With Wake Up Dead Man now available to watch on Netflix, there are several key points audiences should consider about Knives Out 3 before viewing the film.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is the third installment in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out franchise. Daniel Craig reprises his role as Benoit Blanc, while the new ensemble cast features A-list actors like Josh O’Connor, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, Glenn Close, and others.

What should people know about Wake Up Dead Man: Knives Out 3 before seeing it?

Wake Up Dead Man presents a more serious and often darker narrative compared to Knives Out and Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. While it retains moments of humor, the overall tone and story delve into a more somber atmosphere than previous entries in the franchise.

Nathan Johnson, Rian’s brother who composes the music for the Knives Out films, mentioned in an interview with Forbes, “This one made me cry, which was, I think, the first time that’s happened with one of Rian’s movies. So, this one felt like it is darker — it’s more gothic. There’s like this underlying dread there that we were talking about discovering, but then also it takes you to this moment that I feel is a moment of real generosity. It’s kind of a meaningful dance to get to start in this very dread-filled place, but then hopefully end in a place that feels like, as I observed the performances and the characters and the things happening on-screen, it’s kind of something that I want to see more of in the world.”

A significant reason why Knives Out 3 is darker than its predecessors is that Benoit Blanc primarily acts as a supporting character in this film. Much of the plot in Wake Up Dead Man centers around Josh O’Connor, similar to how Ana de Armas and Janelle Monáe had prominent roles in Knives Out and Glass Onion. However, Josh O’Connor’s role is so crucial to this story (and he could potentially earn an Oscar nomination for his performance) that he appears on screen far more than anyone else; Blanc doesn’t really enter until the second act.

Furthermore, regarding the murder mystery at the core of Wake Up Dead Man, it presents a much tougher case to solve this time. Some viewers previously noted they could easily identify the murderer in both Knives Out and Glass Onion. In contrast, Wake Up Dead Man includes enough twists and turns to make it challenging to predict where the story is headed. Viewers should prepare their thinking caps before starting the movie.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is now available for streaming on Netflix.