Netflix’s Newest Hit Film Is An Upstate New York Whodunnit

In 2019, Rain Johnson released 'Knives Out', a witty, clever whodunnit that harkened back to the days of Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle. The film was a smash-hit, and spawned a series of sequels that seem to keep getting better.

The most recent edition was 2025's 'Wake Up Dead Man', which has garnered the same amount of critical and audience acclaim as the first in the series. It also owes a great deal to New York's Capital Region.

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The 'Wake Up Dead Man'/Upstate Connection

I was privileged enough to catch a screening of the film in Albany on Thanksgiving Day. While there's dozens of moments in the film that are meant to elicit a reaction from the audience, one piece got the loudest laughs from my theatre.

That was during the moments when it's revealed the main character (Josh O'Connor's Reverend Jud), hails from Albany. Not only that, the film focuses on his character leaving the city, and going to a church located in the fictional town of Chimney Rock, NY. While this obviously isn't a real place, it's meant to be just outside the Albany city limits, meaning it can effectively take place anywhere in the Capital Region.

Where Was 'wake Up Dead Man" Filmed?

While Rian Johnson's newest film takes place in the Capital Region, it was filmed far, far away from it. Filming took place primarily in London, with exterior shots of the church being filmed at Holy Innocents Church in High Beech, Loughton. The interior of the chapel was a set built before filming.

The film hits Netflix on December 12th, but certain cinemas will be showing the film ahead of time. Spectrum 8, Scene One Movieland, and Story Screen Cinema will all be hosting limited showings every day until the 12th.