12 Early Clues to ‘Wake Up Dead Man’s Killer Reveal

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SPOILERS for Wake Up Dead Man are below!

The new mystery, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, returns detective Benoit Blanc to investigate another murder. This time, the setting is a small town church where Monsignor Wicks (played by Josh Brolin) has been killed. As with previous films, the story features a large cast of potential suspects, including Glenn Close, Josh O’Connor, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Cailee Spaeny, and Thomas Haden Church.

Like all of Rian Johnson’s Knives Out mysteries, Wake Up Dead Man is filled with clues for the audience to find and try to solve the case themselves. This installment took a new direction by featuring multiple killers—Martha, Nat, and Samson—who were ultimately responsible for Wicks’ death. Johnson cleverly hid plenty of clues throughout the story in plain sight.

Martha Is Very Sneaky


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Martha makes a memorable first impression by unexpectedly surprising Father Duplenticy during his initial meeting with Wicks. This amusing scene immediately establishes her as a quiet and stealthy character. From the start, viewers perceive her ability to blend into the background and remain unnoticed among the people in Wake Up Dead Man.

The pattern continues when Father Duplenticy visits Martha’s graffiti-covered grave, where she unexpectedly appears behind him, giving him a fright. She’s now carrying a hatchet, which is unusual and provides a humorous moment. This scene reinforces the idea that Martha is secretive and potentially dangerous. It’s also when Martha and Samson use the graffiti as a reason to install security cameras, a detail that becomes important later when they attempt to bring someone back to life.

Martha Frames the Church’s Backstory


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Because the audience already sees Martha as untrustworthy, her explanation of the church’s history is colored by that impression. She recounts her life growing up there – a place she’s known her whole life – using flashbacks to show viewers what it was like. Her story also confirms the negative rumors about Wicks’ mother, portraying her as people have already described.

As a film buff, I immediately felt something was off with Martha’s story, and the filmmakers subtly led us to believe she wasn’t being entirely truthful. It turns out she was changing details to safeguard the family’s wealth from Wicks’ mother. What’s really clever is how the narration, delivered by Duplenticy, keeps emphasizing that Martha is involved in everything. It’s like they’re foreshadowing her access to crucial items – she’s the one who laundered Wicks’ robes, knew where he kept his flask, and even handled the robes, which explains how that red thread ended up where Blanc found it. It all connects back to her, and it’s brilliantly done!

Martha’s Confession


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Following a disappointing prayer meeting led by Father Duplenticy, he encourages Martha to confess her sins. She chooses to confess to Wicks, and the scene shows them both leaving the confessional – Wicks appearing deeply disturbed. While the details of Martha’s confession aren’t revealed until much later in the story, Wake Up Dead Man, Wicks’ strong reaction suggests she shared something important, and that she feels considerable guilt.

Wicks’ Sermon Being Intercut with His Funeral Preparation


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The scene in Wake Up Dead Man cleverly jumps between preparations for Wicks’ funeral and his passionate sermon about betrayal. This editing choice provides a subtle clue to Martha’s guilt. While Wicks compares his betrayal to that of Jesus and mentions Judas, the camera briefly shows Martha entering the room with his casket. This quick shot, combined with the mention of Judas, strongly suggests her involvement and becomes crucial to understanding the story’s later twist involving body swapping.

Samson Is Missing From Wicks’ Funeral


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Samson works as the groundskeeper at the church and actually lives there. The movie highlights his close relationship with Monsignor Wicks, explaining that Wicks helped Samson overcome an alcohol problem and turned his life around. Because of this bond, it’s strange that Samson isn’t present when the church members carry Wicks’ coffin at the funeral.

With so many people around, it’s easy to overlook, but Samson’s absence from the funeral is striking, especially considering he was the one who later reappeared. It already feels strange that he missed his friend’s burial, but it’s even more unusual given that he’s normally the groundskeeper and would have been helping with the arrangements.

The Bar Photo Has More Than One Clue

While examining the photo of the bar with Chief Scott and Father Duplenticy, Benoit Blanc notices multiple potential clues. The film initially leads viewers to believe he’s focused on Nat’s bag, prompting a conversation with the doctor. However, it’s eventually revealed that the bag wasn’t actually the object of Blanc’s attention.

The murder was committed with a blade shaped like a devil’s head, originally part of a lamp fixture at the bar. Blanc realized two of these blades were missing, but the audience only saw one being used. When Duplenticy threw a blade through the church window, it was recovered by Martha and Samson, implying they had it in their possession beforehand.

Apples

The story of Adam and Eve and its associated apple are referenced in the film. A jewelry box appears with the French phrase “L’Eveil Appel,” which sounds like “evil apple” to English speakers. However, it actually translates to “the awakening call,” subtly hinting at a major realization experienced later by the characters Blanc and Father Jud. This French meaning also suggests a possible resurrection storyline, a theme that Martha explores, creating a layer of hidden meaning.

The idea of the ‘evil apple’ is definitely relevant to what’s happening in the story. Both Wicks and Cy are shown eating apples, hinting they’ll be drawn in by the family’s money. The film Wake Up Dead Man uses this apple imagery repeatedly to emphasize this temptation.

Seating in the Church During the Murder


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On the day Wicks dies, a small detail in the church’s seating hints at who might be responsible. Martha, Samson, and Nat – the actual culprits – all sit together on one side, while everyone else is on the other. It’s a minor observation at the time, but keen observers might notice this division among the suspects, and it will become more significant later.

Nat Attempts to Hide at the Bar


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The photo of the bar draws attention to Nat, who’s trying to hide in a booth. He pretends he’s just having lunch, but it’s clear he’s been drinking. His effort to avoid being seen by the authorities strongly suggests he’s done something wrong. While he might seem like he just doesn’t want to talk, Nat is actually afraid of being arrested if the truth is revealed, and his hiding makes that fear obvious.

Martha’s Book Club Selections


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The church book club was reading classic murder mysteries, featuring authors like Agatha Christie and Edgar Allan Poe. Detective Blanc jokingly referred to the reading list as a ‘how-to’ guide for murder, and it turns out Martha chose all the books. This suggests Martha may have been planning the crime, or at least had a good understanding of how to carry out a complex scheme, based on the books she selected.

Books like John Dickson Carr’s The Hollow Man were important influences on how the murder happens in Wake Up Dead Man. That novel, like Knives Out, features a locked-room mystery and the idea of someone switching bodies. Every book on this list offers a clue to Martha’s plan, even if it’s just a small detail, for readers who recognize the references.

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2025-12-16 04:20