Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, Rian Johnson’s third Knives Out movie, ends with a startling revelation of the crime, not by Benoit Blanc (played by Daniel Craig) but by the killer! So, who is this culprit and what exactly was their plan? Find out the answers to these questions in our Wake Up Dead Man ending explained piece.
The murder mystery sees Craig return as the charming and sharp private investigator Benoit Blanc, one of the most famous non-Bond characters played by the actor. The ensemble cast includes Andrew Scott, Glenn Close, Josh O’Connor, Josh Brolin and Jeremy Renner.
In his third case, Blanc is called to solve a “perfectly impossible crime” in a parish in upstate New York where Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (played by Brolin) has been found dead. According to Johnson, “It’s more similar to the first Knives Out in that it gets back to the real origins of the genre, which predate Agatha Christie, going back to Edgar Allan Poe.”
Despite some weak moments in the middle, the film wraps up the story well with the mastermind confessing their sins to Father Jud (played by O’Connor). So, what happened at the end of this murder mystery? We answer all your questions in this Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery ending explained piece.
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Spoilers ahead!
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery ending explained — Who is the killer?
Well, there are two killers, but only one mastermind who orchestrates the entire scheme, and that is Martha Delacroix (played by Close). But why did Martha do it, and who was her partner in crime? Let’s find out.
Why did Martha decide to kill Wicks?
When Jud challenged Martha to make a confession to Monsignor Wicks, she told him about the treasure, Eve’s Apple, and its location. Wicks, tempted by the treasure, planned to shut down the church. Not wanting the church to be destroyed by Wicks’ greed, Martha decided to create a myth of the risen saint, kill Wicks, hide Eve’s Apple and save the church. But she couldn’t accomplish this on her own. So, who helped her? We’ll get to that, but first…
What is Eve’s Apple?
Eve’s Apple, the treasure belonging to Wicks’ grandfather, is a precious jewel worth millions. It was swallowed by him, so no one in his church would succumb to the greed of its fortune and fall from grace. Only Martha knew of its existence and kept the secret for nearly 60 years.
Who was Martha’s partner in crime?
Martha reached out to Nat Sharp (played by Jeremy Renner), who not only had access to a powerful tranquilliser which would kill Wicks but was also a doctor, which would help with committing the murder and having access to the body.
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How did Martha and Nat kill Wicks?
Martha sewed the red painted wolf’s/devil’s head onto Wicks’ cloak and laced his alcohol with the tranquilliser. In the middle of his sermon, when Wicks went inside the storeroom to drink it, he collapsed. The wolf’s head held a small amount of blood, which leaked via remote; that was the blood on Jud’s fingers. Then, as Dr Nat came in, he replaced the first wolf’s head with another one that had a knife attached to it.
How did Wicks rise from the dead?
Wicks never rose from the dead. It was Samson (played by Thomas Haden Church). He had made the coffin in a way that he would fit in it, and when the moment came, would roll out. The crypt’s Lazarus door would open from the inside, allowing the nearby camera to capture Samson as Wicks rising from the dead. Nat was dressed as Samson, so he would pose as the groundskeeper.
Nat was then supposed to bring Wicks’ body to his place after Samson walked out, so he and Martha could dissolve it, and the myth would sustain. But everything didn’t go as planned.
Who killed Samson?
The plan was foiled when Jud entered the scene; however, Samson knocked him out with a punch. Samson, having secured the jewel from Wicks’ grandfather’s corpse, gave it to Nat. Tempted by the jewel, Nat killed Samson and brought Wicks’ body home. Bereft by her sweet Samson’s death, Martha immediately figured out what could have happened and went to take revenge.
Did Martha kill Nat?
Yes, Martha killed Nat out of vengeance. She knew Nat had poisoned her drink so he could keep the jewel himself. But while he was talking, she swapped their cups. This led to Nat dying and Martha setting the scene with his body in the tub and Wicks’ body outside of it, set in a way that it would look like Wicks had strangled Nat. Then, she opened the valve, which leaked a chemical into the tub that disintegrated Nat’s body and Wicks’ hands around his neck.
How did Martha die?
Martha dies in Jud’s arms while confessing her sins, one of which was that she had poisoned herself. Blanc, who had solved the case long ago, offered her the grace to confess her sins on her own. As such, the whole tale of the murder was told by her as her last confession.
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Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery ending explained — Is the jewel ever found?
Cy (played by Daryl McCormack), Wicks’ illegitimate son, tries to find the jewel and even questions Jud and Blanc, but it is never found. However, later, as Jud crafts a new cross for the church, the pink jewel shines briefly through Jesus’ heart as the movie ends.
Watch the trailer below:
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is currently streaming on Netflix.
Hero and featured image credit: Netflix Photo by John Wilson; IMDb
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.