In a world where sequels are popping up like a bad penny, the Knives Out series is a gift that keeps on giving. Benoit Blanc is back and better than ever in Wake Up Dead Man; a murder mystery that takes place in a house of God and sees his followers go from sanctified – to suspects. After the CGI spectacle that was 2022’s Glass Onion, the third installment of the series gets back to basics. The result? The greatest Knives Out film to date.

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Josh Brolin leads an incredibly strong ensemble as charismatic preacher Monsignor Wicks in this incredibly stacked cast. As with many real-life popular church leaders, Wicks’ charm leads him to collect an almost cult-like following. That’s where the rest of our players come in: Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner, Thomas Hayden Church, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, and Daryl McCormack. Finally, Josh O’Connor plays Reverend Jud Duplenticy, Monsignor Wicks’ young protégé. When a shocking crime is committed within the holy walls of the church, Blanc is called in by the town’s police chief (Mila Kunis) to help unravel the mystery, one crazy character at a time.

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If you’re wondering how such a huge cast can get adequately fleshed out over 2 hours and 24 minutes, the answer is: it really can’t. Therein lies my only negative critique. There’s simply not enough time to introduce the intricacies of what would surely be some interesting characters. Still, the movie is so much fun I’m willing to give it some grace in that regard.

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Wake Up Dead Man takes a big swing setting a murder mystery inside a church, and the film succeeds in delivering tons of belly laughs while simultaneously making a statement about the toxicity intertwined within much organized religion. That’s not to say it speaks ill of it, in fact I found myself spellbound by Josh O’Connor’s gentle delivery. It’s almost enough to give his co-star Andrew Scott’s famous “hot priest” character a run for his money. Red herring after red herring will keep you guessing until the very end, and even though the final twist is more convoluted than it needs to be, Wake Up Dead Man is a super satisfying third installment in the Knives Out Franchise.