Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025 | USA | 144 minutes | Rian Johnson) My god, Josh O’Connor is good at this! My fraying wits could be a culprit, but by the time the end credits rolled on Rian Johnson’s hilariously plotted, elegantly structured mystery was the most moved I’ve felt at all of this year’s TIFF. A warm embrace in a world of wolves, this third iteration in the ongoing Benoit Blanc series represents a major emotional leap for the franchise while demonstrating its dexterity to reshape itself to meet the current mood (here it’s the idiocy of MAGA, cultlike following, and outrage culture). This installation finds onetime boxer turned small-town priest (Josh O’Connor, impossible to overstate how terrific of a run he’s on in 2025) embroiled in a thorny and inexplicable murder of a controversial Monsignor. Like previous Knives Out mysteries, the story folds like elegant origami on itself to accommodate turn-after-turn of brilliance from an outstanding cast working from a hilarious script that reinvents itself into new forms before our eyes. O’Connor is the knockout — hilarious and heartfelt, a rogue with a heart of gold — but as ever, the cast is stacked with stars eager to play in Johnson’s sandbox. Josh Brolin’s the shit-stirring priest who’s driven out all but the most dedicated of his flock. Among them are Andrew Scott as a nut job sci-fi legend who’s preaching to the converted on Substack; Jeremy Renner an alcoholic town doctor; Kerry Washington, the lawyer who got stuck in the town raising an adopted brother who’s failed to catch fire on GOP screaming points; and Cailee Spaeny a cellist who’s resorted to the faith to heal a mystery illness. As the most devoted follower among a cabal of fanatical sycophants, Glenn Close plays a nun who runs the parish and Thomas Hayden Church is a recovering alcoholic who keeps the grounds (and the faith for the Cubs — the movie includes a 2025 series vs. the Dbacks, part of Netflix’s interest in live sports?). Of course, Daniel Craig returns with his spectacular accent and demeanor as the world-renowned Southern detective called in to crack the case, but he’s absent for almost a third of the film. The great trick of performance and structure is that with O’Connor in the spotlight, feeling out the Father Superior, trying to make an impression in his new town, and finding himself embroiled in a stunning murder, you barely have time to miss Craig. When he does make his grand entrance, though, the whole thing elevates and locks into form. The ensuing whodunit makes explicit gestures to classic crime fiction (as curated by Oprah), plays with its tropes of grandstanding solutions while also making room for an interrogation of faith and pursuit of grace. It was the hottest ticket of the festival and the movie I was most anxious about missing. A two and half hour running time sounds intimidating like an limited television, but as minutes flew by it had moved me unexpectedly to the brink of tears. But it was also Day 6 of the festival, so. Festival hype aside, this is a franchise firing on all cylinders that looks and feels like it’s made for the big screen. Cinematographer Steve Yedlin returns to make London look like upstate New York in autumn and a largely fresh cast clicks into gear immediately. There’s maybe not quite enough development beyond the core of O’Connor, Brolin, and Close, but everyone gives enough to keep the material interesting. I hope Rian Johnson will keep making these as long as Netflix (or anyone else, please) will keep footing the bill for Daniel Craig and a coterie of all-star guests to assemble and unravel a crime. With its finger on the pulse of both current events and its concerns touching the most ancient questions of faith and duty to our fellow humans, it’s easily the best of the series so far. While the movie will be streaming soon, there’s nothing quite like laughing in a room full of strangers. It gets a limited run at theaters, so find one and make the effort to enjoy it with a crowd. Rating: 4.5 out of 5. P.S. As silly as it seems, if Netflix doesn’t campaign Glenn Close in supporting and finally win her that Oscar, they’re damned fools. An earlier version of this review ran as part of our coverage of the 2025 Toronto International Film Festival where Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery had its world premiere. It opens in theaters for two weeks before streaming exclusively on Netflix. (In Seattle, that means a visit to The Landmark Crest Center in Shoreline ) Source: https://thesunbreak.com/2025/11/26/tiff-2025-wake-up-dead-man/