Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery — A New Puzzle for Benoit Blanc

Wake Up Dead Man is the latest installment in the Knives Out series, introducing Benoit Blanc to a classic type of whodunnit that challenges even him. Unlike previous films set in big houses or exotic locations, this new story revolves around an "impossible crime" — a locked room mystery rooted in 19th-century detective fiction.

From Classic Whodunnits to Modern Mysteries

The Knives Out franchise, crafted by writer-director Rian Johnson, has historically paid homage to traditional murder mysteries. The first film centered on the suspicious death of a famous author in his Massachusetts estate, while the sequel Glass Onion transported viewers to a Greek island for a double murder. Both movies employed classic tropes: secluded locations, a cast of suspects, hidden motives, social satire, red herrings, and flashbacks to build up the suspense.

Throughout the series, Benoit Blanc, an eccentric detective portrayed brilliantly, unravels complex plots filled with twists and turns. In the upcoming third film, Wake Up Dead Man, Blanc faces his most formidable challenge yet: solving a true "impossible crime."

The Origins of the Locked Room Mystery

The third Knives Out film introduces a "locked room" scenario, a sub-genre of whodunnit with origins dating back to the 19th century. Essentially, the core feature of these mysteries is a murder committed in a sealed location where entry and exit seem impossible.

One of the earliest examples is Edgar Allan Poe’s short story The Murders in the Rue Morgue, where an orangutan commits a double murder in an apartment, baffling investigators. Although Poe’s story involves a bit of a cheat—an unexpected twist— it laid the groundwork for future locked room mysteries.

Detective fiction giants like Arthur Conan Doyle also explored this concept. Sherlock Holmes faced similar puzzles in stories like The Adventure of the Speckled Band and The Adventure of the Empty House. Later, John Dickson Carr emerged as a master of the genre, with his 1935 novel The Hollow Man, regarded as the definitive locked room mystery where a professor is shot in his study, and the killer remains elusive.

The Impossible Crime at the Heart of Wake Up Dead Man

In the upcoming Knives Out 3, the story centers on Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, who is delivering a sermon in his church before heading into a nearby room and dying unexpectedly. The trailer features Benoit Blanc describing the case: “To understand this case, we need to look at the myth that’s being constructed. A man gives a sermon. He then, in plain sight of everyone, walks into a sealed concrete box. And 30 seconds later, that man is lying dead.”

Blanc calls this scenario a “classic impossible crime,” highlighting its significance in the history of whodunnits. The challenge lies in unraveling how Wicks was murdered inside an impenetrable space, with no apparent entry or exit point.

Release Details

Wake Up Dead Man hits theaters on November 28 and will be available for streaming on Netflix starting December 12. For fans craving more suspense, check out the best thrillers on Netflix right now, and explore Rian Johnson’s best mystery movies.