Beginning in 2019 to critical acclaim, Knives Out is a series of masterful contemporary murder mysteries that undoubtedly breathed new life into the genre. With an abundance of A-listers, making up its supporting cast, audiences were excited from the jump. As evidenced by its impressive gross of over $312 million worldwide from a $40 million budget, it also seemed to offer something we had been craving at that point in time– an entirely original, fun, and complex story.
Knives Out as a franchise became a sure thing, with audiences and studios alike wanting more. In 2021, streaming giant Netflix acquired the rights to the following sequels, which were released to the platform with limited theatrical runs. This deal was controversial among fans, who criticized it as part of Netflix’s plan to dominate the film landscape.
Each film features Daniel Craig’s astute Detective Benoit Blanc as he solves a new mystery, cast among a group of eclectic characters after a suspicious death, with each of them a suspect. In the first film, a renowned murder mystery writer is found dead at his estate; in its sequel, released in 2022, Glass Onion, a tech billionaire hosts a murder mystery party where a guest ends up dead.
Now, writer-director Rian Johnson ups the ante for the third installment with Wake Up Dead Man. In this latest chapter, the seemingly impossible murder of a small parish’s monsignor shakes its congregation.
Warning: May contain minor spoilers for Wake Up Dead Man
Wake Up Dead Man continues the tradition of featuring well-known actors in its supporting cast, and this one has some major players: Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Jeremy Renner, Thomas Haden Church, Jeffrey Wright, and Mila Kunis, to round it out.
At the heart of each Knives Out film is its protagonist with a strong moral compass who finds themselves caught in the chaos. In the first film, this was Ana de Armas’ Marta, a good-hearted nurse; in Glass Onion, Janelle Monáe’s Helen, a down-to-earth, caring person who just wants justice for a loved one. In Wake Up Dead Man, Josh O’Connor’s Father Jud acts as that moral center.
When Jud Duplenticy, a former boxer turned Catholic priest, punches a deacon, he is reassigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude in upstate New York as an assistant priest. The parish head, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Brolin), is domineering and provocative, leading through condemnatory, fire-and-brimstone preaching, driving away all but a loyal few.
Wicks is the grandson of Reverend Prentice Wicks. We learn about Grace, Prentice’s daughter and Wicks’ mother, from Martha Delacroix (Close), Monsignor Wicks’ right-hand. Prentice shamed his daughter, calling her a “harlot whore.” Grace was promised Prentice’s inheritance and stayed at the church until his death. When the inheritance suddenly vanished, she ransacked the church in a fit of rage, destroying the church’s crucifix, which remains broken and missing from above the altar —a symbol of the parish’s dark history and underlying decay.
Our Suspects and the “Impossible Crime”
In addition to Martha, we are introduced to the rest of the devout congregation and our suspects. Vera Draven (Washington), Wicks’ attorney; her adoptive son and aspiring politician, Cy (Daryl McCormack); Lee Ross (Scott), a once best-selling sci-fi author now writing a book on Wicks; Simone Vivane (Spaeny), a former cellist suffering from a painful nerve condition; Nat Sharp (Renner), the town doctor dealing with his divorce from his wife; and Samson Holt (Church), the church groundskeeper and Martha’s lover. In many ways, Wicks’ flocks are also victims of his backwards sermons. All of them, down on their luck and desperate for something to believe in, are drawn in by his charisma.
Jud and Wicks clash over their conflicting views on faith and preaching styles. Shaped by his troubled past, Jud sees faith as redemptive and prefers to lead with empathy and openness. He even candidly states to Wicks’ flock that he killed a man in the ring during his boxing days, which alienates him from them. When Wicks drops dead during a sermon on Good Friday in a small closet, Jud, who is closest to Wicks at the moment of his death, is seen as the prime suspect by not only the church’s congregants but also police chief Geraldine Scott (Kunis), who calls in Detective Blanc to investigate.
This story takes on a slightly darker, heavier tone than the first two, while still retaining some of the comedic charm that audiences loved in these films. Craig’s Detective Blanc continues to provide a touch of levity with his distinctive Southern drawl and comical expressions. However, Blanc takes a bit of a back seat this time around, first appearing nearly 40 minutes in.
Stellar Performances
O’Connor and Close deliver the two standout performances here. Father Jud is a flawed character, but O’Connor’s portrayal of this youthful, earnest priest makes you empathize with him throughout the film, even when you’re unsure of his innocence. Jud doesn’t shy away from his flaws or his past; he’s upfront about them. It’s with that that he’s able to improve and set out to do what he’s meant to do to help his fellow man.
In one of the film’s best scenes, Blanc and Jud come upon a lead in the case: a work order to open the family crypt made prior to Wicks’ death.
They call the construction company to find out who placed this order, and an employee named Louise picks up. What begins as a chaotic and funny scene as she’s talking his ear off while he frantically tries to get an answer to their question, abruptly turns somber when she starts crying and asks: “Father, can you pray for me?” The momentum comes to a screeching halt, and Jud drops everything to have a conversation with her.
Close’s Martha is also quite flawed. A pious churchgoer who shares the same fear-mongering beliefs rooted in shame and judgment as Wicks, Close’s portrayal is deep and nuanced, with some comedic moments, too. Martha’s character arc culminates in a fantastic scene with Jud, which provides a satisfying conclusion for her.
A Stunning Location and Detailed Visuals
Another strength of the film is its cinematography. It is the most visually striking of the three, featuring interesting visual motifs throughout. Holy Innocents Church, the real Neo-Gothic building in Essex where the film was shot, is used to its fullest, perfectly enhancing its atmospheric setting. The film also uses light creatively. Several interior shots use clouds passing through sunlight to reflect the scene’s mood, a character’s moment of revelation, or uncertainty.
The film’s mystery and the ultimate reveal are a bit busy and not as tight as those of its predecessors. Additionally, its supporting cast feels underutilized compared to the earlier films. However, it differs from Knives Out and Glass Onion in ways that benefit the story it aims to tell.
Each film’s arc concludes with Blanc explaining to the audience how the murder was committed. A highly anticipated reveal, given the marketing of the film featuring a crime that even Blanc initially struggles to make sense of. This one doesn’t want its whodunit to be the main takeaway, though. We’re ultimately more interested in the character arc of our lead and the message he, and we, the audience, learn.
Wake Up Dead Man serves as a meditation on faith, cults of personality, and redemption. Without being preachy, it leaves you still pondering its themes long after the mystery is solved and the killer is revealed.
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