Rian Johnson’s back with a new Knives Out movie, ‘Wake Up Dead Man,’ and everyone’s already excited for its 2025 release. After the fun mystery of the first Knives Out and the fancy Glass Onion, this one’s going dark, with a gothic feel. Daniel Craig is back as Detective Benoit Blanc, and this time he’s untangling a case that digs into lies, crime, and some heavy stuff like faith and right and wrong, and how easily people can break.
Release and Availability
Excitement The buzz for Wake Up Dead Man began when it was premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, 2025. The film also has the privilege of premiering in the BFI London Film Festival on October 8, which puts it in a very highly esteemed position globally. The movie is going to be released in theatres with a limited run on November 26, 2025 after the festival run, and all people fond of mysteries will be able to watch the movie in theatres. International audiences will not have to wait too long to see it; on December 12, 2025, it can be streamed on Netflix all around the world. This distribution plan will guarantee the cinemagoers and the home viewers the excitement of the latest case handled by Benoit Blanc before the year comes to an end.
Plot and Ideas
Wake Up Dead Man kicks off with a strange death that feels almost unreal. Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, a big shot at the church, turns up dead inside a locked concrete box right after giving a sermon. Some think it’s a miracle, but Benoit Blanc isn’t buying it. He calls it murder. His investigation digs up a mess of lies, dirty secrets, and shady stuff that goes way down into the world of religion.
Unlike the earlier movies that mixed jokes with sarcasm, this one is more of a gothic story. It’s all about belief, forgiveness, going to extremes, and making up for what you did. People who’ve seen it say it’s got that creepy Edgar Allan Poe vibe and the brainy mysteries of G.K. Chesterton. By getting into how faith and lies mix, Johnson’s made a mystery that’s not just about solving a crime, but also about wondering about the truths people want to believe in.
Cast and Characters
Daniel Craig is back as Benoit Blanc, and this time, it sounds like it’s getting personal. But Josh O’Connor as Father Jud Duplenticy is also grabbing attention. He is a priest that was a boxer, and he is attempting to get back to his faith. There are some initial reviews that allude to the fact that his story is as significant as that of Blanc.
Josh Brolin plays Monsignor Wicks, the victim whose death kicks everything off. The rest of the cast is stellar, and there are Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church. Each actor adds something special to this mystery, so expect lots of turns and drama as Blanc figures things out.
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What People Are Saying
So far, everyone seems to love Wake Up Dead Man, calling it the best Knives Out movie yet. Critics say it’s darker and has more feels than the others. Daniel Craig is still crushing it as the smart detective, but Josh O’Connor is getting major buzz as Father Jud — apparently, he’s super believable and stole the show.
People who’ve seen early showings are saying the movie mixes classic murder mystery stuff with some serious questions about right and wrong and what it means to be human. Instead of just being a brain teaser, it sounds like Johnson came up with a story that actually makes you think but still has all the cool twists that Knives Out fans want.
Wrapping Up
Wake Up Dead Man looks like it’ll be a great detective movie, not just another crime story, with its dark feel, famous actors, and a story that makes you think. It’s like a fresh take on Knives Out but keeps what made it good: a mystery that grabs you, funny lines, and characters you can’t forget. As it gets ready to go from film festivals to theatres and then to Netflix, people are talking about Wake Up Dead Man more and more, and it seems like this could be Benoit Blanc’s most memorable case yet.
Written by Nidhi Singh