Why I Think Wake Up Dead Man's Knives Out Change Leads To A Better Movie

Back in 2019, the world was introduced to Daniel Craig’s whimsical yet mysterious detective, Benoit Blanc, in Knives Out. About five minutes into the wonderful whodunit, the bespoke sleuth had his first lines and immediately took over the story as everyone tried to get to the bottom of the murder of Harlan Thrombey after the prolific writer was found dead in his study.

Blanc came in a little later in Glass Onion, a few years after, when his character had his first lines at about the 11-minute mark. Though later than its predecessor, Blanc returned in a bathtub game of Among Us just as the story got started. And, while he is the first person you see in Rian Johnson’s threequel, Wake Up Dead Man, he doesn’t become part of the story until well into the 2025 movie. I, for one, think this change makes for a better film. Allow me to explain…

Holding Off On Benoit Blanc’s Arrival Allows The Story To Breathe

Spoiler Warning: There are some major spoilers for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery below. If you’ve yet to watch the 2025 Netflix movie, please be oh so careful.

Benoit Blanc makes his grand arrival with the opening of a church door and a friendly “hello” around 39 minutes into the movie. By this point, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin) is already dead, we’ve met all the major players and learned a lot of their backstories, and we are fully aware of all the politicking and infighting going on at Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude.

Unlike the previous two movies, a large chunk of Wake Up Dead Man is told through the lens of assistant pastor Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor), which I think gives the story space to breathe before Blanc comes in and starts dissecting everything. This was done on a smaller scale in both Knives Out and Glass Onion, but in this movie, we spend nearly a quarter-hour trying to figure it out before the charismatic detective makes his introduction. Speaking of which…

Waiting Makes Blanc’s Introduction Hit So Much Harder

Waiting so long for Benoit Blanc to show up after we saw him in the opening shot also made his eventual proper introduction hit so much harder. With Jud Duplenticy having a crisis of faith after being accused of killing Monsignor Wicks during the Good Friday Murder, the down-on-his-luck man is praying for a way to get through the ordeal in an empty church. Just when the scene reaches a crescendo, the door opens, and we hear an oh so familiar voice.

If this scene happened five, ten, or 15 minutes into the movie, it wouldn’t resonate so much. If it were to be there, it would mean Jud’s story would have to be shortened, revelations about the parishioners’ pasts would have to be reworked, and the story would feel rushed. Like Gandalf in the Lord of the Rings movies, Blanc “arrives precisely when he means to,” and that makes for such a grand experience.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, as pointed out in CinemaBlend’s official review, is the best the franchise has been, and I think a lot of that has to do with how Rian Johnson retooled the way he presented his story. I mean, at least when it comes to Benoit Blanc.