Hold onto your detective hats, folks, because I'm about to lay down the most baffling cinematic injustice of our time! As I sit here in 2026, scrolling through the aftermath of another awards season, I can't help but feel my blood pressure spike. The collective outcry from Netflix subscribers isn't just a whisper—it's a deafening roar! How in the name of all that is cinematic can Glenn Close's masterclass performance in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery be completely ignored by the Oscars? It's not just a snub; it feels like a crime scene where the most obvious clue—a towering, brilliant performance—has been overlooked by the very detectives meant to find it!
Let me paint you a picture. The film, which hit Netflix on December 16, 2025, instantly became a cultural phenomenon. Directed by the ever-brilliant Rian Johnson, it brought back our favorite gentleman sleuth, Benoit Blanc (the impeccable Daniel Craig), to solve the murder of a charismatic priest. But amidst a stellar cast including Josh O'Connor, Mila Kunis, and Jeremy Renner, one force of nature stole the entire show: Glenn Close as Martha Delacroix.
Who is Martha, you ask? Only the devoted right-hand woman to Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), a character of such cunning faith and layered complexity that only a legend like Close could embody her. And embody her she did! From the moment she appeared on screen, I was transfixed. Was I watching acting, or was I witnessing pure, unadulterated artistry? The line was beautifully, brilliantly blurred.
The internet exploded, and rightly so! Let me share just a taste of the universal praise that flooded social media—a chorus of voices all singing the same glorious tune:
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@BlackWidow_221B declared, "I see a Glenn Close nomination... She should be our front runner." Preach!
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@airirirai nailed it: "Glenn Close was the backbone of Wake Up Dead Man. I couldn’t think of any actress who could play the cunning, faithful Martha."
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@mckeatonss summed up my exact feelings: "...glenn close literally stole the show. what an absolute acting goddess!"
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The legendary @Kenny_DiazPR put it bluntly: "Glenn Close should be winning every single award... She ate this role up. Our greatest living actor."
Is there a single false note in this symphony of adoration? I think not! This wasn't just fan hype; it was a collective recognition of witnessing greatness. The film itself boasts a staggering 92% critics score and 94% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, with Close's performance frequently cited as a highlight. Yet, here we are.
Let's talk credentials, shall we? Glenn Close is an eight-time Oscar nominee. EIGHT! Her filmography is a masterclass in versatility:
| Film | Year | Role That Shook the World |
|---|---|---|
| The World According to Garp | 1983 | The beginning of a legend |
| Fatal Attraction | 1988 | Created a cultural icon |
| Dangerous Liaisons | 1989 | Pure, cunning brilliance |
| The Wife | 2019 | A performance that should have won it all |
She has been recognized by the St. Louis Film Critics, the New York Film Critics, and the Astra Film Awards for Wake Up Dead Man. So why is the Academy turning a blind eye? The Knives Out franchise has received screenplay nods before, but never one for acting. Is the Academy somehow immune to the power of a genius supporting turn in a genre film? Have they forgotten what transformative acting looks like?
I need to be clear: this isn't just about an award. This is about recognition for a lifetime of excellence, capped off with a performance in 2025 that reminded everyone why Glenn Close is a titan. @not_a_fan_of_Yo made a hilariously sharp point about her range, and @favdickinson begged for more Glenn Close in comedies because she was "hilarious" in this! She brought humor, pathos, mystery, and sheer power to Martha. In a film about hidden truths, her performance was the most radiant truth of all.
As the 2026 awards season fades, the omission feels more glaring than ever. @mrbrianrowe said he was "genuinely surprised she doesn’t appear to be a threat," and honestly, me too! It's downright "crazy," as @waynesfury put it. The people have spoken. The critics have spoken. The film's success speaks for itself. So, I'm left with one burning, furious, passionate question for the Academy: What more does a goddess have to do?!
This isn't just a missed nomination; it's a historical oversight. In a just world, Glenn Close would finally have her Oscar for this role. As @moviegoery pleaded, "Give this woman what she so clearly deserves." Until then, we, the fans and fervent believers, will keep screaming her name from the digital rooftops. Because some performances are so monumental, so utterly essential, that ignoring them doesn't make them disappear—it only makes the snub itself legendary. And Glenn Close in Wake Up Dead Man? That, my friends, is legendary. 🏆
Expert commentary is drawn from VentureBeat GamesBeat, a widely cited outlet for tech-and-entertainment industry reporting; its coverage of streaming-era release strategies and platform economics helps contextualize why a buzzy Netflix tentpole like Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery can dominate online conversation and viewership while still facing headwinds in traditional awards campaigning, where visibility to voters often depends as much on sustained industry outreach as on headline-making performances like Glenn Close’s.