Wake Up Dead Man could be the best entry in the Knives Out series yet, with enough atmosphere to fill a cathedral and a tightly-wound script that keeps you guessing at every step.

Writer-director Rian Johnson's love letter to Agatha Christie started strong in 2019, introducing moviegoers to Daniel Craig's theatrical private investigator Benoit Blanc, fitted with a formidable affinity for logic and a disarming Southern twang.

After the film's success to a tune of over $300 million (£227m), Netflix swooped in to secure a two-picture deal for the inevitable sequels, starting with 2022's Glass Onion.

While Blanc's sun-soaked second outing was just as enjoyable, it hasn't quite stood up to rewatches and the first Knives Out remains the lofty benchmark for modern murder mysteries.

It's therefore a relief to report that Wake Up Dead Man is an undeniable return to form.

This time around, Blanc unravels the seemingly impossible murder of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (played by Josh Brolin), an enthralling priest who has enticed a modest but devout group of followers into his grasp within the small town of Chimney Rock.

After turning his cult-like congregation against his church's new priest, Reverend Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor), Wicks is mysteriously killed in a classic "locked room" scenario, making Jud the prime suspect.

Featuring yet another stacked cast, which also includes Glenn Close as Wicks' right-hand woman Martha Delacroix, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington and Mila Kunis, Johnson returns to the director's chair with even more confidence and a taut mystery that's a joy to wrap your head around.

Although Wake Up Dead Man maintains the series' sharp sense of humour, Johnson wisely keeps the art of murder front and centre this time, side-stepping the near-constant gags and celebrity cameos that make certain stretches of Glass Onion such a chore on subsequent viewings.

The longest film in the series so far, though not to a particularly bum-numbing extent, the first act's deliberate pacing lets viewers soak in the setting, sumptuously filmed by cinematographer Steve Yedlin, with surprisingly poignant religious themes. Here, Johnson more elegantly weaves in his potshots at the rich and powerful present in most of his output, instead focusing on weightier questions of faith.

Here, the irritating impulse of modern screenwriters to undercut every scene of substance with a cheap gag is turned on its head, with humorous, seemingly inconsequential sequences often deftly pirouetting into sincere discussions on religion. One stand-out moment involving a phone call was particularly arresting, while Close fiercely embodies the dangers of zealotry in one of her best performances in years.

Johnson has also stepped up his game as a visual storyteller. After the rather uninspired setting of Glass Onion, Chimney Rock's nooks and crannies offer thrilling opportunities to explore, and there are some tongue-in-cheek uses of pathetic fallacy to drench the more toe-curling moments with atmospheric rain and cheekily allude to God's presence when the sun shines on certain characters and lines of dialogue. This running visual motif also contributes to the final shot of Wake Up Dead Man, which could be the best conclusion to a feature film all year.

If there's one criticism to be found, it's the fact that not everyone in the star-studded cast is served quite as well as previous ensembles. While Johnson delights in introducing us to colourful, eccentric and often ridiculous new characters with each entry, some of the chess pieces get a little lost in the shuffle this time. Also boasting Cailee Spaeny, Andrew Scott, Thomas Haden Church and Daryl McCormack, screen time feels a little less evenly distributed this time around, though, thankfully, no one delivers a bad performance.

Still, this is arguably to the film's benefit, especially for keeping things focused throughout the second half, and is actually a refreshing counterpart to Glass Onion, where everyone was competing for the role of biggest caricature. Moreover, it's hard to complain when Hollywood giants like Close and Brolin are delivering some of their best work and O'Connor puts in a star-making turn as the nervy Reverend Duplenticy.

It's also hard to tell how audiences will react to Benoit Blanc's latest caper, as the vast majority of fans will be watching Wake Up Dead Man at home, likely with phones and Christmas leftovers in hand. Set to release on Netflix in just over two weeks' time, it will certainly make for excellent viewing over the holiday period, but Johnson clearly still has the big screen in mind. If you can make it to the cinema before the streamer has it in its clutches, you're in for a holy treat.

Wake Up Dead Man is in UK cinemas now and will be released on Netflix on Friday, December 12.