John Dickson Carr, one of the 20th century’s most acclaimed mystery writers—especially famous for his ingenious locked-room puzzles like The Hollow Man—has a notable connection to the new film Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. Director Rian Johnson drew on classic locked-room mystery conventions that Carr helped popularize, and the film even references Carr’s work (with characters directly engaging with the ideas from The Hollow Man as Blanc illustrates what makes a crime “impossible”) as part of its plot and homage to the genre’s heritage.

Check out the trailer here:

🎬 Trailer: Wake Up Dead Man Official Trailer — Watch on YouTube Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is in theaters in select locations now as a limited theatrical release ahead of its streaming debut. After that brief run, the movie becomes widely available when it streams on Netflix beginning December 12, 2025.