Wake Up Dead Man (2025)
Directed by: Rian Johnson
Premise: The third Benoit Blanc mystery. The pastor of a rural church (Josh Brolin) is murdered inside of a closed room. The assistant pastor (Josh O’Connor) is the chief suspect and detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) investigates.
What Works: The third installment of the Benoit Blanc murder mystery series takes a slightly different approach. This story is less plot driven and more about characters. Blanc does not show up until well into the running time; Wake Up Dead Man is really about Father Jud Duplenticy, played by Josh O’Connor. Father Jud is a beleaguered assistant pastor struggling with his duties well before he becomes a murder suspect. The assistant pastor wants to inspire empathy and compassion but he runs up against the church’s lead pastor who takes a dark view of the world and uses fear and shame to control his congregation. The filmmakers commit a lot of screentime to Father Jud’s spiritual conflict before getting to the murder mystery and Wake Up Dead Man is a thoughtful dramatization of faith. The film depicts competing views of what religion can be but it’s appeal is broader than that; Wake Up Dead Man addresses more general values of humility and empathy which figure into finally cracking the case. The scenario and themes also have an obvious political relevance. It’s not about blue versus red or religious versus secular but about decency and kindness versus cruelty and the role of faith leaders in that tension. This is a character piece and some of the performances are quite good especially Josh O’Connor as Father Jud. Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc and the material allows Craig to dig more deeply into the character. Also notable are Glenn Close as the church bookkeeper and Josh Brolin as the lead pastor.
What Doesn’t: Some of what distinguishes Wake Up Dead Man from the other Benoit Blanc films may play against its appeal. Murder mysteries are like brain teasers. Viewers who enjoy these kinds of stories are engaged by the intricacies of the plot. The clues and plot mechanics of Wake Up Dead Man are curtailed in favor of focusing on the characters. While that is generally to the movie’s benefit, murder mystery fans may find the film’s priorities disappointing. The character work of Wake Up Dead Man is uneven. The suspects are the church regulars who form the inner circle of the laity but not everyone gets enough screentime. The ultimate reveal of who has done what is undercut because one of the key characters is kept in the background of the story.
Disc extras: Available on Netflix.
Bottom Line: Wake Up Dead Man shakes up the franchise in ways that allow for character depth but at the expense of murder mystery plot mechanics. It’s as enjoyable as the earlier Benoit Blanc films and offers something a little different.
Episode: #1082 (January 11, 2026)