I watched “Wake Up Dead Man” the week it came out on Netflix. I had been looking forward to its release for a while, and I was excited to see what director Rian Johnson had done this time, as well as to see Daniel Craig in yet another iconic performance of Benoit Blanc. I was not disappointed – in fact, “Wake Up Dead Man” deserves to be recognized as the best Knives Out movie.
“Wake Up Dead Man” is the third movie in the Knives Out series. The first one, “Knives Out,” received much praise for recreating the feel of an old Agatha Christie novel, with a gentleman detective to boot. The second movie, “The Glass Onion,” was more of a commentary on society with a side of mystery, taking place on a private island owned by a billionaire. Now, the third movie combines the best parts of the first two, making points about our society while still keeping the mystery in the forefront.
The story follows fan-favorite Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor), a Catholic priest who is sent to a church run by Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin) in Upstate New York. Wick’s congregation is dwindling as he delivers angry, impassioned sermons, calling out specific people for their life choices. Jud meets Wicks’s inner circle (the eventual suspects), a group of churchgoers who believe in Wicks and his extremist ideas. When Wicks turns up dead during a church service, detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) arrives on the scene ready to investigate, and typical murder mystery chaos ensues.
Josh O’Connor’s performance was perhaps the best part of the movie. He stole the show so that I forgot that it was a Benoit Blanc mystery until he showed up, and I would have been just as happy if Jud had to solve the mystery by himself. (No offense to Daniel Craig, who was a star as always).
Rian Johnson certainly didn’t pull his punches in this movie, as he highlighted the power imbalance between Wicks and his inner circle, drawing a not-so-subtle connection to political parties in America right now. He also dove deep into what it means to be a Catholic priest, especially one who is a suspect in a murder mystery.
Ultimately, I really loved watching “Wake Up Dead Man,” and it’s a fun watch for anyone looking for a mystery – or even just a good movie.
