Director: Rian Johnson
Genre: Mystery/
Thriller
Runtime: 144
minutes
Year:
2025
Starring: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Kerry
Washington, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner, Thomas Haden Church, Mila Kunis, Cailee
Spaeny, Jeffrey Wright, Daryl McCormack
Description: Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for his most
dangerous case yet.
Review: Director Rian Johnson has never made a secret of his deep-rooted love
for old-fashioned murder mysteries. That make two of us. His “Knives Out”
films, this being the third in the series, are a clear tribute to Agatha
Christie, with the only regular being Benoit Blanc, as a contemporary Hercule
Poiroit.
“Knives Out” became an
instant all-time favorite, having rewatched it many times already. The second
film, “Glass Onion”, took some time to get used to, mainly because the setting
felt less Christie-esk, but loved the mystery jus as much. And I absolutely
loved “Wake Up Dead Man”. This film feels a bit more like “Knives Out”, when it
comes to vibes and atmosphere, and yet again a clever whodunnit with a stellar
cast and lots of humor.
The atmosphere is grim and
leans towards a gothic mystery, with a church in New York State as a setting.
The script is great, full of humor, witty dialogue and social commentary (the
Christian right wing and tolerance being highlighted).
That Daniel Craig is great
as Benoit Blanc, is a given by now. I actually think this is his best role
ever, and not James Bond. I know, a hot take. The star-studded cast deliver
solid performances, such as Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Jeremy Renner and Kerry
Washington. But Josh O’Connor as priest Jud is particularly noteworthy. His
complex characters often steals the show and he forms a great duo with Blanc.
Some critics say it’s the
best film in the franchise, or at least almost as good as the first film. Well,
I am officially giving this film a 5-star rating, just like the other two. Making
it a strong, solid, amazing murder mystery series. And I will be rewatching
this film many time over.
Rating: 5/ 5
