Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery ending explained! Who kills Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, and how does Benoit Blanc solve mystery once again

Part 3 of the Knives Out Mystery series, Wake Up Dead Man, features Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc reiterating his claim to being the best modern-era detective, and it stands out from the others with its intricate and thematically meaningful climax. The film's launch on Netflix today follows Detective Blanc as he becomes entangled in a web of spiritual corruption, insane greed, and a seemingly "impossible crime" within a small-town Catholic parish. A forensic analysis of the mechanisms and motivations that underpinned the whole catastrophe is necessary to make sense of the ending, which incorporates three murders, a staged miracle, and an unexpected display of grace.

Murder of Monsignor Wicks

Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, played by Josh Brolin, is a polarising, charismatic leader in the parish. On Good Friday, he is found stabbed to death in a hidden storage closet next to the altar, setting in motion the major mystery. Reverend Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor), a disturbed assistant priest and a former boxer trying to make amends for a wrongdoing, is the obvious suspect; at least circumstantial evidence suggests as much. Nevertheless, Detective Blanc perceives the plot twists coming and realises that the crime was orchestrated to not only kill Wicks but also to create an inexplicable spectacle out of the murder. The mystery is further complicated a few days later at Wicks' funeral when, much to the horror of the mourners, the dead seem to rise from his tomb, seemingly validating a miracle (or, as Blanc suspects, a masterfully staged story meant to hide a horrible reality).

The congregation's adamant belief in the supernatural aspects of the events first hinders Blanc's study, compelling him to distinguish between logical reasoning and passionate faith. He comes to realise that the real reason is not a dispute between churches but rather the lasting impact of riches. The "Eve's Apple" diamond, a significant family relic, lies at the heart of the Wicks family feud. Reverend Prentice Wicks, the grandfather of the Wicks, swallowed the diamond decades ago to shield his estranged daughter Grace from inheriting it, fearing it would corrupt her. A former aide to Prentice, Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close) was the only one who knew this secret. Despite her profound dedication, her hazardous pragmatism betrayed her. Delacroix had been a pillar of the church her whole life.

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Martha's elaborate plan

Martha hatched the first "impossible crime"—a plot involving three individuals. Monsignor Wicks was given pentobarbital, a fast-acting tranquilliser, via his private flask first, so that he would pass out right before he was to be stabbed. Secondly, she recruited Nat Sharp, played by Jeremy Renner, the village doctor, to carry out the stabbing. Sharp viewed Wicks as an enemy and someone who might reveal his secrets. Using a knife made from a devil's head ornament, Nat secretly replaced it with a harmless replica that Martha had hidden in Wicks' robes. Then, in the side room, with the real weapon, Nat killed the unconscious Wicks while Jud was already under suspicion.

The "resurrection" was an added bonus. After much persuasion, Martha had her husband, the church groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), laid to rest in the mausoleum instead of Wicks. The area had been prepped, and Wicks' real corpse had been concealed. Samson would casually emerge from the tomb on Easter Sunday, disguising himself as the miraculously revived Monsignor Wicks, therefore temporarily disposing of the body and re-establishing the congregation's broken faith. The meticulously crafted storyline was meant to end the mystery without the intervention of the police, enabling Martha to recover the Eve's Apple diamond that Wicks had intended to collect from his grandfather's body.

Nat Sharp's betrayal

But the plot fell apart because greed is so destructive; the one murder became a horrible triple homicide. Dr Nat Sharp, who knew the diamond was there, got obsessed with wanting it for himself. He stepped in on the claimed "resurrection" while it was happening. With only Father Jud as a witness, Nat cornered Samson—costumed as Wicks—and stabbed him to death, then framed Jud, who had just suffered a concussion—for the crime. To eliminate any trace of the case and get his hands on the diamond, Nat drew on his medical and chemical training to dissolve Wicks' original corpse in an acid bath in his basement.

After Martha confronted Nat with the fact that her husband had died because of his treachery, Nat offered her a poisoned cup of coffee in an attempt to kill her too. Nevertheless, Martha was already sceptical due to her ruthlessness and sharpness in her desperation. Martha pulled off a delicate cup switch, making sure Nat took the poison meant for her—a dramatic reversal that mimics the subtle complexities of classic Knives Out sequences. She proceeded to arrange Nat's lifeless body next to Wicks' deteriorating corpse, setting the scene to suggest that both the Monsignor and the Doctor were poisoned in a desperate attempt to salvage the original plan and herself.

Benoit Blanc's unorthodox choice

After delving deep into the case, Benoit Blanc manages to unravel this complicated web of violent events. He figures out how the tranquillisers worked, who switched out the knives, how the bodies were switched, how Samson died, how Nat betrayed him, and what Martha did to save herself in the end. At the film's climax, Blanc collects the remaining congregation members, but he hesitates before delivering his concluding summary. Then it hits him: Martha is sitting among the mourners and looking pale and sick with severe poisoning. After concluding that her confession would provide her with the only genuine pardon, she drank the remaining pentobarbital that had been used to murder Nat.

As she watches this awful reality unfold in silence, Blanc makes a profound and unorthodox choice. He declares the case unsolvable and pretends to be confused about the "miracle" before deciding to back off from seeking legal justice, giving Martha a chance to come forward on her terms. Martha is able to tell Father Jud her last, heartbreaking confession because the detective shows empathy by moving away from his typical adoration of rational truth and towards an understanding of spiritual need.

Aftermath

In her final moments, Martha tells Jud where the diamond is and, at his urging, begs for forgiveness for the murders and for her profound animosity and misinterpretation of Grace, the mother of Monsignor Wicks, whose desperate desire to inherit the estate she had always considered mere greed. Having opted for eternal salvation rather than evading earthly responsibility, Martha passes away calmly in Jud's embrace.

An epilogue takes place a year after the events of the film to examine the consequences of Blanc's ethical decision. Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), an opportunistic best-selling novelist, and Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack), a conspiracy theorist, provide fuel to the idea that the public and police continue to believe in the "miracle" and blame Jud. But Jud never gives up; he went from being a tormented ex-boxer to a priest whose faith is based on forgiveness and service, and he holds firm in his beliefs.

"Our Lady of Perpetual Grace" is the new name Jud gives the parish after reopening it; the name is a touching tribute to Grace, the much-maligned mother of the Wicks. Jud is assisted by Detective Blanc, with whom he maintains contact, in fending off legal threats from Cy Draven. Draven insists on keeping the diamond hidden and asserts his claim to be the Wicks' illegitimate son.

Ultimate destiny of the Eve's Apple diamond

In the final, subdued scene, the "Eve's Apple" reveals its ultimate destiny. Instead of selling, returning, or keeping the enormous jewel for himself, Jud has secreted it away indefinitely. As a symbolic substitute for the enormous, vanished cross that Grace had smashed many years ago, the camera rises to see a freshly carved, lowly wooden Christ atop the cross. Amidst the deceit and greed that took the lives of four people, there lies a hidden treasure—a precious diamond—within the chest of the image of Christ.

There is a greater emphasis on spiritual and emotional resolution in Wake Up Dead Man than on criminal justice in the conclusion. Jud's decision to conceal the diamond in a symbol of spiritual sacrifice rather than a vault brings an end to the story by resolving the thematic tension between faith and reason. The film ultimately prioritises moral and spiritual grace over the relentless pursuit of earthly treasures, just as Blanc's legal inability to solve the case becomes his greatest act of humanity. The real miracle is the calm that follows the storm of human guilt now that the killer is known and the riddle is solved.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery FAQs:

Q: When did Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery come out?

A: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery was released on Netflix on Friday, December 12, 2025. It had a limited theatrical release starting on November 26, 2025.

Q: Who is in the cast of Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery?

A: The film features a large ensemble cast, including Daniel Craig (reprising his role as Detective Benoit Blanc), Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, and Cailee Spaeny, among others.

Q: What is Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery about?

A: The film is the third installment in the Knives Out franchise, following Detective Benoit Blanc as he travels to a Catholic parish in upstate New York to investigate the murder of a charismatic Monsignor in a seemingly "impossible crime" or locked-room mystery setup. The film explores themes of faith, guilt, and wealth within a gothic setting.

Q: Who directed Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery?

A: Like the first two films in the series, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery was written and directed by Rian Johnson.