About “Wake Up Dead Man” in a few words:

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is the latest mind-bending film from Rian Johnson, and yes, that means Benoit Blanc is back on the case. This time, the suave detective leaves the mansion and the Greek island behind to tackle a baffling murder in a small upstate New York church. There, he and a conflicted young priest must unravel motives, secrets, and surprises in a tight-knit community.

Meet the characters from Wake Up Dead Man

Benoit Blanc

Okay, Benoit is that deliciously theatrical detective everyone somehow loves — equal parts velvet-voiced raconteur and brainy bloodhound. He’ll say something like “my instincts, they are like a violin” and then quietly prove it by noticing a footprint nobody else saw, and honestly it’s kind of infuriating. Loves a good biscuit and the smell of old books, but also will dye his gloves the wrong color on purpose? He’s charmingly infuriating, carries a pocket watch he never uses and occasionally pretends to be bad at small talk just to get people to underestimate him.

Fr. Jud Duplenticy

Fr. Jud is the soft-spoken priest with eyes that have seen more late-night confessions than most people have had hot dinners — gentle, weirdly stubborn, and very fond of crossword puzzles. He preaches patience but will roll up his sleeves and do hard, awkward things when a crisis shows up, and yes he definitely has a secret stash of sacramental wine in a weird tin can (or was that jam?). He’s moral but not preachy, quick to forgive and slower to forget, and somehow he hums show-tunes when he’s worried — don’t ask me why. There’s a kindness that’s not naive, more like practical charity, and sometimes he gets so distracted by a stray dog that he forgets what he was going to say in the middle of a sermon.

Martha Delacroix

Martha is the kind of person who sprinkles gossip like confetti but also defends you to the end, stubborn in the best kind of way and annoyingly intuitive. She has a laugh that’s too loud for church and a garden perfectly arranged by color, except she’ll also complain about getting dirt under her nails like it’s a personal affront. Dramatic, loyal, and with a surprising knack for solving practical problems (her DIY levels are off the charts), she’s equal parts sugar and tiny explosions of steel. Oh, and she collects teacups that she never uses because, obviously, she drinks coffee.

Mons. Jefferson Wicks

Monsignor Wicks is polished and ritual-obsessed, the type who straightens hymnals like they’re delicate bones — dignified, a bit formal, and secretly very sentimental. He loves protocol but will break it in just the tiny way that shows he cares, like slipping a note into someone’s coat pocket or apologizing to a pigeon he startled. He’s the moral compass that sometimes points sideways, very careful with words but not with favors, and has this inexplicable fondness for old maritime maps (no one knows why). He coughs theatrically when embarrassed and remembers everyone’s birthdays, except his own.

Chief Geraldine Scott

Geraldine is a no-nonsense chief who runs a tight ship but will bake you a pie if you’re having a bad day — tough exterior, cinnamon heart. She solves problems with pragmatism and sarcasm in equal measure, has zero patience for nonsense, and will stare you down until you confess the truth even if you lie beautifully. Secretly she has an ongoing love affair with crossword clues and Broadway scores, which she hums while filling out paperwork and it’s adorable and slightly alarming. She carries a dog-eared notebook that contains both case notes and terrible doodles, and she somehow manages to be both exhausted and electric all at once.

Dr. Nat Sharp.

Dr. Nat Sharp is the crisp, clinical mind who says things like “statistically speaking” and then makes you feel oddly safe — razor-sharp, occasionally blunt to the point of comedy. He’s a scientist who keeps a small jar of insects on his desk for “reference” and also definitely cries at rom-coms if the lighting is right, which you’d never guess. Precise in the lab but messy in life (missing keys, sticky notes everywhere), he cares deeply about truth and has a dry sense of humor that sneaks up on people. He’s the person who will explain a complicated procedure in five seconds and then apologize for his enthusiasm like it’s contagious.