Daniel Craig’s beloved detective Benoit Blanc is officially back, returning in “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery”—the latest entry in Rian Johnson’s hit whodunnit series. Landing soon on Netflix, this third installment brings together another star-studded cast and serves up a fresh “impossible crime” that puts Blanc’s brilliance to the test. After the massive success of Knives Out and Glass Onion, fans can expect even more of what makes the franchise irresistible: twisted motives, razor-sharp humor, clever storytelling, and a mystery designed to push Blanc further than ever before.
A New Case for Benoit Blanc
“Wake Up Dead Man” continues the Knives Out tradition as a standalone mystery, once again written and directed by Rian Johnson, who crafted both the original “Knives Out” and its Netflix sequel “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery.” The film sees Blanc dropped into an entirely new setting with a fresh group of suspects, balancing classic whodunnit elements with modern social satire and character-driven drama.
Johnson has described each Knives Out entry as its own “dinner party” with a completely different guest list and tone, and “Wake Up Dead Man” follows that philosophy while keeping Blanc’s Southern charm and razor-sharp deduction at the center. With Netflix backing the film as part of its high-profile deal for two Knives Out sequels, the stakes are high for this new chapter to match the critical and audience love of the first two movies.
Director and Star-Studded Cast
Rian Johnson returns as writer-director, once again teaming with producer Ram Bergman under their T-Street banner. Daniel Craig leads the film as Benoit Blanc, the world-famous detective whose keen eye for detail and eccentric personality have made him one of modern cinema’s most beloved sleuths. Craig has spoken about enjoying the freedom of reinventing Blanc slightly with each new mystery while keeping his core integrity intact.
The ensemble cast around Craig is stacked with talent: Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church all play key roles in the new mystery. Each character brings their own secrets, rivalries, and motives, giving Johnson plenty of room for shifting alliances, red herrings, and the kind of charged dinner-table confrontations that fans expect from the series.
How the Previous Knives Out Movies Were Rated
The original “Knives Out” (2019) was a breakout hit, earning an exceptionally strong approval rating in the high 90s on Rotten Tomatoes from critics, with an audience score around 90%. On Metacritic, the film landed in the low 80s, signaling “universal acclaim,” and it received an A– grade from CinemaScore, reflecting enthusiastic word of mouth and strong theatrical buzz.
“Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” released on Netflix after a limited theatrical run, also drew rave reviews, holding a Rotten Tomatoes critic score in the low 90s with a similarly high audience score in the high 80s to low 90s range. Metacritic placed it just over 80, again in the “universal acclaim” band, confirming that Johnson and Craig successfully avoided the typical sequel slump and delivered another crowd-pleasing mystery.
Early critical reactions to “Wake Up Dead Man” have been very positive as well, with its critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes already positioned in the mid-90s, putting it just a hair below the first “Knives Out” but slightly ahead of “Glass Onion.” This consistency across three films reinforces the franchise’s reputation as one of the most reliable modern mystery series in terms of quality.
Audience Reception and Franchise Hype
Audiences embraced “Knives Out” as a refreshing, original whodunnit, with many viewers praising its clever script, twisty structure, and standout performances from the ensemble cast. The film quickly became a word-of-mouth success, developing a strong fan base that rewatched it to pick up on hidden clues and subtle character details, setting high expectations for any future installments.
“Glass Onion” continued that momentum on Netflix, where it ranked among the platform’s most-watched originals upon release. Viewers highlighted Daniel Craig’s playful evolution of Benoit Blanc and enjoyed the more flamboyant, satirical tone, even when some fans still preferred the cozier, mansion-bound feel of the first film. Overall audience scores for both films have remained very close, signaling a broadly satisfied and engaged fan community.
With “Wake Up Dead Man,” anticipation is high for another layered mystery that rewards careful viewing and sparks online debate about suspects, motives, and hidden symbolism. As Daniel Craig’s detective returns on Netflix with yet another stacked cast and strong early reviews, the Knives Out franchise looks set to continue its run as one of the most acclaimed and rewatchable mystery series of the streaming era.
