Wake Up Dead Man ending explained: A loyalty that crossed the line

Rian Johnson’s latest mystery, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, is full of darkness and intrigue.

It premiered on September 6, 2025, at the Toronto International Film Festival. The film opened in select U.S. theaters on November 26, 2025. It will start streaming on Netflix on December 12, 2025. The release used a short theater run before global streaming.

The film is a dark, gothic whodunit. It takes place in a religious community. Detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, investigates a murder. The crime happens inside a small-town church, which is led by a charismatic but controversial priest.

Blanc uncovers secrets about faith, power, and lies. He deals with clerics, followers, and conflicted townspeople. In Wake Up Dead Man, beliefs, loyalties, and hidden motives clash.

Spoiler alert: This article contains major plot details and the ending of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

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Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery ending explained

Wake Up Dead Man is Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out film. It is darker and more gothic than the first two. The first films mixed clever mysteries with social satire. This one focuses on psychological tension and a moody atmosphere. The story is set in a close religious community, and the mystery is morally complex.

The film starts in a small parish in upstate New York. The church is called Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude. Young priest Jud Duplenticy, played by Josh O’Connor, has been reassigned here.

He was moved after a problem in Albany. Here, Jud faces the strict rules and fiery sermons of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks. Wicks, played by Josh Brolin, is charismatic but authoritarian and has radicalized his inner circle.

The congregation includes several key people. Lawyer Vera Draven is played by Kerry Washington. Groundskeeper Samson Holt is played by Thomas Haden Church. Housekeeper Martha Delacroix is played by Glenn Close. Local doctor Nat Sharp is played by Jeremy Renner. Novelist Lee Ross is played by Andrew Scott. Former cellist Simone Vivane is played by Cailee Spaeny. They are drawn to Wicks by fear, devotion, and personal doubts.

The mystery in Wake Up Dead Man starts during a church service. Monsignor Wicks is found stabbed in a locked side room. This creates an “impossible crime” situation.

Detective Benoit Blanc, played by Daniel Craig, arrives halfway through. He works to solve the murder. The backstory shows that Wicks’ grandfather hid a diamond. Wicks’ mother, left poor after his death, has been looking for it.

Soon after, Martha Delacroix is revealed as the mastermind. She wants to protect Wicks’ legacy and get the diamond. Martha drugs Wicks with Pentobarbital to weaken him.

Dr. Nat Sharp delivers the fatal stab. Samson Holt, Martha’s husband, is killed by Sharp outside the tomb as he wants the diamond for himself. In the end, Martha tricks Sharp at his home. She switches poisoned drinks and kills him. She arranges his body with Wicks to hide the truth.

Turns out, Wicks wants to get the giant diamond hidden by his grandfather. Martha sees this as a threat to the church and its legacy. The theft is risky and could reveal secrets and cause a scandal. Martha kills Wicks and stages a “resurrection.” This makes Wicks seem heroic and miraculous. She thinks controlling the story protects his legend and the church’s image.

The apparent “resurrection” of Monsignor Wicks in Wake Up Dead Man scares characters and Jud at key moments.

Martha tricks people into thinking Wicks is alive. Some sightings are Samson Holt in disguise or clever shadows. Jud has visions influenced by guilt and fear. Martha controls where Wicks’ body is found to confuse people. The fake sightings help hide the diamond theft. They also cover up the other murders.

While investigating, Jud notices strange things. Some sightings of Wicks don’t match reality. His height, posture, or timing seems wrong. Martha sometimes knows too much about Wicks’ plans. She knows details about the crypt that seem suspicious. Calls and messages show someone is secretly controlling events. Jud looks at who benefits and who has access. He notices who knows too much. This leads him to suspect Martha.

Martha makes a mistake and underestimates Jud. Jud confronts her with evidence and timing mistakes. He shows her lies about the drugging, fake resurrection, and diamond. Benoit Blanc guides Jud and helps him understand the clues. This confirms that Martha planned the murders and deception.

The ending of Wake Up Dead Man leaves Martha’s redemption unclear. She succeeds in her goals and gets some grace. But it is unclear if she deserves forgiveness.

Martha’s forgiveness is emotional, not legal. She caused deaths to protect Wicks and the church’s legacy. Jud and others see her actions were driven by devotion, not malice. The ending of Wake Up Dead Man is ambiguous. Viewers see Martha as clever and loyal. She earns some grace, even though she is technically a criminal.

Wake Up Dead Man is more than a murder story. It explores disinformation, abuse of power, and religious fanaticism. It also looks at morality, belief, and human mistakes.

Samson Holt and Dr. Nat Sharp are killed as part of Martha’s plan. Wicks’ “death” is staged to keep the church’s image intact. Martha prioritizes the church’s story over individual lives. Her devotion is extreme and morally unclear.

Josh O’Connor’s Jud balances Blanc with humor, compassion, and smarts. The supporting cast includes Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, and Jeremy Renner. They make the story richer, even if their roles change in importance.

Wake Up Dead Man is a gothic and smart mystery. The ending solves the murders. It also explores legacy, faith, and justice. The ending suggests that sometimes justice is fake or morally unclear. The film combines a good whodunit with lessons on belief and power.

Martha’s forgiveness is symbolic, not legal. While it gives the story narrative closure, the viewers wonder whether loyalty and intentions matter more than the law.

The ending of Wake Up Dead Man is open and shows human complexity. Martha could as well commit another crime. The story asks viewers to think about intent, loyalty, and redemption. It does not encourage crime. It asks if people should be judged by actions alone or by actions, intent, and results.

Meanwhile, the diamond subplot in Wake Up Dead Man complicates her motives. The diamond is very valuable and hidden by Wicks’ grandfather. Martha manipulates events to control the diamond.

She makes sure she or someone she chooses benefits. This shows a practical, self-serving side. Martha is not purely altruistic. She mixes devotion with personal gain.

This duality contributes to the fact that Benoit Blanc and the narrative leave Martha’s destiny morally unclear: She was loyal, but on the other hand, used the circumstances to her benefit. The offenses she has committed are not clearly divided into good and evil; they are mixed with selfless motive, loyalty, and ambition.

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Wake Up Dead Man will be available globally on Netflix starting December 12, 2025. The film has a 2-week theater run from Nov 26 to mid-December. This is a short run before streaming. After that, it will stream only on Netflix.

Wake Up Dead Man is the third Knives Out movie. It is written and directed by Rian Johnson. The tone is darker and more gothic than earlier films. The story explores faith, deception, power, and social divisions. It is a classic “locked-room” murder mystery.