Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Here I feel we are have reach a turning point for Rian Johnson as brings Benoit Blanc to the golden light of a seemingly impossible murder taken place in a small, tight knit parish. At first I'll admit that I balked at the meandering two and a half hour runtime; remembering the cloying finale of this film's predecessor in Glass Onion, in that while I didn't enjoy that film based on the mere performances alone, it did in fact feel too long. This however, was completely enjoyable from start to finish and I in fact did not reach for my phone once. I do, however, find that this film did not explore the radicalised parishioners, choosing to favor our tiresome Father Jud. I would love liked to have seen a little bit more from the writer Lee Ross, considering the amount of reliance on books in relation the first act mystery.

The choice to have a more significant focus on the charismatic Father Jud allows for a much richer exploration of the themes that Rian chooses to explore; finding redemption within the Church, how people choose to use their faith (whether justly or wrongly) and also the more traditional themes of guilt in both previous Knives Out films. The domineering nature of the Monsignor Wicks did feel whole and fulfilled in its place in the final proceedings as all the motives come to a glowing revelation, as did the development of Glenn Close's character Martha. She is the flock's most ardent believer and the strongest supporter of Wicks. She holds great contempt for Jud, as a new member of the Church which she has been a member of since her young childhood. At first, it's not a performance that stuns nor astounds, but in that final revelation, Close's talent at the nuanced approach to acting is wholly remarkable and her souls laid bare. All four main characters lead the audience into a deep world of religious harmony and the power that some choose to abuse.

Speaking of glowing revelation, I would definitely be in remits for not mentioning the distinctive tone and visual appearance that this film garners in correlation to Johnson prior whodunits; at first we had the Thrombly residence, with its mahogany interiors littered with trinkets of Harlan's own writer persuasion. It is a house of warmth, but resting underneath is an undercurrent of a bitter taste as family members seek to protect their unwarranted possessions. Next we had the Glass Onion, an impersonal and utterly immature creation of the unjust billionaire Miles Bron, who chose to fill his private island residence with symbols of his wealth and ego, an upside down Mark Rothko the most perfect example of a man fuelled by projection of his ego. And finally we come to the Church and the small rectory that abuts it, Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude. It's an aged church, tradition stone walls and religious paraphernalia but as mentioned by the characters the building is more so paying an homage to the Gothic eeriness of the 19th Century, rather than having any real connection to that world.

In terms of structure, Johnson chooses to instead use to lead with a much more conservative composition than his two previous films. It is so much more akin to a traditional murder mystery plot, with Benoit Blanc garnering facts as the audience also do. This time, the audience can join in on the sleuthing and try and peel apart the mystery as it unfolds in front of them. We jump into this mystery with Josh O'Connor's character, and are totally unaware of what lies ahead of the pass, distinguishing this from Marta's own involved in Harlan's death. We do not know if Jud committed the crime; it is the most conceivable outcome when you take apart that scene but the true ending reveal couldn't be more satisfying if it ever tried to be. I truly believe that Agatha Christie and Arthur Conan Doyle would be genuinely proud for the material Rian Johnson has been creating in the name of whodunits, with a special interest into the world of "locked room murders", mysteries that seem entirely illogical and inexplicably impossible.

As mentioned earlier, the first two films in question saw motives substrate in wealth and monetary gain, and while we do have such a conclusion here with this film's ending motive, the initial and primary thematic battle is in the hands of the different values found in Christianity. We see all different types of faith here, but the most distinctive are found within the redemptive faith that Jud Duplicity chooses to follow and the radicalised, organised power fabricating as religion that Monsignor Jefferson Wicks wields over his parish. It is not often that the world of believes and non-believers is held so balanced; we have a self proclaimed Heretic Blanc and just and righteous but ultimately fair Father Jud working together in a sweet harmony. There are no disparaging comments or remarks made towards the Church, but rather a welcomed space for the open discussion between the two men. It is their first meeting in the Church that sees such a positive impact made between the two of them.

The use of lightning and shadows are something that clued me on to the theme of divinity and enlightenment as well as the deep darknesses that reside within even the more pragmatic believers. Among the more somber, and grounded tone that Johnson has created here those moments where the heavy golden light quite literally shines down on the characters is a parallel to the muted dreariness of the church. It is a masterful piece of artistic creation, with just as much attention to detail witnessed in Johnson's other works. It is also in the exploration of light that we see another dimension of the theme of faith and logic, Jud and Blanc embodying each idea respectively. It is in the final moment that we see what the believers who describe as a moment of divine divinity as he comes to the conclusion that the mystery isn't to be solved by him own hand. His abilities of logic win, however, his own sense of humanity herald him to choose humility. He chooses not to be the domineering voice that Monsignor Wicks was, but rather the quiet voice of confidence and wisdom that Jud preaches. It is, indeed, his most personal case so far, and I would dare say that the ending of this film changes the landscape of any other Knives Out mysteries to come, thus making this a concluding chapter of this chapter of Benoit Blanc.

It is also incredibly vast and beautiful, and there is so much to unpack in the rewatches to come. Ultimately, I would place this neck and neck with the original Knives Out. We get a holistic approach to the story with vibrant storytelling and electric performances, with an engaging collection of well paced twists, lifting the narrative and avoiding the lulls that can sometimes occur with longer runtimes. It is a brilliant example of someone taking a delicate idea, religion, and choosing to give it respect in all corners of belief.

I felt this one was a bit different from the first two. It's still engaging and packed with suspense and mystery, but it has a slightly new flavour of its own. I actually guessed the climax about 20 minutes before it happened - but I wouldn't call it predictable. I genuinely enjoyed it, and I think you will too. I'd just say it's the least best of the three. So, keep your expectations in check and watch it with an open mind.

All the actors nailed their roles as usual, and the characters are fun and interesting. The story is solid, the narration is smooth, and the screenplay is well written. The production quality is top-notch. I especially loved the cinematography - it really pulls you into the film's world. The background score is also spot-on.

Definitely worth watching in theatres, preferably with your gang.

And for fans of this series, I'd recommend checking out the Indian web series "Brinda". It's a bit slow and lengthy, but trust me - you'll like it.

KNIVES OUT was an entertaining mystery seemingly inspired by the sort of tales routinely told by Agatha Christie. WAKE UP DEAD MAN returns to the mood and mystery that was lacking in THE GLASS ONION. This movie spins a solid mystery with entertaining characters and events. The performances are uniformly excellent, even in small roles like Bridget Everett's Louise. Audiences should have such a good time watching WAKE UP DEAD MAN, that they hopefully will not ponder why Benoit Blanc is present for these circumstances.

I travelled about 300 miles to my first film festival screening for the chance to see this movie early and I can honestly say that it was time and money well spent. I've been excited about and following these movies from the moment the first Knives Out was announced and it's given me nothing but complete satisfaction. Watching all 3 movies in quick succession only further confirmed my love for them. Even if I think Wake Up Dead Man is my least favourite of the bunch I still loved the experience it provides and maybe more so than the first two movies I can't wait to rewatch it just to catch on to the next embarrassing amount of details in almost every scene.

Something I love about what Johnson does with these movies is that he creates a wholly different experience with every new entry. It's part of their lasting appeal and I quickly gave up on any notion that I was going to correctly predict anything because it's a script that I have no shame in admitting is a lot smarter than I am. It's unbelievably dense, even more so than I expected, and even if that occasionally comes to the films detriment I was just actively excited to see how everything was going to tie together because I had no reason to expect this movie to take a single misstep on a story level.

Wake Up Dead Man is decidedly different from its predecessors and in ways that never felt gimmicky. There's even more moral complexity this time around to the point where I could see their being a real discussion around the justifications of certain characters which is not something I could say to the same degree for the other films. It's actually quite thoughtful it's commentary on religion and people of faith without ever being afraid to poke fun at the absurdity of the situations it's presenting and it thankfully never felt cheap. It is absolutely hilarious in how the jokes sneak up on you and it was so unbelievably satisfying to watch this movie with an audience which is another one of the mountain of reasons I'm unbelievably frustrated that these movies have been relegated to Netflix.

Wake Up Dead Man feels considerably plot focused and I did feel that sometimes came at the expense of the characters. They're appropriately colourful and fun to watch that I felt were developed the least so far. I loved the proxy-protagonist of Josh O'Connor this time around and I was really happy with the complex backstory they gave his character. He plays of Daniel Craig so well and just like the first two movies he's the main point of investment for the entire narrative. I loved Glenn Close in how mysterious she is and I so enjoyed how unhinged Josh Brolin's character and performance was. The rest of the characters didn't feel that compelling to me but they all get their moments to shine and as always it's just a delight to see this many actors of this calibre on screen together.

I also think the film is lacking a little bit of something that sets it apart from the rest of murder mystery genre. Both Knives Out and Glass Onion had structures that set them apart and feel entirely their own. While this movie isn't entirely linear it's a lot more linear than I expected. I kept expecting to film to make a turn that changed things but instead it ends up feeling like a story we might have seen before but executed to the highest level of quality possible. I also cannot overstate how packed this script is with details but I don't know that I can always say it was for the better. The first 30 minutes in particular throw a lot at you and it doesn't end up feeling like intrigue or tension building but just like a lot of information that left me feeling overwhelmed. I think it takes a bit too long for the story to introduce Benoit Blanc and the slight worry I have is that some of these sections might drag on rewatch knowing where everything goes but that doesn't stop my desire to go back to this movie again in the slightest.

Wake Up Dead Man sits comfortably next to the other Knives Out movies and even despite its shortcomings it doesn't change any desire I have to see Daniel Craig and Rian Johnson make countless more mysteries. It totally stands on its own as a new experience and it's going to take at least a few watches to catch every little clue that Rian Johnson weaves into the narrative and I'll happily go back to this movie to discover them. A great movie and a great experience and I'll be so excited to see what Johnson does next whatever it ends up being.

If you're a fan of the classic mysteries, then you'll love Wake Up Dead Man. True to the last two Knives Out, Rian Johnson has a way of holding a mirror up on Americans (first with greed, second with stupidity); this time it's with following someone so blindly due to their charisma, even though we know better.

He adds an additional layer of the love/hate relationship in religion and calling out misogyny, hatred and racism for what it is and its disguise of traditionalism. He definitely did not hold back and as a modern Christian, I'm here for it!

But barring the modern parables, Rian Johnson delivers an omage to the great classic mysteries of the past by giving a new twist to the "who dun it". Anyone who has binged classic Sherlock, Marple, and Peroit will get a twinge of nostalgia filling this from start to finish.

The storytelling strikes the same notes as the previous two and of course with Poker Face with a "now, then, now" but in a way that feels different and not have you going "yep classic Rian"

Daniel Craig delivers once again a stellar performance and of course the cast is never disappointing. The only complaint is the same I have is the same as the previous installments; there are so many wonderfully casted heavy hitters, it's hard to given them all their fare share of screen time.

Can't wait for it to be out streaming so I can buy it and watch it over and over again like the first two. Benoit Blanc strikes again.

On a personal note, just a little sad that a character was teased out previously only to not see them again.