Directed by Rian Johnson, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery follows Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) as he investigates a seemingly impossible murder at a gothic Catholic church in upstate New York. It features a new suspect pool led by the charismatic but problematic Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin) and an earnest young priest, Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) who serves as the audience’s guide through themes of faith, sin, and hidden secrets within the devout community.
Rian Johnson has proven himself as a modern master of the whodunnit genre twice with his first film Knives Out and its standalone sequel Glass Onion, so of course I was absolutely thrilled to see this third installment. Did lightning strike a third time for this series or did Rian miss the mark? Thankfully it did not miss the mark at all. Rian Johnson delivers what I believe to be potentially the best installment of the Knives Out series that is held back by one thing that drags down an otherwise perfect film that is wildly fun, dark and twisted in the best possible ways.
Rian is able to deliver refreshing spins on the whodunnit genre with every installment he has made and continues to do so with this film while also making it the most visually stunning and cleverly crafted film of the series that he has made to date. So without giving away any spoilers let’s get into what made this installment near perfect and what held it back.
One thing for certain is with Rian’s Knives Out installments you can expect a really great ensemble full of talented individuals and this film certainly has that, minus one person. But of course let’s first address the best part of all the Knives Out installments, which is Benoit Blanc. The humor and hyper genius of the character is all there and accounted for but in this film we get to see him bring forth a lot more emotion and struggle, all performed supremely well by Daniel Craig, who continues to play the role to perfection. This is the toughest case that Blanc has ever had to crack and with so much at stake we see him go to great lengths to defend the one who is being blamed for the murder, to the point where he breaks the rules that he usually respects and follows through without hesitation.
We’ve seen him show his caring and compassionate side before in previous installments but in this film we see and feel that side of him come out more in his partnership with Rev. Jud Duplenticy. They may have polar opposite beliefs but Benoit Blanc has a good heart and is determined to prove him innocent and expose the guilty by any means he can.
But as much as Daniel Craig shines as Benoit Blanc it is newcomer Josh O’Connor who really owns the film with his emotionally powerful and perfect performance as Rev. Jud Duplenticy. Josh beautifully plays a man who is plagued by guilt from his past, and we see him endure a truly emotional journey of faith, sin, and mystery as the community all turns on him, believing him to be the murderer of the former priest, Jefferson Wicks. Like Ana De Armas and Janelle Monáe before him, he is a truly compelling lead character that we can’t help but feel immense sympathy for when he is put in the center of this mystery and begins to emotionally spiral. The chemistry he shares with Craig’s Blanc is electrifying, giving us the best leading duo and friendship of the Knives Out series by far.
The rest of the ensemble for the most part are all really great with their performances for their respective characters, but as always with these films there are some significant standouts. The biggest and most surprising stand out of the lot was Glenn Close as Martha Delacroix, a devout church lady and Wicks’ right-hand woman. Glenn Close is no stranger to delivering marvelous performances in the past but this might be her best work that I’ve seen in many years as she gives so many phenomenal layers to this character that get peeled back throughout the film. She can be an insanely devoted follower of the Church, with emotional imbalance in one scene then become someone entirely different the next, and you can’t help but be invested in her alongside Benoit Blanc and Jud. This was a true comeback performance for Glenn Close and I absolutely applaud her for her commitment to this role.
Also delivering a very committed performance is Josh Brolin as Msgr. Jefferson Wicks, a charismatic and domineering priest who serves as the congregation’s central figure and the murder victim of this story. Brolin brings thunderous presence as this aggressive servant of god, but the truth is he is a hateful and manipulative cult leader with a firm control over the community he claims to be helping. He also serves as a perfect opponent for Jud with their vast differences in beliefs, despite being a part of the same religion. Out of all the murder victims we have had so far this is the first time you don’t actually feel bad about seeing the person being murdered, but even in death his influence continues to have a haunting presence throughout the film and impacts all the characters in various ways.
Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, Thomas Haden Church, and Jeremy Renner, returning to film after his horrible accident, all play their parts and character traits fantastically by committing to the humor and the drama this film provides with its sharp screenplay.
Unfortunately, there is one cast member and character that not only drags down this talented ensemble but also drags down most of the film in general with her inclusion and that is Mila Kunis as Geraldine Scott, a local police chief involved with investigating the murder of Jefferson Wicks. I did my very best to put aside my immense ill feelings towards the actress as a person and just focus on the character, but Kunis doesn’t do the character any favors when she delivers a completely flat and lifeless performance as Geraldine Scott. Every other cast member is bringing their A-game to their respective roles while she offers nothing of value and throws off the energy of the cast and the pacing of the story with a performance that is as wooden as a board. That said a wooden board with a smiley face would probably deliver a better performance than her. This was the one time that I felt Rian or his casting director made a massive miscast in the Knives Out series.
The previous Knives Out mysteries were all brilliantly crafted while offering something new and refreshing to the whodunnit genre in unique settings. In my personal view, this is the most masterfully crafted and executed mystery of the series so far, with its wildly unpredictable yet engaging story full of twists and turns as well as its darker tone and unique themes. Rian Johnson knows how to smartly put all the clues that lead to major pay offs in plain sight with each film without making things too obvious or complicated, but in this film he puts some crazy spins on that aspect by having the clues themselves seem obvious on the surface but turn out to be something much more when you look at them in a different way and still result in satisfying pay offs. If you think you can be able to predict who the killer is or how the film ends then I say good luck to you because every prediction I had was wrong at every turn. But to be honest I’m glad I was wrong with every prediction and that this film was able to deliver some emotionally driven surprises that hit you hard and stay with you long after the film ends.
And just like the other installments, this one has its fair share of compelling themes and commentary based on the setting. Greed has always been a major theme of the Knives Out films that drives most of the characters in their motives, though it always comes in different forms and fits in with other various themes in each installment, with this one being no different. With the film taking place in a religious community, there are obviously religious themes that are all handled tastefully though are definitely going to spark some fiery debates online about some of them, especially regarding the conflict of peaceful and kind faith versus aggressive and zealous faith. I am not a religious man myself but I did find myself incredibly invested in the religious conflict and elements of the story, especially when a lot of it is relevant to current events regarding how individuals wield religion like a weapon to get away with horrible actions of all kinds against others.
When it comes to the technical elements of this film, Wake Up Dead Man might be the most masterfully crafted and visually stunning of the Knives Out series, leaning heavily into the gothic aesthetic of its setting and leaving a long-lasting visual impression. The beautiful cinematography, editing, lighting, and set design give this film a majestic yet haunting atmosphere that feels like a major step above the previous installments, even though those films do look great on their own. So many beautiful shots oozing with symbolic colors and lighting really give this film a unique flair and add so many layers to the story, making it a special treat for the eyes.
Adding on to all of this is a fantastically haunting yet incredibly fitting score by returning composer Nathan Johnson, who never fails to deliver superb music.
Rian Johnson has further cemented himself as both a genius and master of the whodunnit genre, managing to find new ways to explore it in truly amazing stories that put refreshing spins on the genre. If Rian intends to do more of these films going forward then by all means he should absolutely go for it, but this time with a wider theatrical release because these films deserve much more than being put straight to Netflix. If you loved the previous Knives Out films then you are going to love this one if you can handle the elephant in the room. I’m going to give Wake Up Dead Man an A = 97.
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