In the newly released trailer for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, detective Benoit Blanc confronts what he calls a “locked-door mystery”—a man delivers a fiery sermon before stepping into a sealed concrete box…and emerging dead. Blanc, brilliantly played by Daniel Craig, must untangle this baffling crime that defies all logic.
A Church Setting Wrapped in Suspicion
Rian Johnson shifts Benoit Blanc’s investigation from cozy mansions to the somber halls of a church in upstate New York. The spiritual backdrop underscores themes of faith, deception, and mortality as Blanc navigates a complex web of parishioners, including a conflicted young priest (Josh O’Connor) and the charismatic Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin).
A Stellar — and Chilling — Ensemble
The trailer teases an exceptional cast: Glenn Close brings chilling gravitas as Martha Delacroix, Jeremy Renner plays town doctor Nat Sharp, Kerry Washington embodies the calculating lawyer Vera Draven, alongside Andrew Scott, Mila Kunis, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, Thomas Haden Church, and more. Blanc’s central role is emphasized, but the character of Father Jud (Josh O’Connor) emerges as an emotionally critical presence.
Premiere, Release, and Critical Buzz
Wake Up Dead Man premiered to acclaim at the Toronto International Film Festival and will officially open the London Film Festival. The film hits U.S. theaters on November 26, 2025, for a limited two-week run before heading to Netflix on December 12, 2025.
Early critics are calling it Rian Johnson’s most ambitious and emotionally rich mystery yet.
