Knives Out: Wake Up Dead Man (2025)

Film Details

Director: Rian Johnson

Run Time: 2hr 24m

Cast: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott

Synopsis

A mysterious death inside a quiet church draws Benoit Blanc into a tense investigation where faith, secrets and suspicions blur.

My Review

The latest instalment in the Knives Out franchise marks the return of one of Daniel Craig’s most captivating characters, Benoit Blanc, boasting a wonderfully gothic atmosphere that partners beautifully with a whodunnit mystery such as this. The characters a truthful, often ugly reflection of society, whilst its screenplay explores the good and the bad side of religion. Despite claiming to be set in upstate New York, the quintessentially British filming locations perfectly matched the tone and themes of the film. Unfortunately the pacing did start to falter towards the end and the 2.5 hour runtime started to feel like 3.5 hours, as I found myself hoping it was close to its conclusion, which was a shame considering how much I enjoyed the first two acts. But nonetheless Rian Johnson has created a sequel that rivals the original Knives out, a stellar cast and a real focus on sharp and powerful cinematography.

My Rating: 7.4 out of 10

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Film Review Club