Three years after the release of Glass Onion, Rian Johnson is back with Wake Up Dead Man, the third Knives Out movie starring Daniel Craig.
Netflix took a big leap of faith when they shelled out millions to acquire the standalone sequels to his surprise 2019 hit Knives Out. Johnson has rewarded that faith with Wake Up Dead Man.
Deriving its name from the U2 song from their Pop album, Wake Up Dead Man is a tale of religion and faith. It follows the investigation of the murder of a controversial priest, which, incidentally, occurs during Easter weekend (giving the title new meaning).
Once again, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) is on the case, this time being tailed by the local police, spearheaded by Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis).
While the ensemble is just as stacked as Glass Onion, Johnson changes up his formula to a degree. In previous installments, the suspects were all related or intertwined via friendships. However, in Wake Up Dead Man, they are the congregation of a struggling New York church.
Blanc still investigates all of them, but their individual relationships to the dead priest, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (played masterfully by Josh Brolin), are more integral than their interpersonal relationships.
After rewatches of Glass Onion, it becomes clear how bloated it is. While the same could happen with Wake Up Dead Man, it feels a lot more interesting and thematically dense than the last entry. Nothing will likely top Knives Out, but the third movie is an improvement over the second.
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery review
At 144 minutes, Johnson's longest Knives Out movie to date, Wake Up Dead Man tells a complex story with a healthy runtime. It opens with a delayed title card that flashes about a half hour into the movie.
The first half hour of Wake Up Dead Man establishes Reverend Jud Duplenticy's (Josh O'Connor) journey to Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude, a Catholic church in upstate New York.
Duplenticy is a former boxer who turned violent against a deacon at his last church, causing his relocation. That is how he meets Wicks, who's determined to maintain his stronghold over the church and its dwindling congregation.
Among the regulars are Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), a struggling novelist, Dr. Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), one of the town's doctors, Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), a lawyer, Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny), a disabled woman who is practically funding the church on her own under the faith of Wicks' promise that God will heal her, Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), Wicks' right-hand woman, and Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack), Vera's adoptive son who's filming everything for his YouTube channel.
Despite his unconventional (that oftentimes border on abusive) tactics, the congregation stands behind Wicks. It becomes clear to Duplenticy has gotten involved in something greater than he could've expected, especially once Wicks dies. Then, the secrets begin to reveal themselves.
The religious themes are where Rian Johnson's script excels
Not to say that the first two Knives Out movies didn't have their own themes, Wake Up Dead Man is Johnson's richest script. It's clear that he has an understanding of corrupt churches and religious debauchery.
A recurring theme in Wake Up Dead Man is faith. Everyone needs it, even in non-religious contexts, and it's something that can easily be exploited.
The best example of this is Simone, who places all of her faith in Wicks. He insinuates that her disability can be healed by God, only with her more than generous donations to the church, which keep the lights on.
Even the brilliant Blanc, who always gets his “a-ha!” moment when he solves the crime, begins questioning his faith in himself. The most God-like figure in these movies has a hard time wrapping his head around things.
That's what makes Wake Up Dead Man a great third entry in the series. If Blanc just solves the case, what makes it different than Knives Out or Glass Onion?
Leaning into the gothic aesthetic
Johnson found a brilliant backdrop, that being the religious themes, to place Blanc in, providing new challenges than just pretentious rich folks.
He also leans into the gothic aesthetic. Johnson's choice to revolve Wake Up Dead Man around a mystery in a Catholic church was brilliant. Most cathedrals and Catholic churches are stunning, but they all have some creepy corners.
The setting is so much better than the overly-glossy island in Glass Onion. The Thrombey house in Knives Out was also great, especially for the close-quarters aspects of the movie. But the Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude church — especially during stormy nights — creates some of the best imagery in the entire Knives Out series.
At this point, seeing where Johnson sets the next one is the most exciting thing about it. The Knives Out series has already done a gothic mansion, an island, and now a Catholic church. Regardless of its setting for Blanc's next mystery, expect Johnson to fully take advantage of it.
Should you watch Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery?
There's no denying that Knives Out remains the best movie in the trilogy, but Wake Up Dead Man takes Benoit Blanc in an interesting new direction.
Johnson's writing and directing are in peak form in this movie. While his boldness didn't necessarily translate to his Star Wars movie, it works in this franchise.
The sandbox is open, and these anthology-style stories with Craig at the forefront should continue until they decide to call it quits. Craig is so compelling as Blanc, even with the over-the-top southern drawl.
Grade: B+
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is in theaters and will be available to stream on Netflix on Dec. 12.
