Credit: Netflix
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The latest instalment of Rian Johnson’s ‘Knives Out’ mysteries recently landed on our screens – featuring another delightful performance from Daniel Craig as the detective Benoit Blanc alongside a star-studded ensemble cast. ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’ sees Blanc solving a murder at a small-town church that hides big secrets. And while the film is set in New York, Londoners can actually visit one of the film’s centrepiece locations just by hopping on the Tube!
The new ‘Knives Out’ film joins 2025’s ‘The Thursday Murder Club’ in utilising British locations as stand-ins for fictional places in murder mysteries. In the case of ‘Wake Up Dead Man’, it was a stunning little church in Epping Forest that set the scene.
The Holy Innocents Church, found right in the heart of Epping Forest, was used for the exterior shots of the film’s church. It’s here that much of the film takes place, including stand-out interactions between Daniel Craig as the detective Benoit Blanc and Josh Brolin as the church and community leader, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks.
So, if you fancy re-enacting your favourite scenes from the movie, or simply want to tread the same path as Daniel Craig, get on the Tube and head on up to Epping Forest.
Credit: Sporran, via Flickr – CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 Holy Innocents Church
Since the film centres around a murder at a church, the filmmakers obviously had to pick a suitably atmospheric setting. And they found just the spot in the Holly Innocents Church, which stood in for the exterior shots. (The interiors were shot on a set, so don’t be alarmed when the church looks different to the film when you venture inside!)
Just a warning, though, if you’re planning on visiting, you might want to drive – or be ready for a bit of a hike! The Holy Innocents Church is hidden deep within Epping Forest, and the nearest Tube station is Loughton. From here, you can take a leisurely hour-long walk to get to the church, or take a bus that cuts the walk in half. But either way, be prepared for some walking…
Credit: Matthew Black, via Flickr – CC BY-SA 2.0
Once you arrive, it’s clear to see why the church was selected. Surrounded by trees, the Grade II-listed building oozes character and looks like it’s come right out of the pages of a storybook. Just like the fictional church in the film, the Holy Innocents Church features a small but loyal congregation. I wonder how they reacted upon seeing their local place of worship in a major motion picture?
📍 Find the Holly Innocents Church at High Beach Church, Church Lane, High Beach, Loughton, Essex IG10 4BF.