Knives Out Movies in Order: Do You Need to Watch All Three?

The Knives Out movies in order are Knives Out (2019), Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022) and Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025). That is the simplest viewing order, but there is a useful catch: each film gives Daniel Craig’s detective Benoit Blanc a separate case, so you can start with the one that interests you.

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You do not need to memorise a family tree, sit through a television spin-off or save a post-credits clue before moving on. The connection is Blanc himself, alongside writer-director Rian Johnson’s taste for suspicious behaviour, uncomfortable gatherings and people who would rather control the story than tell the truth.

Below is the spoiler-free answer to what to watch first, how the three films connect and whether you can go straight to Wake Up Dead Man.

Knives Out movies in order at a glance

Watch order	Film	Year	Spoiler-free starting point
1	Knives Out	2019	A wealthy family and a death at a New England mansion.
2	Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery	2022	A billionaire’s invitation takes Blanc to a Greek island.
3	Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery	2025	A seemingly impossible crime brings Blanc into a church community.

Choose release order for your first watch. It lets you meet Blanc in the original film, then see how the series changes its setting and mood. There is no practical benefit to rearranging the films around an elaborate timeline: understanding one investigation does not depend on solving another first.

1. Knives Out (2019): start with the family gathering

The first film introduces Blanc through the death of novelist Harlan Thrombey and the people around him. Daniel Craig stars alongside Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis and Christopher Plummer.

For a newcomer, its biggest advantage is the enclosed family setting. You can concentrate on who wants what, who resents whom and how differently people describe the same household. The suspicion grows out of familiar tensions: money, loyalty, inheritance and the things relatives believe they are owed.

Our recommendation is to begin here if your idea of a satisfying mystery involves a grand house, awkward interviews and a family struggling to maintain its manners. It establishes the pleasure of watching Blanc listen while everyone else tries to explain themselves.

It also makes a useful test of whether the series is for you. If the mix of social comedy and detective work clicks, the later films offer different versions of that combination. You do not have to enjoy every character to enjoy watching their stories collide.

2. Glass Onion (2022): the second film changes the scenery

Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery takes Blanc to a Greek island and a gathering organised by tech billionaire Miles Bron, played by Edward Norton. Its ensemble includes Janelle Monáe, Kate Hudson, Dave Bautista, Kathryn Hahn, Leslie Odom Jr, Jessica Henwick and Madelyn Cline.

The change of location is a good reason to keep watching in release order. Having met the detective among family grievances and autumnal interiors, you now encounter a much sunnier gathering with its own hierarchies. Luxury does not make the relationships any less uncomfortable.

Watch this second if you want to see the series broaden its comic register. The appeal is partly the mismatch between the polished invitation and the messy people accepting it. A holiday setting gives you a different kind of social performance to scrutinise.

MarkMeets covered Daniel Craig and the cast at the Glass Onion London premiere. That reporting offers a look at the film’s arrival beyond the streaming menu.

There is also our earlier coverage of Glass Onion’s selection to close the London Film Festival. Save any plot analysis for afterwards: a murder mystery is one genre where even an innocent-looking search result can reveal more than you wanted.

3. Wake Up Dead Man (2025): Blanc’s third case

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is the third Benoit Blanc film. This time, the detective investigates a crime connected to a small church in upstate New York. Josh O’Connor plays Father Jud Duplenticy, while Josh Brolin plays Monsignor Jefferson Wicks.

The ensemble also includes Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church. Netflix’s official Wake Up Dead Man film details confirm the cast and premise, although readers avoiding all story information should leave the fuller descriptions until after watching.

The church setting offers another reason these films work as separate invitations. You are entering a new community with its own loyalties and pressures. Familiarity with Blanc is welcome, but the people whose behaviour you need to understand belong to this case.

For the wider festival context, MarkMeets’ 2025 London Film Festival line-up coverage includes the film. Keep the release year in mind when searching: this is a 2025 film, rather than a new 2026 instalment.

Do you need to watch Knives Out before Glass Onion?

No. You can follow Glass Onion without seeing Knives Out. The central investigation involves a different group of people. You will miss the experience of meeting Blanc in his first film, but you will not be missing the first half of the island mystery.

This makes the sequel an easy choice for a group film night. Someone who has watched the original does not need to give everyone else a detailed recap. In fact, keeping that recap short avoids accidentally spoiling a film the others might decide to watch later.

Can you watch Wake Up Dead Man first?

Yes. Wake Up Dead Man gives Blanc a new investigation rather than continuing an unfinished case. If the church setting or its cast is what attracts you, starting there is a reasonable choice.

Release order remains our recommendation for anyone planning to watch all three. It turns each change of setting into part of the experience. But treating the original as compulsory homework could put you off a film you would otherwise enjoy, and the series does not require that approach.

Is Glass Onion the same thing as Knives Out 2?

Yes. People often call it Knives Out 2 because it is the second Blanc film, but its title is Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Likewise, Knives Out 3 refers to Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.

Searching by the full title is particularly useful when looking for a streaming listing, trailer or cast member. It reduces the chance of landing on an old announcement written before the title or release details were known.

Where should you check streaming availability?

Glass Onion and Wake Up Dead Man are Netflix releases. For the second film, Netflix’s official Glass Onion cast page is a useful reference. Check the Netflix app in your country for playback availability and your subscription’s access.

Do not assume the original film is included simply because the later entries are associated with Netflix. Search for Knives Out separately in your local streaming and rental services. Subscription catalogues and rental prices can change, so check the listing before paying.

What should you read after watching?

Once you have finished the second film, our Glass Onion explanation is the next stop for plot discussion. It is deliberately linked here rather than required reading before the film: knowing the viewing order should not cost you the surprise.

If you want another comedy-led investigation afterwards, read the MarkMeets review of Confess, Fletch, starring Jon Hamm. It is a separate film with a different central character, so treat it as a possible next watch rather than another entry in the Blanc series.

The best Knives Out viewing order for a first watch

Start with Knives Out, follow it with Glass Onion, then watch Wake Up Dead Man. That gives you the release order without unnecessary timeline work.

If you only have time for one, choose the setting that appeals most: a family mansion, a billionaire’s island or a church community. Each gives you a fresh mystery. Leave the ending explanations closed, put your phone down and give the suspects a chance to talk themselves into trouble.

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Mark Boardman

Mark Boardman is an established showbiz journalist and freelance copywriter whose work has been published in Business Insider, Daily Mail, Bloomberg, MTV, Buzzfeed, and The New York Post, amongst other media. Often spotted on the red carpet at celebrity events and film screenings, Mark is a regular guest on BBC Radio London and in demand for his opinions on media outlets such as Newsweek, Daily Express, and OK! Magazine, as well as Heart radio, Capital FM, LBC, and Radio 2. His TV credits include ITV News, This Morning, BBC News, The One Show, Sky News, GB News, and Channel T4. Mark is a keen traveller having visited 40+ countries, and a devout sports fan who also attends as many gigs as he can across the capital when not rubbing shoulders with the stars. Email Mark@MarkMeets.com