The Best 'Knives Out' Yet

SPOILER ALERT! With Jimmy Nichols

2025 was a bounce-back year for movies following a lackluster 2024. The releases of “Sinners,” “Superman,” “Weapons,” and “Wicked: For Good” helped cinemas recover following a year with only a couple of noteworthy releases.  

One movie released later in the year was only released on Netflix with much fanfare--  the sequel to the “Knives Out” franchise.   

This franchise has been one of my favorites since the first movie. Each time they have announced a sequel, I go online and stalk the Google page as I wait for the cast to be announced.   

These films always have a star-studded cast, and I knew the third one would be no exception. Outside of Daniel Craig, who plays the main character, Detective Benoit Blanc, the cast of ”Wake up Dead Man: A Knives out Mystery” consists of Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Josh O’Connor, Jeffrey Wright and Mila Kunis.  

The star power was present for the third installment of the franchise, but how was the script? The first two movies presented a great mystery with some comedy sprinkled in. Could the third achieve this as well without feeling stale and played out?  

The short answer: yes.

Without spoiling the film, the audience follows Josh O’Connor’s character Father Jud, a priest who has been transferred to assist a dwindling church. This is where we meet an interesting bunch of characters.  

The first is Monsignor Wicks, played by Josh Brolin. He is a  radicalized priest who seems to view himself as an equal to God.   

Wicks and Jud often disagree as they clash over the principles of how the church should be run. Jud believes that they should accept everyone with open arms and love as Jesus loved, while Wicks thinks the church should be on the attack to make up for “lost ground.”  

Backing up Wicks is his overzealous group that follows his every order. First is Martha, portrayed by Glenn Close. She  runs the church for Wicks and oversees keeping everything filed correctly.  

Next is Dr. Nat Sharp. He is the local doctor in the small town and has become an alcoholic following his divorce.   

Some members of this small group, like Simone, believe that the pastor can heal her of her chronic pain , while other group members, like Vera, Cy and Lee, believe in Wick’s message and have been forced to trust him.  

The battle between Jud’s and  Wicks' ideology became the central theme of the movie.

Moderation or radicalization was the main battle, which is a battle that wages in real life.  

Jud wants to accept everyone with open arms, to take them as they are and love them despite their flaws. He wants to help everyone become their best versions of themselves.   

Wicks believes the church should become more radicalized and force people who share different beliefs out of the church. Attack before you are attacked.  

With characters as complex as these, this movie felt refreshing, keeping the audience unaware of who the actual killer was. 

When the murder  takes place, Benoit Blanc is called in.  

The best way to describe Blanc is if Sherlock Holmes met Foghorn Leghorn. This southern detective uses his cunning observation skills and sociable personality to help him reach conclusions long before others realize what is happening.   

His case-solving abilities are impressive in the first two movies, but it is really tested in the third one as the homicide is viewed as the perfect murder. It leaves the audience wondering if he can solve this “perfect crime” or if the great detective will finally be stumped.  

The camera work also builds suspense for the murder. Some shots of the suspects are talking to each other are framed as if they are documentary style. This creates the feeling of a confession without  being too upfront about it.  

This movie was one of my favorites of the entire year. It is the best movie of the three so far and has me anticipating the reported fourth one.   

While it might seem predictable at some points, it leaves plenty of twists and turns to keep the audience on their toes for the whole movie.