There’s always some hesitancy when a bolt of fresh air in a tired genre enters into its third film in an unexpected franchise. Not that writer/director Rian Johnson ever pretended that he wasn’t going to make more “Knives Out” movies, just that most people didn’t really expect him to devote the rest of his career drumming up Benoit Blanc murder mystery stories. Thankfully he HAS decided that that’s where his creative heart lies, and as a staunch defender of “Glass Onion” (which I’d argue ages better the more Elon Musk keeps tweeting and talking), “Wake Up Dead Man” delivers on every front and makes Johnson 3 for 3 in his crime thriller homages. It’s actually quite impressive how different each entry feels despite centering around the same detective and similar plot twist setups. Johnson smartly crafts these holdovers (both characters and genre tropes) into form fitting themes that vary from film to film and keeps everything as fresh as it is familiar.
The original “Knives Out” focuses heavily on class disparity, “Glass Onion” is a more direct “eat the rich, billionaires are bad” messaging, and “Wake Up Dead Man” infuses religious examination into a far less angry dissection of social constructs amid the whodunnit narrative. Though the star studded cast – a staple of the franchise – is mostly wasted this time around, “Wake Up Dead Man” is Johnson’s most textually layered and thematically rich entry to date. Instead of being an indictment of organized religion, power, and greed, Johnson chooses to find the good in things this time around. Rather than eviscerate religious institutions, “Wake Up Dead Man” seeks to offer ways in which spirituality, belonging, and community can all still exist within the walls of the church and the messages of togetherness and love can ultimately prevail.
If that sounds like “Wake Up Dead Man” becomes too cheesy, fear not; it is still wildly irreverant, deeply funny and an absolute blast of a murder mystery journey. While Daniel Craig’s Blanc arrives with the same kind of southern gusto and noir detective charm, it’s actually Josh O’Connor’s Father Jud who nearly steals the show. O’Connor is having quite the run, and he is a welcomed addition to the “Knives Out” universe as the film’s protagonist. There’s such a charm and earnestness he exudes in his performance, and you can’t help but root for him even when he is eventually under suspicion like everyone else that rounds out the cast as Blanc tries to unravel the impossible crime. Josh Brolin as the angry, alienating and drunkenly vulgar Monsignor Jefferson Wicks serves as a great antithesis to O’Connor’s softer approach, both framed as what’s right and what’s wrong with religion.
Everyone else in the cast is sort of caught in the middle, with “Wake Up Dead Man” giving them less to do than in previous entries. That’s not to say they aren’t have a blast being in a murder mystery comedy, and among the rest of the names – Andrew Scott as a washed up conspiracy theorist novelist, Daryl McCormack as a satirical influencer with an interest in politics, Jeremy Renner as a gullible small town doctor, Thomas Hayden Church as the stoic groundskeeper, Cailee Spaeny as a true believer (and looking like an actual grown woman for the first time in her career which I appreciate) – it’s actually Glenn Close as devout church lady and caretaker Martha Delacroix who shines as bright as O’Connor and Craig. Close reminds us that when the project is right, she’s actually incredible. “Wake Up Dead Man” grants everyone a moment or two in the spotlight, but for the most part they’re all painted with the broadest of brushes and more of the sum of their parts instead of any individual merit.
There’s a maturity here that really comes through in “Wake Up Dead Man,” centering the core of the narrative on the value of faith and community instead of simple ideas expanded through a convoluted investigation. That’s not a knock on the previous two films – both of which I enjoy tremendously and all of the pizazz of “Knives Out” are still ever present here – just that “Wake Up Dead Man” feels like Johnson has a lot more on his mind this time around and wants to dig a little deeper into things that clearly matter to him. It feels much more personal even when the mystery is unraveling with all the stapled twists and turns and over the top characters. Craig can do this forever, and I can’t say enough about how truly great O’Connor is here. “Wake Up Dead Man” is just as fun and funny and engaging as ever, and while there can be a feeling of diminishing returns, that is perhaps more a byproduct of our own expectations rather than anything the film is doing on its own.
All in all “Wake Up Dead Man” is a welcomed returned to the franchise, another a great romp with everyone’s favorite detective, an enthralling mystery to be solved and another colorful cast of characters all in the crosshairs of one Benoit Blanc. Even when you figure some things out, part of the fun is that there’s always something else to discover that “Wake Up Dead Man” has under its sleeve. It’s another well crafted puzzle, a maze of homage to the genre that still manages to deliver delightful surprises despite any knowledge of its inspirations. It’s clever without being smug, socially critical without being mean spirited, and a new direction for the franchise while keeping the things we love about “Knives Out” in tact.
Whatever new murder Blanc wants to investigate I’m in for. “Wake Up Dead Man” is a reminder that there’s still plenty of juice in the tank and plenty of puzzles to be solved by the world’s greatest detective. I’m ok with a break; let us miss him for a while before bringing him back. But I hope we get as many of these as Johnson and Craig are willing to make, because “Wake Up Dead Man” is a testament to the strength of the franchise and mystery magic they create.
Last thing, the smallest of notes that are largely insignificant in the broader “Wake Up Dead Man” context: someone please teach Kerry Washington how to smoke a cigarette on screen.
Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” is in select theaters November 26th and on Netflix December 12th. You can watch the trailer below.
