Daniel Craig’s charismatic detective Benoit Blanc returns in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the third installment of the hit franchise, which promises a darker, more gothic take on the whodunit genre.
Writer-director Rian Johnson, who also helms the project, takes audiences to a small-town church in upstate New York, giving the film a grounded tone while maintaining the series’ signature suspense and humor.
Speaking at the Toronto International Film Festival premiere, Johnson told Reuters, “We’re trying to do something kind of different each time. The first one was a cosy mystery, the second a broad vacation comedy mystery. This one is a little more gothic in tone, a little darker, but still very fun.” Daniel Craig echoed his director’s sentiments, describing the movie as “a departure…a different kind of movie. But it’s still a Benoit Blanc mystery.”
The ensemble cast boasts Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church. O’Connor, known for his portrayal of Prince Charles in The Crown, received applause for his role as a young priest and praised Johnson as “a genius writer and director” and his personal “idol.”
Cailee Spaeny, playing a cellist in her first comedy, shared that she learned the instrument specifically for the role and felt grateful for the experience. Craig also lauded the “bubbly” ensemble, noting, “We’ve been incredibly lucky with the whole series and we nailed it again.”
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will have a limited theatrical release on November 26, before streaming on Netflix starting December 12.
Fans of the series can expect the familiar charm of Benoit Blanc combined with a darker, more suspenseful atmosphere, while enjoying the chemistry and talent of a star-studded cast. Johnson’s approach continues to reinvent the franchise with each installment, offering a fresh twist while staying true to the clever, twist-filled style that made the first two films a success.
The latest entry cements the franchise as a standout in modern mystery cinema, balancing humor, suspense, and a compelling cast in an evolving narrative.
