Benoit Blanc is returning to our screens, and the world’s most dapper Southern sleuth is diving into his most perilous puzzle to date. Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, which premiered to an enthusiastic reception at the Toronto International Film Festival, sees Daniel Craig reprise his now-iconic role in Rian Johnson’s third entry in the wildly popular whodunnit series. And while the mystery promises to be darker, stranger, and more twisted than ever, queer viewers are watching with particular interest.

Johnson once again assembles a dazzling ensemble, the sort you might expect at an extremely glamorous and slightly unhinged dinner party. Josh O’Connor stars as young priest Jud Duplenticy, newly assigned to assist the fiery Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, played by Josh Brolin.

Their parish is packed with suspiciously vivid characters: Glenn Close as fiercely devout Martha Delacroix, Thomas Haden Church as cryptic groundskeeper Samson Holt, Kerry Washington as the impeccably composed lawyer Vera Draven, Daryl McCormack as rising political star Cy Draven, Jeremy Renner as the town’s doctor, Ireland’s own Andrew Scott as literary darling Lee Ross, and Cailee Spaeny as concert cellist Simone Vivane.

When an impossible murder shatters their quiet community, local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) has no choice but to call in the master of deduction himself.

Much like Knives Out and Glass Onion, the film thrives on the joyful chaos of its ensemble. Johnson has described casting these films as “throwing a dinner party”, filling each lineup with actors he loves and trusts. He’s done so once again, and this time he’s stirring in a broodier, more gothic flavour to the mix.

Beyond the twists and star power, LGBTQ+ audiences have another reason to be excited. Ever since Hugh Grant’s charming cameo as Blanc’s partner, Philip, in Glass Onion, fans have been eager for a deeper glimpse into the detective’s home life. Johnson has teased interest in expanding that thread.

Wake Up Dead Man debuts in select cinemas on November 26 before arriving on Netflix on December 12, and if Blanc’s past cases are any indication, we’re in for something wicked, stylish, and delightfully queer-tinged.