Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Directed by Rian Johnson
When young priest Jud Duplenticy is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic. From TMDB
236 reactions from 4 sources (Bluesky, Mastodon, TMDB reviews, Lemmy) · newest Oct 17, 2026 · last updated Oct 18, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
Sentiment labels for these sources are still being hand-checked; no score yet.
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bluesky * | 89 | 6 | 83 |
| Mastodon * | 3 | 0 | 1 |
| TMDB reviews * | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Lemmy * | 0 | 1 | 1 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
47 newer reactions are still waiting for a label.
80 archived X posts (Mar–Apr 2026) are kept for the record and not used.
What viewers are saying
AI summary of the public posts linked below. Not a review by Rotten Tweets.
Counted from the reviewers’ own 0–10 ratings on the 5 rated TMDB user reviews we collected (7–10 positive, 5–6 mixed, 0–4 negative), not by the AI.
Many highlight the film's thoughtful exploration of faith and empathy, especially from a nonbeliever's perspective. [1][2][3] Some viewers find the mystery convoluted or the film's look unappealing, but still enjoy it overall. [4][5][6]
- [7]
How refreshing it is when a movie turns out to be better than expected. And such is very much the case in this third installment in the “Knives Out” murder mystery franchise, arguably the best offering in the series. In the interest of full disclosure, I was not particularly looking forward to watching this release. While the first two films were modestly entertaining, they had occasional tendencies toward silliness …
- [4]
Man oh man. Christianity is making a comeback. Let’s all listen to holy men say holy things for the whole runtime. The mystery is stupidly mysterious. The whole thing feels sloppy but I found the slop a little more welcoming than the last one. The false endings ignore a recently explained giant piece of evidence. Like it’s not a mystery as there’s no way to solve and it isn’t a mystery when the film is misleading …
- [8]
Rian Johnson's third release for the eponymously named KNIVES OUT franchise -- WAKE UP DEAD MAN -- shows no signs of depreciating in quality -- as the latest offering is arguably better than its predecessors, a rare trait of film franchises that tend to degrade with audiences. But WAKE UP DEAD MAN is no slouch -- delivering, yet again, another whip-smart screenplay with compelling, multidimensional characters that …
- [15]
Pugilistic priest “Fr. Jud” (Josh O’Connor) has lost his temper with a deacon and been consigned to a remote country parish where his plain-speaking bishop (Jeffrey Wright) hopes he can do less damage. Upon his arrival, though, he realises that this is quite an eccentric little congregation led by the mildly megalomaniacal “Monsignor” (Josh Brolin) and his ever so slightly menacing factotum “Martha” (Glenn Close). …
- [16]
FULL SPOILER-FREE REVIEW @ https://fandomwire.com/wake-up-dead-man-review/ "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery exceeds expectations by diving into a darker register without losing the layers of humor and captivating mystery that define the franchise. The howdunnit mechanics become unnecessarily complex before the climax, but given the brilliance of the whydunnit — exceptional character work and rich thematic …
How this was made: an AI model (deepseek-v4-flash) read 34 of the 209 public posts we collected about this film and wrote the summary, likes and dislikes, citing the posts behind each point ([n] opens the post). A second AI pass checked every statement against the posts it cites; anything it could not match was removed, and code removed any statement with quotation marks, numbers that are not in the posts, or unattributed claims about people. The split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Generated Oct 10, 2026. Method
Critics, per Wikipedia
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 342 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.9/10. The website's consensus reads: "Giving Benoit Blanc a worthy mystery with its genuinely soulful fixation on faith and a scene-stealing Josh O'Connor performance, Wake Up Dead Man is another Knives Out puzzle that comes together splendidly." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 80 out of 100, based on 59 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews. Damon Wise for Deadline wrote that the film "may be the best one yet" in the Knives Out franchise due to its more introspective nature. On the German arthouse portal Programmkino.de,…
From the “Reception” section of Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. Critic context only — not part of the audience score.
Reactions
60 of 236 · most liked firstWAKE UP DEAD MAN may be my favorite KNIVES OUT movie. It is wildly ambitious, with Rian Johnson using the structure & pleasures of a locked door mystery to say something about the state of faith in America right now. That something? People should choose mercy & grace instead of rage and vengeance.
positive · AI labelView post →I’m still not sure which Knives Out film I like the most, but I think I feel pretty confident in saying the Louise phone call from Wake Up Dead Man is my favorite scene in the whole trilogy
positive · AI labelView post →Wake Up Dead Man shows something I don't really see a lot in film: a piece of art about Christianity from the perspective of a nonbeliever who is very familiar with Christianity, who dislikes organized Christianity but wants to believe in the greater concept of empathy it’s supposed to embody
positive · AI labelView post →Netflix reports that Stranger Things Season 5 volume 2 hit 35 million views worldwide last week over just five days. Volume 2 of the new season made Xmas Day Netflix’s most-watched ever globally Among film titles, The Great Flood destroyed Wake Up Dead Man 33.1 million views to 11.8 million views
neutral · AI labelView post →Tonight. #cinema #film #knivesout #wakeupdeadman #mystery
neutral · AI labelView post →Film #01 of 2026, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery! I could easily watch a dozen films with Blanc solving whatever case is thrown at him, but knowing Josh O'Connor probably won't be in the next one is a bit of a heartache. They're great together. boxd.it/cmDSqz
positive · AI labelView post →Jesus Christ "Wake Up Dead Man" was so good. Rian Johnson's best movie without question
positive · AI labelView post →Wake Up Dead Man is a religious experience. Insightful, exciting, empathetic and hilarious. As much as Josh O’Connor’s film as it is Craig’s, though there’s something comforting about Craig in this role. The twinkle in the eyes maybe. @rianjohnson.bsky.social crafts another winner. #filmsky
positive · AI labelView post →oh my god I want to talk about “Wake Up Dead Man” for the next 3-5 business years it was so good the Willetts went together, perfect Catholic family movie night lmao
positive · AI labelView post →Watching Wake Up Dead Man and while I'm not even 40 minutes in, I am *adoring* the cinematography and visual... well, storytelling, haha, in the movie. Goodness, I feel truly enthralled by media again. In another life I might have been a film fanatic. I'm engrossed.
positive · AI labelView post →Hey. I directed @rianjohnson.bsky.social’s WAKE UP DEAD MAN Notes of a Scene for @vanityfair.com and which I basically co-opted so I could talk to Rian about writing murder mysteries. (Filmed at the Toronto International Film Fesrival 9/7/25) youtu.be/98ArZ8w5K9s?...
neutral · AI labelView post →Wake Up Dead Man is a very good time but even on a movie screen it has that unfortunate Netflix look. And then, even on a TV, The Master looks like no other movie I've ever seen.
neutral · AI labelView post →New look at Josh O’Connor and Daniel Craig in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery 👀 The film will premiere at the BFI London Film Festival in October.
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy to report that Wake Up Dead Man AKA Knives Out 3 is incredible! Check your local theaters!
positive · AI labelView post →During a game of Guess Your Movie, Josh O’Connor talks about why the internet thinks he’s obsessed with Ratatouille 🐀 Watch the full video here: boxd.it/dMi Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is streaming on @netflix.com tomorrow.
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy birthday to Rian Johnson! The director and Josh O’Connor chat The Last Jedi while playing Guess Your Movie 🎥 Watch the full interview: boxd.it/dMi Wake Up Dead Man is now streaming on Netflix.
neutral · AI labelView post →Josh O’Connor is SO good in Wake Up Dead Man. Love that each Blanc movie feels different and manages to make you invest in a new main character even as Blanc is the connective tissue.
positive · AI labelView post →I am a notoriously a Wake Up Dead Man hater but if this entire thing was just a ploy to rickroll us I must concede that this is the greatest film the English language has ever produced Moreover, ICE must be destroyed
neutral · AI labelView post →“That money is but a psalm in the Bible of my bitterness, you fucking child” is one of the greatest lines in film history “Wake Up, Dead Man,” is phenomonal
positive · AI labelView post →Watched Wake Up Dead Man, enjoyed it!
positive · AI labelView post →Ooh, Wake Up Dead Man, the third Knives Out film, is out in a few days. I *have* to go and see that because apparently there's a tiny nod to 500 Songs in the soundtrack choices. (And also because the first two were great, Rian Johnson is a great filmmaker, blah blah blah.)
positive · AI labelView post →Still thinking about Wake Up Dead Man. What a beautiful, beautiful film. The core message of the sin of Ahankar, of arrogance and ego, vs the blessing of selfless service to those in need to glorify god rather than yourself is such a fundamental hindu belief.
positive · AI labelView post →What a lovely meditation on faith and modernity WAKE UP DEAD MAN was, a movie about a higher calling for unbelievers
positive · AI labelView post →For me, in WAKE UP DEAD MAN, this scene is the *heart* of the movie. I still think about it two weeks later. It has no role in the plot nor mystery. Rian simply reminds us all to have grace, and find time, to be there for one another.
positive · AI labelView post →spoke with some people who didn't enjoy 'Wake Up Dead Man' yesterday and it reinforced my belief that it is a great film Their reasons for disliking it were stupid, and I deployed the Online tactic of saying "no it's great" while ignoring their Bad Critiques entirely
positive · AI labelView post →WAKE UP DEAD MAN MORE LIKE WAKE UP GOOD FILM
positive · AI labelView post →Movie night! #WakeUpDeadMan
neutral · AI labelView post →Wake Up Dead Man is a great movie and I had a great time and everyone who said that I should watch it for the priest character... yeah.... you were right.
positive · AI labelView post →Watched The Two Popes the other night. Between that, Conclave, and Wake Up Dead Man, we’re in a golden age of Catholicore cinema. Expected Two Popes to mostly be about Ratzinger’s decision to step down. Was caught off guard by the section about the Dirty War. Really good film.
neutral · AI labelView post →Took a sick day to enjoy Wake Up Dead Man while nursing the cold. I can see what people take away from this film if they’re raised in faith but are currently atheist or agnostic in belief.
positive · AI labelView post →So we got out to see the new Knives Out mystery, WAKE UP DEAD MAN, in a theater with flashing light frames for their movie posters, which I really didn't need. But anyway, it was very good. Sharp, amusing, clever, great cast, well-delivered. Glad we saw it on the big screen.
positive · AI labelView post →Okay... whoever did the subtitles for WAKE UP DEAD MAN needs a slap on the wrist. You made me feel temporarily insane tonight. I saw the film at the premiere a few weeks ago, and there's an ISHTAR reference that made me cackle. (1/?)
neutral · AI labelView post →Benoit Blanc returns for his hardest murder mystery yet in ‘WAKE UP DEAD MAN’. But is it better than the previous two Knives Out movies? Find out in our review... discussingfilm.net/2025/10/29/w...
neutral · AI labelView post →I liked Wake Up Dead Man more than its two predecessors: -less arch, more murdery -good to see modern theology explored in movie -Craig’s voice either less annoying or I’m just used to it
positive · AI labelView post →I haven't seen it yet, but I was slightly surprised that the movie Wake Up, Dead Man really was named after the U2 song.
neutral · AI labelView post →Had more than one person tell me they wanted to hear "a Catholic commentary track for WAKE UP DEAD MAN," and it was a fun excuse to rewatch the movie with my Jesuit friend JRod as we talked about how this thing feels from the perspective of young clerics currently immersed in theology studies.
neutral · AI labelView post →WAKE UP DEAD MAN: Rian Johnson’s glorious, goofy gothic horror is the best KNIVES OUT movie yet with an outstanding duo in Daniel Craig & Josh O'Connor. Taking shots at STAR WARS and Netflix while reflecting on faith?, it's a damn miracle 📽️ My #TIFF review: www.thewrap.com/wake-up-dead...
neutral · AI labelView post →@rianjohnson.bsky.social I’m sure you get loads of these posts, but just wanted to say Wake Up Dead Man is a fantastic film and I can’t wait to see what you do next
positive · AI labelView post →Wake Up Dead Man made me cry four times, Die Hard is a perfect movie, & I had tons of fun watching Black Bag. ((: #lastfourwatched #letterboxd #letterboxdfriday #filmsky 📽️🍿
positive · AI labelView post →Wake Up Dead Man is a delight. It’s a whole film full of delightful performances assembled into something fantastic.
positive · AI labelView post →Glass Onion truly a film that has aged like milk. Alas. Still fun, and I'm still looking forward to watching Wake Up Dead Man. But oof
neutral · AI labelView post →On The Big Picture: *Honoring Rob Reiner, and the way in which his work shaped our love for movies. *A mailbag addressing the anxiety coursing through Hollywood right now. *Digging into WAKE UP DEAD MAN and the mystery of faith, with Rian Johnson. open.spotify.com/episode/3zz1...
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm with @therisingtithes.bsky.social on my shock at Wake Up Dead Man having the character of Lee Ross, a wash-up author, write a book that is 782,815 words long! I so loved the film slipping in something that only writers will laugh at that I screenshot the scene.
positive · AI labelView post →Finally watched Wake Up Dead Man. It was kind of stunning--would be intimidating to make a film about Christianity after this one. To the extent that it had a "message," and despite comedic moments, it did a far better job of expressing Christianity at its best than 99.9% of sermons do.
positive · AI labelView post →Wake Up Dead Man is probably my favorite of the three movies. Powerful even for a non-religious person, Johnson does some really great work with lighting throughout the movie.
positive · AI labelView post →Wonderful thread if you've seen Wake Up Dead Man and wanted to read some more pointed thoughts on what is a very thoughtful and surprisingly good hearted movie.
neutral · AI labelView post →Reminder: Wake Up Dead Man is a perfect Easter weekend movie. #FilmSky📽️
neutral · AI labelView post →I finally watched Wake Up Dead Man, and that Rian Johnson, he knows what’s what with a movie, huh?
positive · AI labelView post →WAKE UP DEAD MAN opens 11/25 on 35mm & we've just announced 2 Q&As with Academy Award® nominated filmmaker @rianjohnson.bsky.social! Fri Nov 28 at 7PM Sun Nov 30 at 12:45PM “An enticingly clever and nearly pitch-perfect piece of murder-mystery fun.” –Variety paristheaternyc.com/film/wake-up...
neutral · AI labelView post →EXCLUSIVE 🚨 Rian Johnson teases his next film after Wake Up Dead Man. "It harkens back to the '70s paranoid thrillers," the director tells Empire. "It's got a light sci-fi element to it." Read more: www.empireonline.com/movies/news/...
neutral · AI labelView post →A lot of folks have compared SEVEN WIVES to WAKE UP, DEAD MAN and as someone who was literally inspired to pursue a degree in writing (and first film before realizing Directing stresses me out) by Rian Johnson I could not be prouder
neutral · AI labelView post →I saved this thread as a treat to myself until I'd seen WAKE UP DEAD MAN And oh friends, it's a treat. Read it AFTER you've watched the delightful movie.
neutral · AI labelView post →Just finished Glass Onion (4 stars out of 5), which was a lot of fun. Now I’m starting the third Knives Out film Wake Up Dead Man (2025) once again written and directed by Rian Johnson. Like Glass Onion, this is a first time watch.
neutral · AI labelView post →I'm driving an hour, passing at least a couple dozen other movie theaters to go see Wake Up, Dead Man because everything is stupid these days.
neutral · AI labelView post →Wanted to de-stress last night and watched Wake Up Dead Man, and man it's just so comfy to hang out in a Rian Johnson movie for a few hours.
positive · AI labelView post →Wake Up Dead Man Review: distracting that Benoit Blanc is straight up dressed like this for most of the movie.
neutral · AI labelView post →Watching “Wake Up Dead Man” the new Knives Out movie. It’s a fascinating juxtaposition of two versions of Christianity on display in the US right now.
neutral · AI labelView post →Wake Up Dead Man is a blast and by far the most theological movie I’ve seen in ages
positive · AI labelView post →Rian Johnson's Wake Up Dead Man was another great addition to the series! Benoit Blanc threw holy water at a film reel of The Rise of Skywalker and it evaporated in an instant!
positive · AI labelView post →tonight's movie night with friends: WAKE UP DEAD MAN
neutral · AI labelView post →
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