Wake Up Dead Man Twitter Review: 'Josh O’Connor is utterly terrific,’ internet hails new Knives Out chapter

Rian Johnson’s third chapter in the Knives Out franchise, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, debuted on Netflix on 12 December after a short theatrical run — and early reactions suggest the filmmaker has delivered his boldest take on the Benoit Blanc universe so far. Daniel Craig reprises his beloved detective role, leading an all-star cast that includes Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington and more.

Billed as Blanc’s “most dangerous case yet,” the film shifts away from the franchise’s earlier social satire and leans into darker themes, including faith, extremism and the manipulation of public anger. The official synopsis keeps things simple: Benoit Blanc returns for his most dangerous case yet — but viewers on X (formerly Twitter) are calling it Johnson’s most layered work.

The film currently holds a strong 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Watch the trailer here:

What Viewers Are Saying

The internet has been quick to weigh in on Johnson’s latest whodunit, praising its emotional depth, genre reinvention and standout performances — especially by Josh O’Connor.

Filmmaker Dan Marcus wrote, “WAKE UP DEAD MAN is sensational, an uproariously funny and entertaining crowd-pleaser and the most layered KNIVES OUT mystery yet… Josh O’Connor is utterly terrific. A gorgeous film.”

Another user highlighted the film’s thematic shift: “Rian Johnson puts down the oversaturated ‘eat the rich’ satire in favor of a darker exploration of how extremist religion preys on the already angry… The best one yet.”

Praise for O’Connor continued with another review: “Glenn Close (at times channeling Cloris Leachman) and Josh O’Connor deliver stellar performances. O’Connor is now a fully fledged movie star.”

One viewer wrote, “To no surprise, Wake Up Dead Man is great. Johnson is brilliant at weaving an elaborate, entertaining mystery while making each film about something larger than just a whodunnit.”

Another reaction noted the film’s unexpected emotional pull: “There’s a stretch early on where it threatens to become the most annoying movie of the year, but then it turns into one of the best things Johnson has ever done. I was genuinely moved by it.”

Fans also celebrated Craig’s return as the eccentric detective. “As far as I’m concerned Daniel Craig can keep doing that wacky little detective accent until he dies, every single one of these is a hit,” one user posted.

Some viewers singled out specific scenes: “The phone call bit in Wake Up Dead Man was alarmingly good… handled with sincerity and honor. That’s when I knew the film had something serious to say.”

Another review added, “Such clever, funny writing and solid acting… followed by a Q&A with Joseph Gordon-Levitt that turned into a discussion about pseudo-religion in the Trump era and the implications of AI.”

A Star-Studded Ensemble

The mystery brings together a striking line-up of performers:

• Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc
• Josh O’Connor as Fr. Jud Duplenticy
• Glenn Close as Martha Delacroix
• Josh Brolin as Mons. Jefferson Wicks
• Mila Kunis as Chief Geraldine Scott
• Jeremy Renner as Dr. Nat Sharp
• Kerry Washington as Vera Draven, Esq.
• Andrew Scott as Lee Ross
• Cailee Spaeny as Simone Vivane
• Daryl McCormack as Cy Draven
• Thomas Haden Church as Samson Holt
• Jeffrey Wright as Bp. Langstrom