Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

NZ release: 20 November 2025

Violence and offensive language Rated on: 27 November 2025

Wake Up Dead Man poster

What’s it about?

A mysterious death in a small-town church pulls Benoit Blanc into a tense investigation, where buried secrets, shaken faith, and rising suspicion threaten to tear the tight-knit community apart.

The facts 

  • Directed by Rian Johnson
  • Stars Daniel Craig (Skyfall), Josh O’Connor (Challengers), Glenn Close (Fatal Attraction), Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men), Mila Kunis (Black Swan), Jeremy Renner (The Hurt Locker), Kerry Washington (Django Unchained), Andrew Scott (All of Us Strangers), Cailee Spaeny (Priscilla)
  • English language 
  • Runtime: 144 minutes

Why did it get this rating? 

This film was cross-rated by the Film and Video Labelling Body. You can find out more about cross-rating here.

Violence

The strongest moments of violence in this film include:

  • In flashbacks, a character is stabbed in the back. Blood is shown pooling beneath them.
  • A flashback shows an adult character punching a child in the face. The child laughs and taunts the adult.
  • A character is kicked in the stomach.

Offensive language

There is frequent offensive language, including “f**k,” “sh*t,” “as*,” “b*tch,” “d*ck,” wh*re,” and “p*ssy.”

Sexual references

A character confesses to masturbating multiple times a week.

Content that may disturb

A corpse is dissolved in acid, leaving a skeleton.

When content stays with you: 

We all have our boundaries, and it’s completely okay if something you’ve watched is weighing on your mind. If certain content lingers with you, consider having a chat with friends or whānau to debrief about what you’ve just seen. But if you’re still feeling affected, please reach out to any of the following helplines for support.  

Further information 

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