wake up dead movie review

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Link to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Hit Man Link to Hit Man
• Babes Link to Babes

New TV Tonight

• Evil: Season 4
• Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A.: Season 1
• Jurassic World: Chaos Theory: Season 1
• Tires: Season 1
• Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza: Season 1
• Trying: Season 4
• Fairly OddParents: A New Wish: Season 1
• Mulligan: Season 2
• The 1% Club: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Outer Range: Season 2
• Dark Matter: Season 1
• X-Men '97: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Bridgerton: Season 3
• Bodkin: Season 1
• Hacks: Season 3
• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Bridgerton: Season 3 Link to Bridgerton: Season 3
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

All A24 Movies Ranked by Tomatometer

Cannes Film Festival 2024: Movie Scorecard

Asian-American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Walton Goggins Talks The Ghoul’s Thirsty Fans and Fallout’s Western Influences on The Awards Tour Podcast

Vote For the Best Movie of 1999 – Round 1

• Trending on RT
• Furiosa First Reviews
• Most Anticipated 2025 Movies
• Cannes Film Festival Preview
• TV Premiere Dates

The Minute You Wake Up Dead Reviews

It might be of some interest for the presence of a sadly slightly frail-looking Morgan Freeman, but is nothing else than evidence of a brilliant career guttering out. An absolute dandelion clock of a movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 1 | Jan 7, 2023

Any minute you spend with this shonky thriller is likely to feel about 60 seconds too long: gone for ever, never to be clawed back.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Jan 2, 2023

This thriller is so bad, it quickly went to VOD.

Full Review | Original Score: C | Dec 28, 2022

This shockingly bad murder "mystery" centers on people who commit crimes, confess them too soon and to the wrong people, then do the same again, with no plan for how not to get caught. (Not very bright, are they?)

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Nov 15, 2022

As a thriller, The Minute You Wake Up Dead is often as imbecilic as it gets.

Full Review | Nov 9, 2022

A third-rate attempt at noir that keeps resetting its protagonists and antagonists until there is no one left to root for – or against for that matter – until basically someone just calls the cops and ends it all.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Nov 8, 2022

Any meaningful suspense is compromised by formulaic execution in this low-budget thriller immersed in Deep South redneck stereotypes.

Full Review | Nov 4, 2022

The plot of The Minute You Wake up Dead is driven primarily by the incompetence of its characters.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | Nov 3, 2022

So where will you be the minute you wake up dead? Hopefully not still looking at the screen while this plays. If anything, waking up would be a curse

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/5 | Nov 2, 2022

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Real-Life Heroes on YouTube for Tweens and Teens

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

The minute you wake up dead, common sense media reviewers.

Not-very-bright characters in bad, bloody "murder mystery."

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Effectively demonstrates that greed (and certainly

No clear role models, except maybe the sheriff and

The setting is a small town in the U.S. South, so

Characters are murdered in various ways. Bloody wo

Kissing. One character hoists another up by her th

Uses of "f--k," "motherf----r," "s--t," "goddamn,"

Wild Turkey whiskey.

Frequent social drinking. Characters share beers i

Parents need to know that The Minute You Wake Up Dead is a murder mystery/thriller set in a small Southern town, where a bad stock deal leads to several murders. Expect guns and shooting, blood spurts, bloody wounds, a toe getting snipped off with bolt cutters, poison, a person being whacked in the head with…

Positive Messages

Effectively demonstrates that greed (and certainly murder) doesn't pay, although it does so via the use of people committing crimes in thoughtless ways and has little to do with real life.

Positive Role Models

No clear role models, except maybe the sheriff and his deputy, who, despite some prejudgements and narrow-minded attitudes, seem like good people who are trying to do the right thing. All the rest of the characters are despicable.

Diverse Representations

The setting is a small town in the U.S. South, so it's notable that there's a Black sheriff. Very few other people of color to be seen; those who appear are mostly in the background and have barely any dialogue. Women have strong personalities, though they work in somewhat cliched jobs (waitress, secretary, etc.).

Did we miss something on diversity? Suggest an update.

Violence & Scariness

Characters are murdered in various ways. Bloody wounds/gunshot wounds. Blood spurts. Blood spewed all over a Jesus bobblehead. One character snips off another's toe with bolt cutters -- lots of blood. Character poisoned, foams at mouth, drops to floor. Guns and shooting. Men threaten a woman with guns and with cutting off her finger. Character whacked in head with shovel. Car chases, crashes. Car violently pins someone up against a truck. Smashing window with tire iron. Nightmare scene show's a corpse's eyes opening suddenly. Spitting. Characters raging with anger. Serious illness is mentioned.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Kissing. One character hoists another up by her thighs, sits her on a table, kisses her passionately, then picks her up again; the scene cuts after that, but sex is implied. Dialogue: "last night was perfect."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Uses of "f--k," "motherf----r," "s--t," "goddamn," "bitch," "son of a bitch," "Christ," "dumbass," "ass," "hell," "idiot."

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Drinking, drugs & smoking.

Frequent social drinking. Characters share beers in several scenes. Characters share Wild Turkey whiskey. Characters drink wine (one glass is poisoned). Background smoking. Pot-smoking.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that The Minute You Wake Up Dead is a murder mystery/thriller set in a small Southern town, where a bad stock deal leads to several murders. Expect guns and shooting, blood spurts, bloody wounds, a toe getting snipped off with bolt cutters, poison, a person being whacked in the head with a shovel, car crashes, and more. Language includes several uses of "f--k" and "s--t," plus "motherf----r," "son of a bitch," "goddamn," and more. Characters kiss, a man hoists a woman up by her thighs and carries her away; sex is implied, but is nothing shown. Characters drink socially, sharing beers, whiskey, and wine, and there's background cigarette- and pot-smoking. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Videos and photos.

Community Reviews

• Parents say

There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.

What's the Story?

In THE MINUTE YOU WAKE UP DEAD, stockbroker Russ Potter ( Cole Hauser ), who's returned to his small Southern town after a big city education, isn't very popular. After he convinced many of the locals to invest in a potential merger, the deal didn't through, and everyone has lost money. Russ even receives threatening phone calls, asking "where will you be the minute you wake up dead?" Only Delaine ( Jaimie Alexander ), a server in the corner cafe, sticks by him, and soon they begin to form a tender relationship. Unfortunately, Delaine's father ( Andrew Stevens ) is unexpectedly murdered. They go to Sheriff Thurmond Fowler ( Morgan Freeman ) and decide that perhaps Russ was the actual target, and that the murder was a mistake. But then there are more killings, and the mystery deepens.

Is It Any Good?

This shockingly bad murder "mystery" centers on people who commit crimes, confess them too soon and to the wrong people, then do the same again, with no plan for how not to get caught. (Not very bright, are they?) The Minute You Wake Up Dead starts with one of those flash-forwards to an "exciting" event that occurs two-thirds of the way in, which makes no sense and simply disguises the fact that the filmmakers have no confidence in the actual beginning of the story. It also begins and ends with Freeman reading some "life is funny that way"-type narration because, why not, so long as you have Morgan Freeman on hand? Even before the murders start, the characters seem a little off, as if the actors didn't quite know what approach to take.

But when the killings do start, everything gets really screwy. Characters willy-nilly confess their transgressions to whoever happens to be listening, and no one seems to have any plan. (Everyone is after a large insurance check, and, presumably, the last person left alive gets to keep it? Without being arrested?) Characters just happen to show up exactly where their victim also happens to be and simply go homicidal. The only intelligent moment in the entire movie is the final one, a supposed irony that shows all the characters getting just what they deserve. Truthfully, if you were to witness just one minute of The Minute You Wake Up Dead , you'd know that you were surely in the wrong place.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about The Minute You Wake Up Dead 's violence . How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?

What lessons are learned in the movie? Should the characters have done anything differently? How?

What is greed? What are some examples of greed in the movie? Does anything ever good come of it?

The movie includes the conundrum: "Are we sinners because we sin, or do we sin because we're born sinners? If it's the latter, what right does God have to judge us?" What do you think?

How is drinking portrayed? Characters seem to enjoy social drinking regularly: Is it glamorized? Are there consequences? Why does that matter?

Movie Details

• In theaters : November 4, 2022
• On DVD or streaming : November 4, 2022
• Cast : Cole Hauser , Jaimie Alexander , Morgan Freeman
• Director : Michael Mailer
• Inclusion Information : Black actors
• Studio : Lionsgate
• Genre : Thriller
• Run time : 90 minutes
• MPAA rating : R
• MPAA explanation : some violence and language
• Last updated : March 14, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Our editors recommend.

A Simple Plan

The Little Things

Thriller Movies

Thriller books for teens.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

THE MINUTE YOU WAKE UP DEAD – Review

THE MINUTE YOU WAKE UP DEAD is a title that looms as ominously as it plays for a concept that aptly grows in levels of menace as this quiet, twisty suspense tale unfolds.

The setting is a small, less-than-wealthy Southern town. An investment broker (Cole Hauser) has done well by his fellow citizens in the past, but has just cost a whole lotta folks a whole lotta money when a huge deal he’d touted fell apart, making their extremely non-discretionary funds evaporate.

We meet him as he enters the local diner to icy stares from all, and threats from a few, as he’s just become the redneck version of Bernie Madoff. The hot waitress (Jaime Alexander) he’d had a crush on since their school days is the only one who is still kind to him. He’s also renting the house next door from her and her father.

Hauser keeps getting whispered anonymous phone calls using the film’s title as a threat to life and limb. He tells the sheriff (Morgan Freeman, who also provides his special brand of voice-over, but the law is mostly helpless when the perp can’t be identified. Romance surprisingly blossoms with Alexander until her sickly father is gunned down one night. The theory is that the shooter was going for Hauser but missed HIS home by one door.

That’s when a surprising number of layers begin to unfold. We learn why the old man was shot but so do others, making a simple plan spin out of control, causing more bodies to pile up. One of my favorite Alfred Hitchcock films, THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY, is a wry little comedy about having to keep moving a corpse found in the woods, as everyone in a little neighborhood thinks they’re protecting someone else. This one vaguely evokes the memory of that, albeit with a higher body count and none of its whimsical humor. Or any other type of humor, for that matter.

The small-town setting provides a perfect backdrop for the tone of the tale, enhanced by the expected reality of everyone knowing everyone else’s business, or learning about it with little effort. Performances are solid, and Michael Mailer’s (Norman’s oldest son) direction is admirably efficient, as the script he co-wrote with Timothy Holland piles more and more problems upon the principal players. It’s an understated little film, with the essential sex and violence elements occurring either off-camera, or visually minimized. Nothing great, but most should find this tangled web they weave a satisfactory diversion.

It’s got Morgan Freeman, folks. That’s pretty much a guarantee of at least some merit on its own.

THE MINUTE YOU WAKE UP DEAD opens Friday, Nov. 4, in select theaters, and is available on-demand and via digital platforms starting the same day.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

You may also like...

• Sundance Live
• SXSW 2010 Film Festival Live Coverage
• Twitter Feed
• WAMG Text Service

Copyright © 2013 Lanier Media

Latest News

The beach boys (2024) – review, axel foley is back on july 3 – watch eddie murphy in new trailer for netflix’s beverly hills cop: axel f, win passes to the st. louis advance screening of young woman and the sea, new beetlejuice beetlejuice trailer and character posters are here, barbara crampton and lin shaye starring in horror film the possession at gladstone manor, ryan reynolds and hugh jackman let fans know deadpool & wolverine tickets are on sale now – opens in cinemas on july 26.

The Minute You Wake up Dead (2022)

• User Reviews

Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews

• User Ratings
• External Reviews
• Metacritic Reviews
• Full Cast and Crew
• Release Dates
• Official Sites
• Company Credits
• Filming & Production
• Technical Specs
• Plot Summary
• Plot Keywords
• Parents Guide

Did You Know?

• Crazy Credits
• Alternate Versions
• Connections
• Soundtracks

Photo & Video

• Photo Gallery
• Trailers and Videos

Related Items

• External Sites

Related lists from IMDb users

Recently Viewed

• Cover Stories

Letters to the Editor

• Morning Word
• 3 Questions
• Eavesdropper
• Calendar (Opens in new window)
• Shop (Opens in new window)

‘The Minute You Wake Up Dead’ Review

Why, morgan freeman why.

(Courtesy Milestone Studios)

One can’t help but wonder whom Morgan Freeman pissed off to be forced into an appearance in The Minute You Wake Up Dead , a preposterously stilted thriller from Lionsgate Film heading to on-demand services and, if you’re unlucky, a theater near you.

In director/writer Michael Mailer’s misguided stab at a sort of neo-Southern Gothic thing, Yellowstone ’s Cole Hauser plays Russ...something, a former resident of whatever tiny Southern town who went off to the big city to make good and came back a financial consultant. When we join Russ, he’s become a social pariah for a bad stock tip that cost numerous townsfolk all kinds of money. He starts getting threatening phone calls asking, “Where will you be the minute you wake up dead?” Ruh-roh, though, because the town sheriff (Freeman) won’t take the threats seriously—his brother, whom we never meet, also lost money, and he’s bummed on Russ, too.

Then come the murders, most notably the father of the beautiful waitress from the town diner (Jaimie Alexander, aka Sif from Marvel’s Thor films) who might know more than she lets on. Russ believes the killer was looking for him since he screwed over the town and all, but since he did do that, it could be just about anyone behind the killings. But some mysteries are more mysterious than they seem and blah blah blah blah blah.

Hauser gives it the old college try through hammy lines about sin and sinners and sincere stabs at intensity that sadly fall flat. Alexander does the same, though they could both be in better films. The real problem, though, is that Mailer and co-writer Timothy Holland have stacked their film with so much melodramatic nonsense that none of their actors stand a chance. Have a Southern character? Make ‘em say things like, “daddy,” and “reckon” and “don’t rightly know.” Need a patsy type character whose take on a Southern accent is borderline offensive? Bring in Darren Mann from Chilling Adventures of Sabrina and tell him there’s no such thing as too big.

Freeman’s appearance particularly stings, though, in the way that’ll make you wonder whether he owed someone something, he did the film to get access to another project he actually wanted or they somehow just threw so much money at him he couldn’t afford not to do it. Regardless, for the first half of the film, we never actually see him act with any of the others. When we do finally see the principal cast in the same frame, it’s for something dumb (no spoilers, but it’s a completely unnecessary layer that feels tacked-on). Even so, he’s Morgan freaking Freeman, so he represents the one bright shining point of the whole thing.

What’s left is painfully slow to unfold and not particularly satisfying in its conclusion. If you like laughing at bad movies, your ship has come in. If you want something half-decent, don’t let the Freeman siren song lure you to the rocks of death, tempting as they seem once you’ve sunk your time into this dreck.

+Morgan Freeman sure can act

-There are no non-Freeman redeeming qualities

The Minute You Wake Up Dead

Directed by Mailer

With Hauser, Alexander, Mann and Freeman

VoD, R, 130 min.

Mail letters to PO Box 4910 Santa Fe, NM 87502 or email them to editor[at]sfreporter.com . Letters (no more than 200 words) should refer to specific articles in the Reporter. Letters will be edited for space and clarity.

We also welcome you to follow SFR on social media (on Facebook , Instagram and Twitter ) and comment there. You can also email specific staff members from our contact page .

‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ Comes to Netflix in 2025

Rian Johnson’s hit Knives Out Universe expands with a third movie next year, and we’ve learned this morning it’s officially titled Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery .

Additionally, we’ve learned that Daniel Craig will be back as Benoit Blanc, the character he first played in Knives Out and then later sequel Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery .

Wake Up Dead Man is coming to Netflix in 2025. Rian Johnson is back to write and direct, and the film is said to unfold “Benoit Blanc’s most dangerous case yet.”

Rian Johnson tweets, “I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is. There’s a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie, and getting to explore that range is one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies.

“We’re about to go into production on the 3rd one, and I’m very, very excited to share the title, which gives a little hint of where it’s going,” Johnson’s tweet this morning continues.

Watch the title reveal video for Wake Up Dead Man below and expect more soon.

Knives Out  was a massive hit for Lionsgate in 2019, pulling in over $300 million worldwide at the box office. Glass Onion arrived in 2022, first in limited theaters and then on Netflix.

Writer in the horror community since 2008. Editor in Chief of Bloody Disgusting. Owns Eli Roth's prop corpse from Piranha 3D. Has four awesome cats. Still plays with toys.

You may like

5 of This Week’s Coolest Horror Collectibles Including a Jenna Ortega Living Dead Doll!

‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Trailer – A Bigger, Twistier Murder Mystery from Rian Johnson

‘Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery’ Review – Benoit Blanc Is Back in Bigger and Funnier Whodunnit

‘A Sacrifice’ Trailer – Sadie Sink Stars in Suicide Cult Thriller

Inspired by Nicholas Hogg’s 2015 novel Tokyo Nobody , the thriller A Sacrifice starring Sadie Sink (“Stranger Things”) is on the way from Vertical, and the official trailer has arrived.

From director Jordan Scott , the film releases on June 28, 2024 .

“ A Sacrifice is an emotionally turbulent story that follows American social psychologist Ben Monroe who is investigating a local Berlin cult connected to disturbing events.

“While he immerses himself in his work, his rebellious teenage daughter, Mazzy, becomes embroiled with a mysterious local boy who introduces her to the city’s underground party scene. As their two worlds head toward a dangerous intersection, Ben will need to race against the clock in order to save his daughter.”

Sadie Sink stars alongside Eric Bana and Sylvia Hoeks .

A Sacrifice is produced by Ridley Scott.

Five Horror Anthologies to Stream This Week

‘Beetlejuice Beetlejuice’ – New Poster Promises New Trailer This Week

Stephen King’s ‘You Like It Darker’ Finds Beauty and Hope in Nihilistic Horror [Review]

Rumour: Capcom Planning ‘Resident Evil’ Remake for Series’ 30th Anniversary, ‘Resident Evil 9’ Reveal Coming Soon

“1313” – James Wan Producing Horror Reboot of ‘The Munsters’

Where to Watch

Watch THE MINUTE YOU WAKE UP DEAD Videos

You may also like:.

Flickering Myth

Geek Culture | Movies, TV, Comic Books & Video Games

Movie Review – The Minute You Wake Up Dead (2022)

August 23, 2023 by Robert Kojder

The Minute You Wake Up Dead , 2022.

Directed by Michael Mailer. Starring Cole Hauser, Jaimie Alexander, Morgan Freeman, Darren Mann, Andrew Stevens, Ben VanderMey, Kenneth Farmer, John Dylan Atkins, Liann Pattison, James Harlon Palmer, Dee Lucroy Dempsey, David Dahlgren, and Tony DeMil.

A stockbroker in a small southern town gets involved in an insurance scam with a next-door neighbor that leads to multiple murders.

“Where will you be the minute you wake up dead?”

An unknown caller repeatedly makes that vague threat throughout the appropriately titled The Minute You Wake Up Dead , which concerns a small-town businessman dealing with backlash from its residents for a bad stock advice tip that relied on a merger between two companies, one that ultimately did not go through. Cole Hauser’s Russ takes the advice of diner waitress Delaine (Jamie Alexander) and alerts Sheriff Thurmond Fowler (a relaxed Morgan Freeman with one or two amusing lines) of the situation, who doesn’t take the calls seriously.

Meanwhile, Russ also has an undefined relationship with next-door neighbor Delaine, who invites him to dinner alongside her father, now free from cancer. There is some offscreen lovemaking, as Delaine, the prototypical prettiest woman in town that never got to escape and move on to bigger and better things, offers moral and emotional support. The next night, a murder attempt presumably intended for Russ fails, as the killer enters the wrong home and shoots Delaine’s father dead.

Some credit goes to director Michael Mailer (co-writing alongside Timothy Holland) for not trying to hide the obvious from the audience for too long. It’s clear early on that Delaine is in cahoots with the killer (something that Jamie Alexander relishes with her performance) to collect insurance from her father. The issue is that from there, the story gets stuck waiting for these boring characters to catch up, while Delaine and the dimwitted murderous Lucius (Darren Mann) wait around for the money to pay back certain debts to criminals that one presumes the local law enforcement would look into more at the start of this investigation, but apparently not.

The solution then turns out to be doubling down on twists, with a narrative that consistently shifts perspectives while spinning into gears into something wholly absurd that still isn’t entertaining due to its dull execution (there are some of the least thrilling car chases ever put to screen). None of this is helped by the jarring creative decision to open in medias res with a sequence that more or less gives away a huge chunk of the final act. Again, it means that in an already mundane thriller, The Minute You Wake Up Dead is mostly an exercise in sitting around until our knowledge of the story aligns with the characters’. 

None of these characters are particularly likable, which would be fine if they had some depth and the film’s constant religious musings on the nature of sins and sinners amounted to anything thought-provoking. As a result, there’s also no reason to care or get invested in what happens to any of these shady people driven by greed or finding a safety net for their failed business ventures.

Turning on The Minute You Wake Up Dead is a mistake one realizes the minute one does so. So where will you be the minute you wake up dead? Hopefully not still looking at the screen while this plays. If anything, waking up would be a curse.

Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★  / Movie: ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Film Critics Association and the Critics Choice Association. He is also the Flickering Myth Reviews Editor. Check  here  for new reviews, follow my  Twitter  or  Letterboxd , or email me at [email protected]

YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE:

Four Weddings and a Funeral at 30: The Quintessentially British Romantic Comedy

The Most Disturbing Horror Movies of the 1980s

The Essential Cannon Films Scores

Essential Gothic Horror Movies To Scare You Senseless

Underrated 2000s Cult Classics You Have to See

Ten Underrated Action Movies That Deserve More Love

Studios defiantly stick to reboots and sequels but are we bored yet?

Six Overhated Modern Horror Movies

Ranking The Best Episodes of X-Men: The Animated Series

Asian Shock Horror Movies You Have To See

• Comic Books
• Video Games
• Toys & Collectibles
• Articles and Opinions
• About Flickering Myth
• Write for Flickering Myth
• Advertise on Flickering Myth
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy

• Rent or buy
• Categories Categories
• Getting Started

The Minute You Wake Up Dead

Customers also watched.

Cast and Crew

Other formats

3482 global ratings

How are ratings calculated? Toggle Expand Toggle Expand

• Amazon Newsletter
• About Amazon
• Accessibility
• Sustainability
• Press Center
• Investor Relations
• Amazon Devices
• Amazon Science
• Sell on Amazon
• Sell apps on Amazon
• Supply to Amazon
• Protect & Build Your Brand
• Become an Affiliate
• Become a Delivery Driver
• Start a Package Delivery Business
• Advertise Your Products
• Self-Publish with Us
• Become an Amazon Hub Partner
• › See More Ways to Make Money
• Amazon Visa
• Amazon Store Card
• Amazon Secured Card
• Amazon Business Card
• Shop with Points
• Credit Card Marketplace
• Reload Your Balance
• Amazon Currency Converter
• Your Account
• Your Orders
• Shipping Rates & Policies
• Amazon Prime
• Returns & Replacements
• Manage Your Content and Devices
• Recalls and Product Safety Alerts
• Conditions of Use
• Privacy Notice
• Consumer Health Data Privacy Disclosure
• Your Ads Privacy Choices

Screen Rant

Knives out 3's title: wake up dead man & its meaning explained.

Your changes have been saved

Email Is sent

Please verify your email address.

You’ve reached your account maximum for followed topics.

Knives Out 3 Wishlist: 6 Things We Want To See In The Sequel

Upcoming murder mystery with 3 huge actors is the perfect movie rival for knives out 3, knives out 3’s title & 2025 release revealed in daniel craig-narrated video.

• Wake Up Dead Man title hints at possible religious themes and a central death, offering room for supernatural twists.
• Speculation suggests U2's song may inspire murder mystery plot involving reviving the deceased or religious themes.
• Knives Out 3 could introduce new supernatural or horror elements, shaking up the franchise's classic murder mystery format.

The title of Knives Out 3 has finally been revealed as Wake Up Dead Man . Netflix released an announcement trailer on Friday, May 24, 2024 , that provided little details on the upcoming Knives Out 3 movie other than the reveal of the title. Daniel Craig will once again return as the charismatic protagonist Benoit Blanc as part of Rian Johnson's two-sequel deal with Netflix following 2020's Knives Out follow-up Glass Onion .

Johnson took to X (Twitter) to announce the start of production on Knives Out 3 before the release of the title trailer on Friday. He wrote, " We’re about to go into production on the 3rd one, and I’m very, very excited to share the title, which gives a little hint of where it’s going. ” The brief teaser briefly recapped the previous two installments before a black coffin twirls into frame and the title Wake Up Dead Man is revealed, leaving viewers to wonder what the title could possibly mean.

What Knives Out 3's Title Wake Up Dead Man Means

The title shares the name of a u2 song.

While as of May 2024 the meaning of Wake Up Dead Man's title is limited to speculation, it does appear to be a reference to a popular song of the same name by the internationally known rock band U2. Commonly regarded as one of the band's most controversial and off-kilter songs due to its stark religious subject matter, "Wake Up Dead Man" was the final song on the band's 1997 album titled Pop . In it, U2's lead vocalist Bono sings to Jesus Christ and essentially asks for guidance and direction.

The only other major clue offered in the brief title announcement trailer is the aforementioned twirling black coffin, which is a pretty clear indication that the film is centered around someone's death, as per usual. The deceased is likely a man and should kick off the ensuing murder mystery that requires the immediate attention and investigative intuitions of Craig's Benoit Blanc. If the reference is based on the U2 song, then there could be some religious themes in Wake Up Dead Man , or the deceased man could be seen as a larger-than-life figure whose absence leaves the rest of the cast astray .

While Daniel Craig's Detective Blanc is due to return for yet another murder mystery, Knives Out 3 has the perfect opportunity to switch things up.

Is Knives Out 3 About Someone Returning From The Dead?

Other characters might try to bring the deceased back to life.

Another fun possible implication of Wake Up Dead Man is the addition of supernatural or even horror themes in the Knives Out franchise . The death of a powerful or otherwise significant man could send shockwaves through the lives of a certain group of people who collectively have vested interests in keeping him alive. There could be some type of elaborate twist that the dead man isn't actually dead or is somehow brought back to life. These concepts, mixed with the religious themes of the U2 song, already set an intriguing premise for Knives Out 3 based on the title alone.

Knives Out 3 is in production, hoping to film in 2024. The murder mystery sequel could have competition from a similar film with a stacked cast.

• Knives Out 3

The Minute You Wake Up Dead: Morgan Freeman And Jaimie Alexander To Lead Mystery Thriller

Morgan Freeman ("The Dark Knight," "Million Dollar Baby"), Jaimie Alexander ("Thor," "Blindspot"), and Cole Hauser ("Yellowstone," "2 Fast 2 Furious") have joined the upcoming thriller "The Minute You Wake Up Dead," according to Deadline. The film is being produced by Milestone Studios and is currently shooting in Mississippi. 

"The Minute You Wake Up Dead" is about "a stockbroker (Hauser) in a small southern town who gets embroiled in an insurance scam with a next-door neighbor (Alexander) that leads to multiple murders when a host of other people want in on the plot. Sheriff Thurmond Fowler (Freeman), the by-the-book town sheriff for over four decades, works earnestly to try and unravel the town's mystery and winds up getting more than he bargained for."

"The Minute You Wake Up Dead" is directed by Michael Mailer with an original screenplay from Timothy Holland. It's produced by Andrew Stevens, with Dawn Bursteen and Alan B. Bursteen from Milestone Studios executive producing.

Small Town Lawyers Always End Up in Something Scandalous in Movies

Morgan Freeman has been nominated for an Academy Award several times ("Street Smart," "Driving Miss Daisy," and "The Shawshank Redemption"), and won the award for Best Supporting Actor for "Million Dollar Baby." Jaimie Alexander who starred in the NBC series "Blindspot" just finished shooting "Thor: Love and Thunder" with director Taika Waititi, and "Chase" with Gerard Butler. Cole Hauser plays Rip Wheeler in the Paramount+ series "Yellowstone," which has been a huge hit for the streaming service. By the way, Alexander's Sif was done dirty in the MCU, and just getting a glimpse of her doing the same thing over and over in "Loki" wasn't enough. I'm hoping to see a lot more of her in "Thor: Love and Thunder." 

Milestone's Dawn Bursteen and Alan B. Bursteen said in a statement: 

"We couldn't be more excited to have such a stellar cast with unique talents on board. Morgan Freeman is one of the most acclaimed and respected actors globally, paired with the terrifically versatile and talented Cole Hauser and the wonderfully gifted actress Jaimie Alexander is an extraordinary and ideal cast for the film. In addition, we are thrilled to be working with visionary director Michael Mailer and veteran producer, Andrew Stevens on this clever suspense thriller."

Mailer has directed "Heart of Champions" and "Blind," and produced "Black and White," and "Two Girls and a Guy." 

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

Knives Out 3 title Wake Up Dead Man teases Daniel Craig's 'most dangerous case yet'

Filming on the next chapter will be soon ahead of a planned 2025 premiere on Netflix.

Maureen Lee Lenker is a senior writer at Entertainment Weekly with over seven years of experience in the entertainment industry. An award-winning journalist, she's written for Turner Classic Movies, Ms. Magazine , The Hollywood Reporter , and more. She's worked at EW for six years covering film, TV, theater, music, and books. The author of EW's quarterly romance review column, "Hot Stuff," Maureen holds Master's degrees from both the University of Southern California and the University of Oxford. Her debut novel, It Happened One Fight , is now available. Follow her for all things related to classic Hollywood, musicals, the romance genre, and Bruce Springsteen.

Knives Out mastermind Rian Johnson just dropped a massive clue to the third chapter of the Daniel Craig -led whodunnits.

The filmmaker and writer behind the movie series has announced the title of the next chapter, which itself is a big ol' clue as to where it's heading next. The film to follow 2019's Knives Out and 2022's Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery will be called Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery .

Craig is confirmed to return once again as New Yorker profile-adorned crime solver Benoit Blanc in the third movie, which is again written and directed by Johnson. Netflix also revealed a teaser video that showcases the new title treatment and confirmed the next installment will arrive sometime in 2025.

"In the beginning, the knives came out," Craig's Benoit says in the tease. "Then behold, the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed."

"I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is," Johnson teased in a statement posted to Twitter/X. "There’s a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie, and getting to explore that range is one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies."

Want more movie news? Sign up for  Entertainment Weekly 's free newsletter  to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

He continued, "We’re about to go into production on the 3rd one, and I’m very, very excited to share the title, which gives a little hint of where it’s going."

As with the previous two entries in the series, the title takes its name from a rock song. Knives Out borrowed its title from a Radiohead song, which sings of a gruesome murder and cannibalism, itself an allegory for violence and competition — an apt metaphor for the events of the film.

The second film, Glass Onion, took its name from a Beatles song. It sings of a "fool on the hill" and "looking through a glass onion" to "see how the other half lives." Its plot focused on a charlatan tech genius who lived inside a "glass onion" atop a hill.

So, what about Wake Up Dead Man? It shares its title with a U2 song off their 1997 album Pop. The song is fairly straightforward, featuring Bono's plea that Jesus return and save humanity from itself. There's even some hint of yearning for an apocalyptic event to restart the world. Perhaps Benoit Blanc will be contending with a messianic figure this time?

The first Knives Out saw Benoit Blanc trying to solve the mystery surrounding the death of a renowned crime novelist, Harlan Thrombey ( Christopher Plummer ). The dynamite ensemble cast featured Ana de Armas , Chris Evans , Toni Collette , Katherine Langford , Michael Shannon , and Jamie Lee Curtis .

Following the success of that film, Netflix struck a massive deal — with a price tag of over $400 million — to develop sequels. Glass Onion then brought the detective to the private island of tech billionaire Miles Bron ( Edward Norton ) where someone at their murder-mystery party wound up dead.

The new ensemble for the sequel featured Janelle Monáe , Dave Bautista , Kate Hudson , Jessica Henwick, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kathryn Hahn , and Madelyn Cline.

Now all we need are the names joining up for this third outing. Here's hoping Hugh Grant makes a comeback as Benoit's husband Phillip.

Related Articles

‘Knives Out 3’ Title Revealed as ‘Wake Up Dead Man’; Rian Johnson Confirms 2025 Release

By Ethan Shanfeld

Ethan Shanfeld

• Brooke Shields Elected President of Actors’ Equity Association 59 mins ago
• ‘Knives Out 3’ Title Revealed as ‘Wake Up Dead Man’; Rian Johnson Confirms 2025 Release 2 hours ago
• George Floyd Biopic ‘Daddy Changed the World’ in the Works With His Daughter Executive Producing 2 days ago

Benoit Blanc is back to solve another mystery in Rian Johnson ‘s third “ Knives Out ” film, titled “ Wake Up Dead Man .”

Johnson announced the title, along with a 2025 release date, in a teaser posted to X Friday morning.

“In the beginning, the knives came out. Then, behold, the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed,” narrates Daniel Craig in the 45-second video, referencing the first two titles of the murder mystery franchise, 2019’s “Knives Out” and 2022’s “Glass Onion.”

Popular on Variety

Johnson has his hands full. The writer-director behind “Looper” and “Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi” is also working on Season 2 of his Peacock mystery series starring Natasha Lyonne, “Poker Face.” And, with his producing partner Ram Bergman, he recently signed a two-picture deal at Warner Bros. , where he’ll be overseeing two more films.

Watch the teaser video for “Wake Up Dead Man” below.

The next Benoit Blanc mystery, the follow-up to Knives Out and Glass Onion, is called Wake Up Dead Man. pic.twitter.com/pdDXRDmwcI — Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) May 24, 2024

More From Our Brands

Meet ‘moonshine,’ a new 119-foot superyacht with an otherworldly interior, bowlsby bonanza: big 12 paid commish $17.2m after retiring, the best loofahs and body scrubbers, according to dermatologists, the last of us: jeffrey wright to reprise his video-game role in season 2, verify it's you, please log in.

'Knives Out' Director Rian Johnson Confirms Third Movie 'Wake Up Dead Man' With Daniel Craig

Benoit Blanc, portrayed by Daniel Craig, is back on the case in 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.'

Get your investigative skills ready because writer-director Rian Johnson has just announced a third Knives Out murder mystery movie.

The third installment of Netflix's whodunit franchise, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery , is set to debut in 2025 with Daniel Craig returning as Benoit Blanc in his most dangerous case yet.

The comedy is a follow-up to 2019's Knives Out and 2022's Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery . Blanc, a suave Southern investigator, will be unraveling a brand-new murder case in an as-yet-undisclosed setting, surrounded by a new colorful cast of suspects. 

The new title announcement video for Wake Up Dead Man references its past films.

"In the beginning, the knives came out," Blanc voices as a magnifying glass slices through the first film's title before breaking the second's, "Then behold, the glass was shattered." 

As suspenseful music plays, he continues, "But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed." 

Audiences were first introduced to the famed private detective in Knives Out , when he was hired to investigate the death of best-selling author Harlan Thrombey ( Christopher Plummer ). Blanc teamed up with nurse Marta Cabrera ( Ana de Armas ) to uncover the truth in a twisted case filled with angry relatives ( Toni Collette , Jamie Lee Curtis , Chris Evans and Michael Shannon ), red herrings and stylish knitwear.

Blanc's skills were called again in Glass Onion , when he headed to Greece to peel back the layers of intrigue surrounding tech billionaire Miles Bron ( Edward Norton ) and an eclectic group of disruptors, including Madeline Cline , Kate Hudson , Dave Bautista , Leslie Odom Jr ., Kathryn Hahn and more .

The ending of Glass Onion may serve as the beginning of the master sleuth's next chapter. Blanc was last seen sitting on the beach of Bron's estate on an idyllic Greek island, pondering the chaotic events of his past few days.

"I love everything about whodunnits, but one of the things I love most is how malleable the genre is," Johnson posted on X (formerly Twitter) in a thread announcing the film's new title. "There's a whole tonal spectrum from Carr to Christie, and getting to explore that range is one of the most exciting things about making Benoit Blanc movies."

He promised that there's "More to come very soon!"

Last January, Johnson teased whether fans could expect to see Hugh Grant return as Craig's love interest in another Knives Out movie and if he's been recruiting any celebrities for the series.

"Honestly, you throw a rock in here and you'll hit somebody that I'd love to have in one of the mystery movies. So, we'll see," he told ET at the Moet platform at the 2023 Golden Globe Awards before discussing a potential continuation of the romance between Grant and Craig's characters. "We'll see. Look, I should only be so lucky to have Hugh Grant in more mystery movies. We'll see what happens. Everything is a maybe."

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery comes to Netflix globally in 2025.

Updates on Celebrity News, TV, Fashion and More!

RELATED CONTENT:

M. Emmet Walsh, 'Knives Out' Actor, Dead at 88

'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery' Clip: See the Puzzling Invitation

'Glass Onion: A Knives Out Sequel' Trailer Teases a Puzzling Mystery

'Knives Out' Sequel Gets an Official Title

Kate Hudson and Daniel Craig Film 'Knives Out 2' in Greece: First Look

• Daniel Craig
• Rian Johnson

Benoit Blanc Is Ready for His ‘Most Dangerous Case Yet’: ‘Wake Up Dead Man’

By Jon Blistein

Jon Blistein

Benoit Blanc will return next year, with filmmaker Rian Johnson revealing the name of his next mystery film, Wake Up Dead Man .

The announcement was accompanied by a short animated teaser featuring narration from Daniel Craig as Blanc, recounting his past adventures in Knives Out and Glass Onion and setting the stage for his next big case. “In the beginning, the knives came out,” Craig drawls. “Then behold — the glass was shattered. But my most dangerous case yet is about to be revealed.”

The next Benoit Blanc mystery, the follow-up to Knives Out and Glass Onion, is called Wake Up Dead Man. pic.twitter.com/pdDXRDmwcI — Rian Johnson (@rianjohnson) May 24, 2024

Beyond the title, the only other info Johnson shared about the movie was that they were “about to go into production.” No other casting or plot details were revealed, and it’s unclear exactly when in 2025 Wake Up Dead Man will be released. 

Kelly Clarkson and Ex-Husband Brandon Blackstock Settle Lawsuit Over Millions in Commissions

Sean combs accused of drugging and assaulting college student in new lawsuit, hear the first new sublime song in 28 years — featuring both bradley nowell and his son, twenty one pilots: still blurry after all these years.

He added that the title of the new movie, Wake Up Dead Man , “gives a little hint of where it’s going.” 

Johnson has largely devoted himself to the Blanc movies over the past few years, with Knives Out arriving in 2019 and Glass Onion dropping in 2022. In between, he also found time to scratch a different kind of mystery itch with Poker Face , the case-of-the-week-style series starring Natasha Lyonne.  

Morgan Spurlock, 'Super Size Me' Star and Director, Dead at 53

• By Daniel Kreps

Kelly Rowland Defends Security Confrontation at Cannes: Others Weren't 'Pushed Off'

• 'I Stood My Ground'
• By Tomás Mier

Jennifer Lopez, Simu Liu Shut Down Ben Affleck Question: 'You Know Better'

Anita hill wants you to report misconduct in hollywood and launched a service to help.

• Stopping the Abuse
• By Kory Grow

In 'Beetlejuice 2' Trailer , Michael Keaton Returns as the Undead Bogeyman

• Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice...
• By Kalia Richardson

Most Popular

Kevin costner can't hold back tears as his western epic 'horizon' earns 7-minute cannes standing ovation, promises '3 more' installments, bill maher says he doesn't understand harrison butker's graduation speech criticism, heather rae el moussa says having a baby made her marriage to tarek ‘even harder’ in candid new interview, taylor declines a-rod, lore's 'loser pays' offer in t-wolves arbitration, you might also like, george lucas rejects ‘star wars’ critics who think the first six films are ‘all white men’: ‘most of the people are aliens’, inside amfar with cher, demi moore and carine roitfeld’s ‘fairy tale’ fashion show, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors, george lucas disagrees that ‘star wars’ is only full of ‘white men’, redbird, fsu trustee launch college sports investment fund.

Rolling Stone is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Rolling Stone, LLC. All rights reserved.

Verify it's you

Please log in.