solving the locked-door mystery, including one joke that had me clapping before anyone else reacted in the theater because I could see exactly where Johnson was headed\u2014and it paid off completely.
\u2014 Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies<\/a><\/p>\n

[It moves] at a rapid pace with one killer joke after another, including a couple of sly shots that it takes against its streaming home, Netflix, and even Johnson\u2019s former film series, Star Wars.
\u2014 Chase Hutchinson, TheWrap<\/a><\/p>\n

Despite a few laugh-out-loud bits, Johnson proves more interested in the spiritual than the silly.
\u2014 Nick Schager, The Daily Beast<\/a><\/p>\n

There aren\u2019t so many in-jokes this time round, and there\u2019s a little less camp value in the way it leaves us to work out the identity of the guilty party.
\u2014 Damon Wise, Deadline Hollywood Daily<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Josh(Photo by John Wilson\/Netflix)<\/p>\n

How does it look?<\/p>\n

Thanks to Johnson\u2019s longtime cinematographer,\u00a0Steve Yedlin, the film is also absolutely gorgeous.
\u2014 Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist<\/a><\/p>\n

There are so many brilliant visual moments that make revealing use of lighting changes or become more haunting images of gothic horror when we get plunged into darkness.
\u2014 Chase Hutchinson, TheWrap<\/a><\/p>\n

Wake Up Dead Man\u00a0might be the most visually brilliant of [all Johnson\u2019s movies]\u2026 Yedlin\u2019s use of light and shadow to hint at something darker within the church, to outright gothic horror in the shadowy wilderness, is simply astonishing.
\u2014 Travis Hopson, Punch Drunk Critics<\/a><\/p>\n

Wake Up Dead Man\u2019s visual approach is much more dour, with the grays and shadows within the Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude church.
\u2014 Ross Bonaime, Collider<\/a><\/p>\n

Is there enough of Daniel Craig\u2019s Benoit Blanc?<\/p>\n

Wake Up Dead Man\u00a0doesn\u2019t really belong to him\u2026 but you don\u2019t miss him because of the incredible ensemble.
\u2014 Travis Hopson, Punch Drunk Critics<\/a><\/p>\n

There is never a moment when you\u2019re impatient for him to arrive.
\u2014 Chase Hutchinson, TheWrap<\/a><\/p>\n

It takes far too long for the scenery-chewing detective to be introduced.
\u2014 Christopher Schobert, The Film Stage<\/a><\/p>\n

Craig feels shortchanged this time, with Blanc strikingly passive compared to the other films, where he\u2019s always one step ahead.
\u2014 Chris Bumbray, JoBlo\u2019s Movie Network<\/a><\/p>\n

But is his performance still worth it?<\/p>\n

Daniel Craig turns in his best Benoit Blanc so far.
\u2014 Joey Magidson, Awards Radar<\/a><\/p>\n

Craig, this time, gives what I would call his\u00a0richest\u00a0Benoit Blanc performance.
\u2014 Owen Gleiberman, Variety<\/a><\/p>\n

Craig continues to play Blanc beautifully, revealing new layers to the grandiose sleuth when we least expect it.
\u2014 Travis Hopson, Punch Drunk Critics<\/a><\/p>\n

In Craig\u2019s talented hands, the Southern-accented gentleman continues to be a charismatic hero.
\u2014 Nick Schager, The Daily Beast<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s always a delight to see the actor as Benoit Blanc. But outside one memorable moment at the pulpit, Craig is rather subdued this time around.
\u2014 Christopher Schobert, The Film Stage<\/a><\/p>\n

How are the other characters?<\/p>\n

In contrast to the first two\u00a0Knives Out\u00a0movies, the suspects this time round are a darker, moodier, less readily readable group.
\u2014 Damon Wise, Deadline Hollywood Daily<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s the other characters \u2014 save for the scene-chewing Josh Brolin, who\u2019s believable as a radical priest who drives people away from his church, and Glenn Close\u2019s Martha, a firm believer who has a history with the Wicks \u2014 who fall short.
\u2014 Mae Abdulbaki, Screen Rant<\/a><\/p>\n

Almost everyone gets left aside as mere set dressing\u2026 Wake Up Dead Man\u00a0is surprisingly bad at making its ensemble feel essential to the stakes.
\u2014 Trace Sauveur, Paste Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Daniel(Photo by Rian Johnson)<\/p>\n

Does anyone stand out?<\/p>\n

The outstanding Josh O\u2019Connor. Not only does the franchise newcomer give an excellent comedic performance, the actor also brings a genuine amount of grace to a film that ends up becoming precisely about that.
\u2014 Chase Hutchinson, TheWrap<\/a><\/p>\n

Among the newcomers, Josh O\u2019Connor is a major standout, actually giving the best performance overall in the trilogy.
\u2014 Joey Magidson, Awards Radar<\/a><\/p>\n

Close is the one actor who truly elevates her character on the page, delivering yet another powerhouse performance when it counts.
\u2014 Gregory Ellwood, The Playlist<\/a><\/p>\n

It\u2019s Close\u2019s performance that makes this one of the reasons you\u2019ll want to watch this film a second time right when it ends.
\u2014 Ross Bonaime, Collider<\/a><\/p>\n

Are there any other complaints?<\/p>\n

There are a few lulls that last longer than they should, and the runtime is a stretch.
\u2014 Travis Hopson, Punch Drunk Critics<\/a><\/p>\n

Wake Up Dead Man\u2019s final revelations aren\u2019t fulfilling or meaningful enough to make up for the relative lack of fun it is to slog through its repetitious plotting.
\u2014 Trace Sauveur, Paste Magazine<\/a><\/p>\n

A church is simply not as involving a locale.
\u2014 Christopher Schobert, The Film Stage<\/a><\/p>\n

My only real issue with\u00a0Wake Up Dead Man\u00a0is that the cast is too big.
\u2014 Chris Bumbray, JoBlo\u2019s Movie Network<\/a><\/p>\n

How are critics feeling about the whole franchise now?<\/p>\n

Johnson has made what might go down as one of the great trilogies, with each film captivating in its own unique, brilliant way.
\u2014 Ross Bonaime, Collider<\/a><\/p>\n

Part of the beauty of Johnson\u2019s\u00a0Knives Out\u00a0trilogy is that each brings something different to the table, and thus each can be someone else\u2019s favorite.
\u2014 Travis Hopson, Punch Drunk Critics<\/a><\/p>\n

Will this one leave us wanting more Knivest Out movies?<\/p>\n

Johnson can rest assured that his flock will be ready and waiting to receive him if he returns.
\u2014 Travis Hopson, Punch Drunk Critics<\/a><\/p>\n

Here\u2019s hoping that Craig and Johnson reunite for more. I\u2019d love to have a dozen more Benoit Blanc movies before all is said and done!
\u2014 Joey Magidson, Awards Radar<\/a><\/p>\n

If it isn\u2019t [the last installment], I can\u2019t wait to see what direction Johnson takes the franchise next.
\u2014 Danielle Solzman, Solzy at the Movies<\/a><\/p>\n

Johnson certainly has more stories to tell\u2026 Next time, let\u2019s hope for a more compelling setting and, please, a more dynamic detective.
\u2014 Christopher Schobert, The Film Stage<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019m not sure he\u2019ll ever be able to top [Wake Up Dead Man].
\u2014 Owen Gleiberman, Variety<\/a><\/p>\n

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery<\/a> opens in limited release in theaters on November 26, 2025 and streams on Netflix on December 12, 2025.<\/p>\n

Find Something Fresh! Discover What to Watch, Read Reviews, Leave Ratings and Build Watchlists. Download the Rotten Tomatoes App.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Daniel Craig returns as Detective Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":7044,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[93,61,60,270,6820,6819],"class_list":{"0":"post-7043","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-movies","8":"tag-entertainment","9":"tag-ie","10":"tag-ireland","11":"tag-movies","12":"tag-mystery","13":"tag-thriller"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7043","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7043"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7043\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7044"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7043"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7043"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7043"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}