WHAT WENT WRONG

REVIEW: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

December 12, 2025

Key Takeaways Copied to clipboard!

  • The hosts of WHAT WENT WRONG generally found the mystery mechanics of *Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery* to be convoluted and slow, preferring its deeper, unexpected meditation on faith and organized religion, largely anchored by Josh O'Connor's performance. 
  • The episode highlights the massive financial deal Netflix made for the *Knives Out* sequels ($469 million for two films) as symptomatic of the unsustainable and potentially damaging consolidation occurring during the streaming wars. 
  • Benoit Blanc's character arc concludes with him denying his typical 'aha' moment to allow Glenn Close's character grace, suggesting a thematic message about allowing others room for moral redemption. 

Segments

Initial Spoiler-Free Thoughts
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(00:00:00)
  • Key Takeaway: Chris found the first 45 minutes of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery slow, but the film grew on him due to a surprisingly moving human moment involving Josh O’Connor’s character.
  • Summary: The hosts began their spoiler-free review of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, noting the first 45 minutes were slow. Chris found unexpected humanity in a scene where Bridget Everett’s character asks Father Judd (Josh O’Connor) to pray for her. Lizzie, a fan of ensemble whodunits, felt the film swung too far away from the mystery aspect compared to the first Knives Out.
Filmmaker Background and Context
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(00:14:18)
  • Key Takeaway: Ryan Johnson’s filmography includes Brick, Looper, and The Last Jedi, with Knives Out (2019) being a smash hit that succeeded alongside other ’eat the rich’ films like Parasite.
  • Summary: The episode provided background on writer/director Ryan Johnson, noting his breakout with the neon noir Brick and critical success with Looper. The first Knives Out was a commercial and critical success in 2019, earning over $300 million worldwide and an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. This success occurred during a year featuring other prominent class commentary films like Parasite and Ready or Not.
Streaming Wars and Netflix Deal
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(00:28:14)
  • Key Takeaway: Netflix secured the rights to two Knives Out sequels for $469 million, a deal one executive called mathematically unsound, highlighting Netflix’s aggressive flexing during the peak of the streaming wars.
  • Summary: The discussion pivoted to the business context, noting Netflix’s $469 million deal for the next two sequels, which netted Johnson, Craig, and Bergman over $100 million each. This deal occurred as the streaming wars were cresting, leading to brief theatrical windows for films proven successful on the big screen. The hosts questioned the culpability of filmmakers selling out to the highest bidder, potentially harming the theatrical experience.
Spoiler Review: Themes and Performances
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(00:33:29)
  • Key Takeaway: The film draws parallels to contemporary religious figures like Doug Wilson and political figures like Donald Trump in its exploration of organized religion versus personal faith.
  • Summary: In spoiler territory, the hosts analyzed the film’s commentary on organized religion, noting parallels to figures like Doug Wilson and President Trump through Josh Brolin’s character. Josh O’Connor’s performance as the priest was praised for grounding the film and showing the inclusive, comforting side of faith, avoiding the easy route of complete disillusionment. However, the dialogue was criticized at times for being too ’tell-don’t-show’ regarding its themes.
Spoiler Review: Mystery Mechanics
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(00:38:14)
  • Key Takeaway: The ensemble cast, while star-studded, ultimately diluted the mystery, as the plot primarily focused on the character arcs of Father Judd (Josh O’Connor) and Martha (Glenn Close).
  • Summary: The hosts felt the murder mystery aspect was unsuccessful because the setup failed to convincingly implicate Father Judd, and the true culprit, Martha (Glenn Close), was the only character with a sufficiently large stake to motivate murder. Many supporting characters, including those played by Andrew Scott and Kaylee Spaney, felt tangential and distracting from the core conflict. Benoit Blanc’s final act of withholding the reveal to allow Martha grace was seen as a poignant turn for his character.