Netflix's 10/10 Detective Franchise Deserves Its Masterpiece Status

Aug 08, 2026 - 22:16

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Netflix's 10/10 Detective Franchise Deserves Its Masterpiece Status

Donna Thrombey (Riki Lindhome) holding a glass of champagne menacingly in Knives Out

Published Aug 8, 2026, 1:30 PM EDT

Liz Hersey is an Editor and Critic for ScreenRant's TV team, editing, reviewing, writing, and creating content about the iconic shows you love to watch. She began her editing career at ScreenRant in 2019, shortly after joining the site as a Writer that same year.

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When it comes to movies, Netflix isn't exactly known for producing acclaimed cinema. Over the years, the streaming platform has developed a reputation for prioritizing high-volume, broad crowdpleasers over films with genuine artistic merit, making their beloved Knives Out movies rare exceptions.

The first Knives Out was not under the Netflix banner when it premiered in 2019, but was distributed by Lionsgate. Directed by Rian Johnson and starring Daniel Craig as the genteel Southern private detective Benoit Blanc, Knives Out is an autumnal, cozy mystery about the suspicious death of a wealthy crime novelist. A throwback to classic whodunit films but with plenty of fresh twists, Knives Out was a word-of-mouth sleeper hit with moviegoers, going on to gross over $312 million at the worldwide box office against a $40 million budget (via BoxOfficeMojo).

This is hugely impressive for an original film that isn't part of any famous IP, and Netflix took note. In 2021, Netflix bought the rights to make two Knives Out sequels for a staggering reported $469 million. The films that came out of this deal, 2022's Glass Onion and 2025's Wake Up Dead Man, were both met with critical acclaim and fan adulation, officially cementing Knives Out as a masterpiece cinematic franchise.

Enough Time Has Passed — The Knives Out Series Is A Masterpiece

Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc in Knives Out

Not only is "iconic" an overused term in Hollywood, but it's often deployed too early. Recency bias is a real thing, and even if a new movie is beloved and performs well at the box office, there's no guarantee it won't fade from the pop culture conversation in a few years. However, seven years after it premiered, people are still talking about Knives Out. It's here to stay.

Though every actor in each A-list Knives Out ensemble is fantastic, the series wouldn't be nearly as successful without Craig's Benoit Blanc. A radical departure from James Bond, whom Craig was still playing when the first Knives Out film premiered, Blanc values thought and observation over action. Though Blanc actively avoids the spotlight, as the detective, Craig steals every scene he's in through a combination of Southern charm, eccentricity, and warm empathy. It would have been easy to draw on the many movie detectives who came before him, but Benoit Blanc is completely himself.

Though the first two Knives Out movies are, of course, available to stream on Netflix, Lionsgate still owns the distribution rights to the first film, which explains why it's not on the streaming platform. Currently, Knives Out is unavailable to stream in the United States, though it can be rented on Prime Video.

The Knives Out movies also brilliantly blend classic, comforting whodunit vibes with whip-smart social satire. Each film in the franchise is a searing commentary on topics like generational wealth, fame and its relationship to internet culture, and tribalism in religious communities. At the same time, Knives Out is never preachy or overly didactic — it always puts the mystery first, which is ultimately its secret sauce.

Should Knives Out Continue With #4 Or Quit While It's Ahead?

Daniel Craig's Benoit Blanc looks confused in Knives Out Wake Up Dead Man

With Johnson having released his two Knives Out sequels with Netflix, the lingering question of a fourth film remains. Though nothing has been confirmed, Johnson has openly discussed Knives Out 4, revealing that he has "kernels" of ideas, though he plans to direct an original movie before revisiting Benoit Blanc (via EW). For his part, Craig told RadioTimes, "As long as Rian keeps inventing it the way he does, then I’m in." So, Knives Out 4 is a definite possibility, but does that mean it should happen?

The biggest complaints about movie franchises are that they either grow stale and run out of ideas or, in an effort to stay fresh, pivot so hard that they no longer resemble what made them great in the first place. When looking at the Knives Out movies, neither of these problems applies. Each entry in the franchise is wholly unique from one another, yet every one shares the winning combination of Benoit Blanc, a lovable, "voice of the audience" ally, a bevy of reprehensible yet hilarious and entertaining suspects, and unpredictable whodunit plot twists.

Knives Out Franchise Rotten Tomatoes Scores

Title	Critics' Score	Audience Score
Knives Out (2019)	97%	92%
Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery (2022)	91%	92%
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025)	92%	93%

Though nothing will ever match the lightning in a bottle that was the first Knives Out movie, the other films are hardly diminishing returns, as both have Rotten Tomatoes scores in the 90s from both critics and audiences alike. It's impossible to please everybody, but as a whole, Knives Out has come pretty darn close, all while maintaining its artistic integrity. So, when looking at it like that, Knives Out 4 absolutely needs to happen.