Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man, the third chapter in Rian Johnson’s evolving whodunit universe. This time, Blanc is called to a small upstate New York town after an unthinkable murder takes place within the walls of a church.
A New Mystery, A New Tone
Johnson calls this Blanc’s most personal and grounded case yet. While Knives Out was cozy and Glass Onion leaned into satire, Wake Up Dead Man returns to the genre’s darker literary roots. Shot inside a purpose-built gothic chapel, with deep shadows and graveyard drama, the film blends spiritual themes with chilling mystery.
The congregation is filled with colorful characters, all potential suspects. Glenn Close plays devout Martha Delacroix. Thomas Haden Church appears as the watchful groundskeeper. Kerry Washington and Daryl McCormack portray a power couple with secrets to protect. Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner, and Cailee Spaeny round out a cast that Johnson says was a joy to direct.
Jud Takes the Spotlight in Wake Up Dead Man
As with the other entries in the franchise, Blanc isn’t the emotional core. Yhe protagonist this time is Jud. His crisis of faith and unraveling reality drive the film’s momentum. Johnson confirms that Jud’s journey is the one viewers will truly follow, even as Blanc works the case.
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A young priest, Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor), is sent to assist fiery Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). But beneath the surface of Sunday sermons and folded hymnals lies something rotten. After the murder, local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) brings in Blanc to investigate a case that immediately defies logic.
A Filmmaker in Full Control
Johnson’s control of tone, mood, and ensemble performance continues to evolve. He describes the visual style as chiaroscuro, the storytelling as theological noir. Craig says Johnson’s real trick is bait-and-switch: you think you’re watching a traditional mystery, then the film opens into something much deeper and stranger.
The film premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 6, opens the BFI London Film Festival on October 8, hits select theaters on November 26, and streams globally on Netflix December 12.
About Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
DIRECTOR: Rian Johnson
WRITER: Rian Johnson
PRODUCERS: Ram Bergman, Rian Johnson
CAST: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, Thomas Haden Church
SYNOPSIS
Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for his most dangerous case yet in the third and darkest chapter of Rian Johnson’s murder mystery opus. When young priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. Wicks’s modest-but-devoted flock includes devout church lady Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), circumspect groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), tightly-wound lawyer Vera Draven, Esq. (Kerry Washington), aspiring politician Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack), town doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), best-selling author Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), and concert cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny).
After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic. Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Rian Johnson writes and directs Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, and assembles another all-star, award-winning cast.
Are you ready to follow Benoit Blanc into the dark? Do you think this case will top Glass Onion and Knives Out? Who in the cast are you most excited to see? Drop your theories in the comments or @me with your take.
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