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Mystery � Comedy � Drama � 2025

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Rian Johnson  �  Netflix

God is dead. But the mystery is very much alive.

DirectorRian Johnson
StarsDaniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin
StudioNetflix
Runtime2h 11min � Rated PG-13
7.8
IMDb
92%
RT Score
Netflix release
Box Office

Rian Johnson's third Benoit Blanc mystery takes the world's most genteel detective into the most unlikely setting yet � a small-town Catholic church with a centuries-old dark secret. His best film since Knives Out.

Blanc Goes to Church

When a murdered monk is found in a church basement, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig, still the best he's been since Casino Royale) arrives to untangle a mystery reaching back through generations of parish history. Josh O'Connor, fresh off global acclaim from Challengers, plays the young priest who serves as Blanc's guide. Their dynamic is the film's beating heart � O'Connor's nervous faith and Blanc's cheerfully secular methodism creating sparks that illuminate both characters.

"Johnson examines mystery and faith with keen precision � another captivating Benoit Blanc whodunit that goes somewhere unexpected and earns every surprise."

� IMDB Critics

The Puzzle

The mystery is the franchise's most intricate � Johnson has constructed a puzzle solvable if you pay close attention, with misdirections so elegant that most viewers will be blindsided. Glenn Close as the formidable Mother Superior is doing something genuinely frightening beneath a beatific exterior. The best entry in the Blanc trilogy.

The Verdict

One of 2025's finest films. Johnson at the peak of his considerable powers. Craig has never been more at home in a role.

? Our Verdict

Rian Johnson's third Benoit Blanc mystery takes the world's most genteel detective into the most unlikely setting yet � a small-town Catholic church with a centuries-old dark secret. His best film since Knives Out.