Obviously, they were always gunning for a franchise. This third installment had been in the pipeline since 2022’s Glass Onion, which felt rather scattered, in hindsight. To its credit, though, it did reinforce the Knives Out series as Agatha Christie with obscure rock tracks as titles. U2 is the muse-of-choice this time around, with the inevitable question being: “Why 1997’s Pop, of all albums?” The answer is simple. Wake Up, Dead Man is already essentially the plot of this whodunnit.

This is Daniel Craig’s third film since stepping down as James Bond and second return as another sleuth, Kentucky native Benoit Blanc. That odd Foghorn Leghorn drawl should no longer distract as it did in 2019. Besides, he makes his entrance more than halfway through and he barely even feels like the lead. It’s a cause for concern, given that he’s supposed to be. But, given this series’ knack for heavy-hitting ensemble casts, there’s more than enough prowess to showcase. 

Leading the pack, in effect, is Josh O’Connor (The Crown), five years since his Emmy-winning turn as young King Charles. Here, he dons a Yankee accent as Father Jud, a hot-tempered boxer who turns to priesthood after a match gone wrong. When his violent instinct resurfaces, his superior, Bishop Langstrom (Jeffrey Wright) reassigns him to an upstate New York parish led by the megalomaniacal Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), who hides a grisly past. Unsurprisingly, the priests’ ideologies and methods clash. Ergo, it’s Josh VS. Josh for a good half-hour.

But it’s not like Wicks’ bigoted stance drives away devotees. There’s uptight lawyer Vera Draven (Kerry Washington) and her ambitious influencer son Cy (Daryl McCormack), struggling author Lee Ross (Andrew Scott, also Americanized), wheelchair-bound cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny), and divorced alcoholic doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner, his first role since his near-fatal accident). But none of them know Wicks’ core more than his pious right hand, Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close) and sketchy groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church). They, too, carry dark secrets. 

When Jud is framed for a Good Friday murder, police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) seeks the help of Blanc, who in turn recruits Jud to assist. Religious symbolisms abound as the investigation takes place. There’s a diamond named Eve’s Apple, as in the root of all evil and why people end up dead. Then, take note of the day of the murder and, again, the film’s title. 

As in the first installment, it’s the final exposition that packs the punch, especially when writer-director Rian Johnson assembles the puzzle, as he should. And, here we are, still wondering why Glenn Close hasn’t earned enough accolades throughout her storied career. But that’s another lengthy discussion. 

Come to think of it, we never expected this to be a full-blown franchise. That was mostly Netflix’s initiative. But if succeeding entries can sustain or outdo this spirit and energy, then by all means, keep bringing Out those Knives.