Ranking the Knives Out Movies: The Best of Benoit Blanc

Is three movies enough for a ranking? Absolutely. Ask any Star Wars fan old enough to have lower back pain, some memory of watching live-action Ewok adventures on VHS, and a suspiciously disappointing pension fund. They’ll usually tell you that their Original Trilogy ranking hasn’t changed in decades: Empire at one, New Hope at two, and Jedi at three. Not a very controversial ranking, but they did it. Some will even mix it up by switching Empire and New Hope. A few absolute renegades will put Jedi in first place. Always keep one eye open.

Anyway, we feel fine about ranking Rian Johnson’s Knives Out trilogy now that all three movies are available to stream. If you disagree with the ranking itself, that’s fine. It’s just our opinion, and others are available, including the most important one: your own!

Here it is, then…

3. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery

Back in 2022, Johnson brought his Knives Out sequel to streaming, and there was plenty of fun to be had with it because Glass Onion is a legitimately entertaining romp.

It’s great to see Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) again as he rolls up to a private Greek island owned by Miles Bron, a flamboyant, infuriating tech billionaire who might as well be called “Mlon Eusk.” Bron pulls in Blanc, along with a gang of his closest friends (who invariably can’t stand him), for a lovely weekend on his island, where they are set to play a puzzle game that tests their intelligence and loyalty. Of course, the twists and laughs are often to be found in how unintelligent and disloyal pretty much everyone is, with Bron finally singled out as the biggest and most twisted fool of all.

While still critically acclaimed, Glass Onion proved quite divisive. It has a broader comedic tone that sometimes feels a bit too broad, and that tone occasionally overpowers the real grief and loss at the heart of the story, deftly retold by Blanc’s helpful assistant on the island, Helen Brand (Janelle Monáe). By the time the end credits roll, it all feels like a lot of spectacle with not enough focus on the core mystery. Glass Onion is a fun film, but, as Blanc quite succinctly puts it when calling out Bron, “It’s just dumb!”

2. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Wake Up Dead Man is both the latest installment of Knives Out and the most ambitious one yet. The movie’s story shows a lot more maturity than the two previous entries, but, much like Glass Onion, Johnson’s decision to do something different – this time by exploring deeper themes and making Blanc more of a side character – has delighted some and disappointed others who would prefer a more lighthearted flick.

The movie follows Josh O’Connor’s Reverend Jud Duplenticy before and after he arrives as the new associate priest at Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude church. Duplenticy represents the more spiritual side of the film, while Craig’s Blanc is the one who will use logic and reason to try and solve the murder of Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin), who may or may not have been miraculously resurrected after being stabbed in the back during a sermon.

The dynamics between Duplenticy and Blanc are definitely compelling, as is O’Connor’s fantastic central performance. Wake Up Dead Man genuinely feels like an evolution of the Knives Out franchise. Still, it lacks the pure charm of the other two movies, and the central murder mystery falls a bit flat, playing second fiddle to Johnson’s more thoughtful exploration of religion and belief. That said, one moment that spotlights a brief connection between Duplenticy and a woman whose mother is dying is so devastating that it achieves an emotional effectiveness that the other movies never really aspire to.

1. Knives Out

The original Knives Out still stands as the undisputed benchmark. Back when it was released, critics and audiences praised it for its clever plotting, tightly woven mystery, and its perfect balance of suspense and humor. Nothing’s changed in that respect, and we certainly wouldn’t be here talking about the “Knives Out trilogy” six years later if it hadn’t been a standout movie!

Knives Out ended up being part of a slew of “eat the rich” movies coming out of Hollywood of late, including The Menu and Ready or Not. Released in the same year as Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite won Best Picture at the Oscars, Knives Out captured a time in our zeitgeist just before the pandemic, which was perceived in some ways as a kind of “equalizer” among the classes. Following the entitled Thrombeys, who are feuding at their mansion after the family patriarch’s death and his decision to bequeath the family fortune upon humble nurse Marta. Good for her!

The introduction of Craig’s Foghorn Leghorn-accented Blanc was like a breath of fresh air for the tired murder-mystery genre, with Craig himself seemingly delighted to spice up an excellent ensemble cast that already included the likes of Michael Shannon and Chris Evans. Since then, there’s been a renewed interest in delivering high-quality murder mysteries, not least by Netflix, which acquired the rights to the Knives Out sequels for an eye-watering $469 million.

The first flick remains the best of the trilogy because it balances everything in a way the others can’t quite top. It still feels fresh and tight, with every clue placed perfectly and every character instantly memorable, never taking itself too seriously. The story also unfolds with a perfect “aha!” payoff that leaves you grinning. Six years on, it still hits the sweetest spot among all three movies.