Rian Johnson‘s hotly anticipated Knives Out threequel Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery had its world premiere in the Special Presentations section of the Toronto Film Festival, and the entertainment world’s film critics are already praising it as a successful entry into the whodunit franchise canon.
Reviewers laud the murder-mystery’s Gothic elements, contrasting the Netflix movie’s more somber tone with Glass Onion‘s distinctly campy vibe.
Deadline’s Damon Wise noted that fans should not be alarmed at the switch in genre, as Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc and a new all-star cast of characters keeps the project entertaining: “Don’t take that to mean that all the fun’s been sucked out, though; far from it. As one character put is, ‘There’s obviously some Scooby-Doo sh*t going on round here.’ And wouldn’t you just know it, there damn well is.”
IndieWire’s Kate Erbland said: “It works, and it’s no big mystery why — Johnson knows his form and format, and delivers on it, playing with tone and message but never losing sight of why these stories are so damn entertaining to watch and unravel.”
TheWrap‘s Chase Hutchinson also highlighted the depth of star Josh O’Connor’s performance: “Not only does the franchise newcomer give an excellent comedic performance, the ‘Challengers’ and ‘God’s Own Country’ actor also brings a genuine amount of grace to a film that ends up becoming precisely about that. It’s Johnson’s most elaborate murder mystery movie yet, but also his most emotional.”
Wake Up Dead Man, set for a limited theatrical run Nov. 26 and coming to Netflix Dec. 12, also stars Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church.
