"Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" has to be one of the most anticipated movies still to come in 2025, and if Rian Johnson's murder mystery threequel wasn't on your radar already, it looks like it needs to be: "Wake Up, Dead Man" seems like a shoo-in for the best Netflix movies list.
That's based on the initial critical reaction to the "Knives Out 3." The upcoming Netflix movie was part of the programme for this year's Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), and viewers who are lucky enough to have seen the movie already are full of praise for Benoit Blanc's next case.
At the time of writing, "Wake Up Dead Man" is sitting at an impressive 96% on the review aggregate site, Rotten Tomatoes (from a total of 23 logged reviews), putting it just 1 point behind the original 2019 hit (97%), and marginally ahead of the streaming service's sequel, "Glass Onion" (91%).
If the gothic vibe (or star-studded cast list) wasn't enough to have you hyped up, these glowing takes on the new movie just might be. Here's a sample of what critics have had to say about "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" so far.
Here's what the critics have said about 'Wake Up Dead Man' so far
BBC.com critic Caryn James gave "Wake Up Dead Man" a perfect 5-star score and summer it up as "darker" but also as "the funniest and most playful" movie of the franchise, to date. James also hyped up Josh O'Connor's performance, in particular, adding: "The biggest revelation of Wake Up Dead Man, the third in Rian Johnson's series of deliciously entertaining mysteries, is that Josh O'Connor, so great at drama, is also an excellent comic."
Reviewing for Variety, Owen Gleiberman said "Knives Out 3" could be the franchise's "sharpest" entry, writing: "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" is an enticingly clever and droll, nearly pitch-perfect piece of murder-mystery fun," adding: "Rian Johnson is just having fun, but he also sneaks a winking level of spiritual inquiry into this edge-of-your-brain mystery-thriller, which is the sharpest “Knives Out” movie yet. I’m not sure he’ll ever be able to top it."
The Guardian's Benjamin Lee gave the movie a 4/5-star rating, praising "Wake Up Dead Man" as "murderously good fun" and calling the movie "a rip-roaring return to form that shows the series to be confidently back on track and heading somewhere with plenty more places to go on the way."
Reviewing for Collider, Ross Bonaime said the movie stands as "proof that Johnson has captured lightning in a bottle three times in a row" in his 8/10 review, writing: ""Wake Up Dead Man" is twistier, darker and more emotional than the previous two installments."
Finally, The Daily Beast Nick Schager hyped the movie as "another intricate, rousing whodunit that maintains the franchise's undefeated record," adding: "
There are some detractors — Screen Rant's Mae Abdulbaki says that "something is missing", while THR's David Rooney calls it "great-looking" but an "uneven" watch — but on balance, the vast majority of reviewers seem to be big fans, meaning "Wake Up Dead Man" is likely to be a big hit when it lands later in the year.
Update: If the above reactions had you hyped, you'll be pleased to know we've gotten a closer look at "Wake Up Dead Man" today, too, as Netflix dropped a new trailer following its premiere. See it here:
"Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" hits theaters on November 26, 2025, and will come to Netflix on December 12.
Need something to stream while you wait? Check out our round-up of the best movies like "Knives Out" and "Glass Onion" for more top recommendations to keep you entertained.
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