Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival and introduced audiences to a darker take on the franchise.
Ahead of its release, Netflix unveiled the official teaser, giving a first look at the gothic murder mystery that shifts away from the cosy feel of Knives Out (2019) and the glamorous tone of Glass Onion (2022).
Set in the fictional upstate New York town of Chimney Rock, the story revolves around a Catholic parish, Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude. Father Jud Duplenticy, played by Josh O’Connor, arrives after being reassigned for punching a deacon. He clashes with Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, portrayed by Josh Brolin, whose use of shame in preaching fuels conflict. When Wicks is found dead on Good Friday, Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc is called in to investigate.
The suspects form a striking ensemble cast. Glenn Close plays Martha, a lifelong servant of the church; Thomas Haden Church appears as Samson, the loyal groundskeeper; Jeremy Renner takes on the role of doctor Nat Sharp; Kerry Washington portrays lawyer Vera Draven, alongside Daryl McCormack as her manipulative half-brother Cy. Andrew Scott plays reclusive writer Lee Ross, and Cailee Spaeny is a cellist seeking a miracle for her chronic pain.
Unlike previous instalments, Craig’s Blanc plays a smaller role, with O’Connor’s conflicted Father Jud driving the narrative. Johnson noted the influence of Edgar Allan Poe and G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown mysteries, framing the film as a meditation on faith, guilt, and redemption within the murder mystery genre.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery will see a theatrical release on November 26 before streaming on Netflix from December 12.
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