“Wake Up Dead Man” is the third Knives Out movie, a mystery set in a small- town Catholic church where a controversial priest dies under bizarre circumstances and Benoit Blanc is called in to unravel what really happened.
Basic premise
The film follows Father Jud Duplenticy, a young priest and former boxer sent to serve under Monsignor Jefferson Wicks at a rural parish with a troubled history and toxic leadership. When Wicks is suddenly found dead during a Good Friday service, Jud becomes the prime suspect in what appears to be an impossible murder, prompting detective Benoit Blanc to investigate.
What it is “about” thematically
Beyond the whodunnit, the movie explores abuse of religious authority, manipulation of faith, and how institutions can be twisted by greed and narcissism. It also deals with guilt, forgiveness, and the possibility of grace, as Jud struggles with his violent past and the congregation confronts the lies and corruption at the heart of their church.
Tone and style
Compared to the earlier Knives Out films, “Wake Up Dead Man” is darker and more gothic, with stronger religious imagery and moral questions layered into the mystery. It still keeps Rian Johnson’s puzzle-box plotting and Benoit Blanc’s eccentric sleuthing, but ties them to themes of faith, doubt, and how people cling to miracles and conspiracies in an age of disinformation.