Rian Johnson on Crafting Faith, Emotion & Mystery into 'Wake Up Dead Man' | Contenders in Focus Live

In this Contenders in Focus Live conversation, John Horn talks with director Rian Johnson about the creative architecture behind his latest Benoit Blanc joint, 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.' Johnson discusses how locked-room master John Dickson Carr shaped the film's tone and structure, why puzzles alone cannot hold an audience, and how character and emotional stakes always come first.

The discussion explores how the story engages with the weaponization of faith, drawing from Johnson's own background and personal reflections. He explains how each suspect embodies a different facet of belief, doubt, and judgment, and why the film ultimately centers on the question of how people hold on to or let go of their faith.

Johnson also breaks down the writing challenges unique to this entry, the delicate balance between surprise and credibility, the role of misdirection, and why the emotional climax must outweigh the mechanics of the mystery. Additional topics include ensemble casting, actor performance choices, the influence of genre traditions, and how present-day ideas inform a story with a classic mystery feel.

'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' is the third installment in Rian Johnson's Benoit Blanc series. Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc, joined by an ensemble that includes Josh O'Connor, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, Cailee Spaeny, and Andrew Scott. The film was released by Netflix on December 12, 2025.

⏱️ Timestamps

0:00 – Introduction
0:38 – Discovering locked-room mysteries
1:42 – Puzzle vs story and building the emotional engine
3:07 – Faith, belief, and shaping the thematic core
5:01 – Writing challenges unique to this mystery
6:30 – Crafting the ensemble and calibrating performance
8:02 – Balancing genre conventions with modern themes
9:25 – Designing the reveal and maintaining credibility
11:10 – How personal experience informed the film
12:22 – Evolving the Benoit Blanc universe

About Contenders in Focus Live
Contenders in Focus Live is FYCit's new video interview series spotlighting the filmmakers behind this year's awards-season standouts. Each episode features an in-depth conversation with a director whose work is shaping the cultural conversation.