This article contains major spoilers for Wake Up Dead Man.The Knives Out films are known for their all-star ensembles, each packed with actors who rarely, if ever, share the screen. These ensembles are always playful but skilled, with everyone happy to lean into Rian Johnson’s blend of mystery, satire, and emotional nuance. Performances aside, it’s still thrilling to watch each star simply play a convincing suspect in a more modern, Agatha Christie–style puzzle!cnx.cmd.push(function() {cnx({playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530",}).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796");});Wake Up Dead Man is the latest installment of Johnson’s Knives Out franchise. It’s been very well received by critics, but now that it’s streaming on Netflix, it’s time to take a look at who got a chance to knock it out of the park in the threequel’s ensemble cast, and who got lost in the pile of inevitable red herrings.12. Cailee Spaeny as Simone VivaneHonestly, it’s quite surprising to see Cailee Spaeny in this movie, considering she’s just put in a string of acclaimed performances in films like Priscilla and Civil War. You’d imagine she’d have quite a few leading lady offers on the table, but when Rian Johnson comes knocking, you aren’t likely to say no!Spaeny is decent as Simone, a former concert cellist who (literally) buys into what Monsignor Wicks is selling, but this feels like a bit of an underwhelming role for the actress at this point in her career. We’re used to seeing her do a lot more.11. Andrew Scott as Lee RossAndrew Scott knows how to chew scenery, there’s absolutely no doubt about it. You only need to have seen his larger-than-life performance as Moriarty in the BBC’s Sherlock to understand that! But he can also do subdued, and his turn as sci-fi writer Lee Ross in this movie is definitely more of a subtle one from Scott, stepping aside to let O’Connor’s new “hot priest” take up the mantle.Still, Scott plays Ross perfectly as a writer who’s lost his edge and is desperately trying to find it in someone else, even if he has to isolate himself beyond the realms of creativity. Many of the laughs stemming from Scott’s character come from the sets and props around him in Wake Up Dead Man, with his silly but convincing tomes and his ludicrous moat being the more standout stuff. 10. Kerry Washington as Vera Draven, Esq.The town’s lawyer doesn’t have much to do in Wake Up Dead Man, but Kerry Washington certainly sells a mean take on cigarette smoking as Vera Draven. She can smoke in frustration, smoke in boredom, smoke in exhaustion, and she can also smoke in satisfaction, conveying a lot of Vera’s emotions without dialogue.9. Mila Kunis as Geraldine ScottMila Kunis is just fine as Geraldine Scott, a local police chief in the movie’s rural town. The actress’s performance doesn’t break the mold, but yep, she’s just fine. However, most of her screen time is spent in exasperation as she chases after Benoit Blanc and Reverend Jud Duplenticy, so she doesn’t really have a chance to wow audiences with anything else.8. Daryl McCormack as Cy DravenPeaky Blinders star Daryl McCormack gets Cy Draven’s irritating wannabe politician-turned-influencer just right. With his camera always ready to capture the “drama” of the mystery so he can spin it to his advantage, Draven’s failson persona reaches its natural conclusion when he misses the family inheritance that he has in no way earned, only to storm out ready to start another infuriating line of grift. McCormack does the most with the character, but at the end of the day, he’s just another Knives Out red herring.7. Thomas Haden Church as Samson HoltIt may be true that Samson Holt was just a pawn in the killer’s plot during Wake Up Dead Man, but he comes across as a truly unwitting one, inspired by his earnest love for the churchgoing Martha (Glenn Close). There’s no one better to play the part of groundskeeper Samson as gently as Thomas Haden Church, but he doesn’t get much more than puppy dog eyes and the sense that life is slipping away to play with. Nevertheless, it’s a testament to how great Haden Church is in the movie that his death is so upsetting.6. Jeremy Renner as Dr. Nat SharpDr. Nat Sharp is pathetic. Luckily, Jeremy Renner’s pretty good at being pathetic. Here, he’s playing a town doctor whose wife has left him (probably because he’s pathetic), and so he’s turned to the bottle as a result. Nat’s easily manipulated at the mere hope of getting his wife back, to the point where he happily murders three people, including – hilariously but accidentally – himself. Johnson’s decision to cast Hawkeye actor Renner as the film’s killer, only to reveal he’s a pawn, is actually a masterstroke. No one expected Renner to play just another red herring in this movie, but they also weren’t going to buy him as the ringleader. Ultimately, that leaves Renner spending most of his screen time grizzling and moping, though.5. Daniel Craig as Benoit BlancDaniel Craig lingering somewhere in the middle of this ranking? Surely we jest! Well, Craig is perfect as always as legendary detective Benoit Blanc in Wake Up Dead Man. We’ll never get sick of that accent and his exhausted reactions to the ludicrous characters Blanc investigates, but Craig’s performance is overshadowed here by some of the other cast members. He’s rather playing second fiddle to Josh O’Connor, even when the pair team up to solve the main murder. Craig’s best moments in the movie are when he’s vibing with O’Connor as their characters meet in the middle between belief and logic. 4. Josh O’Connor as Rev. Jud DuplenticyJosh O’Connor’s rise to the A-list can’t be stopped. Quite frankly, we wouldn’t want to stop it, but anyone who was expecting Daniel Craig to be at the center of this Knives Out movie got quite the surprise when they witnessed how much of it revolves around O’Connor’s Jud Duplenticy! Craig doesn’t even show up for the first half an hour, and O’Connor is deliberately positioned as the central character – the one the audience follows and roots for in this mystery. O’Connor smashes it as usual, but Johnson understands that the Challengers actor doesn’t really need scenery to chew on, getting several tight closeups as he experiences the fallout from his diabolical new mentor’s murder. The scene where Duplenticy performs a full-body hand break turn into empathy during a frustrating phone call is also simply outstanding. 3. Jeffrey Wright as LangstromEvery time Jeffrey Wright’s bishop pops up in Wake Up Dead Man, he’s an absolute delight. Wright makes the most of his short screen time as Langstrom by subverting expectations. He’s supportive of Jud after he punches a rude deacon, suggesting that pretty much everyone he knows wishes they’d had the balls to do it. He’s also one of the sweariest bishops we’ve ever seen, and his default understanding of how much restraint it takes to deal with life’s relentless nonsense is heartwarming.Wright is good in everything, but it’s brilliant to realize that he’s now so universally beloved that he can just show up in a movie occasionally and immediately steal all the laughs and attention.2. Josh Brolin as Msgr. Jefferson WicksWhen has Josh Brolin ever put in a bad performance? We can’t think of one! Such is his mammoth screen presence, two of the highest-grossing movies ever made hinged on how well he delivered lines in a mocap suit, so it’s no surprise to see him sell the charismatic but domineering character of Monsignor Wicks expertly here.Brolin’s Wicks comes out swinging when he encounters Jud, and their churchyard confession scenes are so engaging you can barely blink, let alone look away. Wicks’ final thoughts on why he treats people the way he does are a classic spin on villainous reasoning: Brolin has to make us believe that Wicks thinks he’s totally right to abuse and manipulate his congregation. The only catharsis we get from it all is knowing that the old bastard’s already dead.1. Glenn Close as Martha DelacroixIf you’ve seen Wake Up Dead Man (and we certainly hope you have if you’re reading this!), you know that Martha is the story’s master manipulator. Martha didn’t technically kill anyone; she just plotted it in the first instance, accidentally put a loved one in the line of fire in the second, and prevented her own death in the third. Still, none of those deaths would have occurred if she hadn’t schemed to stop Wicks from retrieving his grandfather’s diamond in the first place. Close plays her devout church lady deftly, with the kind of skill you’d expect from an award-winning actress. Her wailing, gnashing, and general melodrama draw attention to Martha as a suspect, but her confession is a great payoff to all her theatrics. Close makes sure you understand why and how Martha planned the crime, but also reveals the flaw at the heart of her own diamond: an inability to let people get close enough to reveal their own flaws. It’s her undoing and her life’s regret, making Martha the most sympathetic villain of the entire Knives Out trilogy.The post Wake Up Dead Man Cast: Ranking the Knives Out Characters By Scenery Chewing appeared first on Den of Geek.