From the eccentric family of a bestselling author to the narcissistic tech mogul on a private island, the “Knives Out” franchise is no stranger to big personalities. With Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), it faces its biggest one yet.

Cults of personality take center stage in “Wake Up Dead Man,” the third “Knives Out” mystery from director Rian Johnson. Jefferson Wicks is the priest of a Catholic church in upstate New York who insists on being called Monsignor — a title only the Pope can bestow. His congregation is small, but fantastically devoted.

Things change when the young boxer-turned-priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) is assigned to Wicks’ church after punching a colleague at his previous post. Jud is reasonably taken aback by Wicks’ alpha male rhetoric, furious sermons, and uncomfortably detailed confessions of masturbation.

Then, the impossible crime happens. In a locked room, alone, Wicks is murdered. The whole town suspects Jud, who was unfortunately caught on video saying he wanted to cut Wicks out of the church “like a cancer.”

O’Connor leads a characteristically star-studded ensemble as the naive but supremely likeable Jud. The other suspects, all members of Wicks’ cult-like flock, are hilariously eccentric: Vera Draven (Kerry Washington) is a local lawyer whose stepson Cy (Daryl McCormack) is a failed politician turned far-right influencer; Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner) is an alcoholic doctor who misses his wife; Lee Ross (Andrew Scott) is a fading sci-fi novelist trying to escape the “liberal hivemind”; Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny) is a wheelchair-using cellist praying for a miracle; and Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close) is the devout church keeper in a romance with the church’s groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church).

When small-town police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) doesn’t know what to do, she calls in celebrity detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig). Craig reprises his character’s signature drawl and charisma, but this time takes a back seat in favor of a sleuthing partnership with O’Connor’s Jud.

The film is visually stunning, its saturated colors and warmth bringing a nostalgic glow. The neo-Gothic church setting makes for an awe-inspiring architectural backdrop, acknowledged even by the staunchly atheistic Blanc. The remarkable lighting becomes both aesthetic and narrative: In one scene, sunlight streams through a window as Jud speaks to Blanc about his faith.

The narrative structure of the film is tight, with Jud’s voice-over recounting the events of the story. O’Connor does a phenomenal job balancing his character’s comedic sensibilities with inner torment, becoming a captivating protagonist — so much so that viewers may not even realize they are missing Benoit Blanc for the first quarter of the film.

This strengthens Johnson’s script, allowing the world-building and story to expand naturally. By following Jud — with the witty last name Duplenticy — viewers follow the prime suspect. Throughout, Johnson hints at Jud’s possible duplicity, never allowing the audience to let their guards down.

While most of the supporting cast are relegated to what may as well be comedic cameos, O’Connor proves his leading actor capabilities. With so many colorful suspects, few are granted more than a brief punchline before the plot moves on. This is perhaps inevitable in a “Knives Out” film, yet Jud and Blanc are given enough space to anchor the narrative.

“Wake Up Dead Man” draws meta-referentially from decades of murder mysteries — from Agatha Christie to Edgar Allan Poe — to craft its impossible locked-door crime. Allusions to pop culture populate the film, in the vein of the previous two films: There are at least two Oprah references, and even a Star Wars joke for fans of Johnson’s “The Last Jedi.”

In each “Knives Out” entry, Johnson plants an unavoidable social critique. From the titular original to “Glass Onion,” he moves from the millionaire to the billionaire. “Wake Up Dead Man” pivots to tackle the provocateur — in this case, the Monsignor who actively wants people to walk out of his inflammatory sermons.

This practically sacrilegous figure is balanced by his foil, Jud. Though Blanc is a non-believer, the world he’s placed in and Jud’s sincerity as a priest profoundly influence his behavior by the end of the film. This makes for an unexpectedly inspirational reflection on the contemporary tension between belief and non-belief.

With its tight script, strong leads, and earnest humanity, “Wake Up Dead Man” is an easy upgrade from “Glass Onion,” and for many, will even supersede the heights of the original. In his third effort, Johnson has firmly found his footing, hopefully paving the way for even more Benoit Blanc.

—Staff writer Capri S. Wayne can be reached at [email protected].