One of Netflix’s many underappreciated franchises is that of the Knives Out Trilogy. Written and directed by Rian Johnson, these murder mystery detective stories are films that nobody should go without seeing at least once in their lifetime. These films pull plot twists out of their own plot twists in a way that would only work for these contexts. I’ll give a brief, non-super-spoiler run down of the movies.

The first Knives Out movie came out in 2019 and follows Marta Cabrara (portrayed by Ana De Armas) , a young nurse who recently had her elderly patient Harlen Thrombey pass away from aparent Suicide. The local police hold an investigation of the entire Thrombey family in hopes of coming to a conclusion of everybody’s stories during the night of Halen’s death, which was also his 85th birthday. During the investigation, private investigator Benoit Blanc (Portrayed by Daniel Craig) shows up, and believes that there is something more to this investigation than just what everybody has said. And he is determined to nail down what really happened on the day and night leading up to Harlen’s death. But what makes it difficult is that everyone is more than capable of lying. Well, almost everyone. Knives Out has a very monotone and gothic feel to it which highlights the Thrombey mansion, which is where the majority of the story takes place. Partnered with an exceptional score, it is no question why Knives Out has a 97% critics score and 98% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

In the sequel, Glass Onion, released in 2022, Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc. This time receiving a curious message from Miles Bron (portrayed by Edward Norton). An invitation to a weekend away at Miles’ private island in Greece with the promise of a fun game of solving Miles’ own murder (Although Miles will not actually be dead). Blanc along with Miles’ longtime friends Claire, Lyonel, Birdie, Duke, and Andi arrive on the island ready for the tour when Miles pulls Blanc to the side and informs him that he was not originally supposed to be there at all. What neither of them know is that Blanc is not the only one that is not supposed to be there. Miles decides that Blanc is free to stay and invites him to join in on the murder mystery, failing to realize the true murder that is right under his nose. Glass Onion has a very vibrant and lively vibe and aesthetic compared to Knives Out. The architecture and costumes are perfectly in-theme with a Greek vacation compared to a mansion near Boston Massachusetts. The contrast is very much needed for the story and the characters within it. Daniel Craig is terrific as Benoit Blanc and it is very clear that he loves playing this character. An issue that some fans have had with this movie is that for the majority of the movie there does not feel like there is a “main story” character besides Blanc, compared to Knives Out which had Blanc and Marta as the main characters. Despite this, Glass Onion still nailed the Rotten Tomatoes scores with a 91% critics score and a 92% audience score.

In the most recent movie, Wake Up Dead Man, released in December 2025, the story follows Jud Duplintacy (portrayed by Josh O’Connor), a priest who has been sent by his catholic church to a small town in upstate New York where he is assigned to be assistant pastor to Monsignor Jefferson Wicks at the local parish. The first hour entails Father Jud narrating the story of how he got assigned to this place, his friendship with the local townsfolk, the rumors and stories on Monsignor Wicks’ past, and a seemingly impossible death on Good Friday. After an hour of the story is at last when Benoit Blanc makes his appearance, with noticeably longer hair and a more culturally appropriate suit. Blanc neglects to tell Father Jud that he is there for the murder investigation due to the fact that Father Jud, along with 7 other townsfolk who are at the scene of the murder, are potential suspects in the murder. And only when you think you understand the full story does it get revealed that there is so much more to the story that you would think. Wake Up Dead Man retains the style of the first movie involving a main character that the story follows and having Blanc as the side main character. The main character in this movie is of course Father Jud. Wake Up Dead Man has been criticized as being anti-religion as well as glorifying religion. In my own personal opinion, the movie is neither anti nor glorifying religion. The movie is simply using Catholicism as a story mover. Just like the previous two movies, this film has done extremely well, receiving a 92% critics score and a 93% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Knives Out Trilogy is much deeper than murder mysteries and crime solving movies. They’re a way to challenge our own notice of detail. A deliberate switch of a scotch glass or a difference in viscosity of liquids are such details that require a high level of perception to background items and materials. However, I personally suggest that for the first time watching these movies that you don’t go looking for the little details and just watch the movies how they are meant to be watched.