Daniel Craig reveals why he thinks the Knives Out films are not “whodunnits” at all

by

Daniel Craig returns as detective Benoit Blanc in the new mystery, Wake Up Dead Man, which is now playing in theaters. It’s the latest installment in Rian Johnson’s popular Knives Out series.

The new movie features detective Benoit Blanc (played by Daniel Craig) solving the murder of a beloved priest. The suspects include a star-studded cast: Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church, alongside Josh O’Connor.

In an upcoming interview with TopMob magazine, alongside stars O’Connor and Close, director Craig clarified that he doesn’t consider the Knives Out movies to be traditional ‘whodunnits,’ and he shared his reasoning.

In a new interview appearing in Saturday’s magazine (November 29th), Glenn Close compared the film to a Shakespearean play, explaining that it follows a pattern of order, disruption, and then resolution – often with humor or intensity. She particularly praised the ending, predicting it will be unexpected for viewers.

When someone suggested that people enjoy mystery films because they offer both entertainment and a way to think about serious issues, the actor immediately disagreed, stating, “These aren’t whodunnits.”

“Those are just terrible movies,” Craig said. “They do have endings, but they always throw in a surprise. And that’s what makes them strangely good.”

The new movie, Wake Up Dead Man, comes to Netflix in December. It’s the third film in the series, and although there are no plans for a fourth movie right now, the star, Johnson, has hinted he might come back for another installment sometime in the future.

I caught up with Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson at the London Film Festival, and he gave me the lowdown on future Fast & Furious films. Basically, he’s in as long as it’s still a good time working with Vin Diesel, fans are still showing up, and, crucially, they can keep finding fresh, exciting directions for the story. He stressed it’s about keeping things interesting for everyone involved, and not just repeating the same formula.

Read More

2025-11-27 17:04