Wake Up Dead Man

Rian Johnson's Knives Out, which introduced us to world-famous detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), was my favorite film of 2019 featuring a perfect blend of mystery, drama, and comedy. Three years later Johnson and Craig would return for the notably more comedic Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. And, now, three years later they return for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery which, although it still contains humor and wit (especially in the first half-hour), overcorrects to be the darkest and most serious of the three films.

While I enjoy all three films, and hope that Johnson makes as many as possible, I don't know that he'll ever hit the bullseye so perfectly as he did the first time out (but I am eager to see him keep trying). The third time around Benoit Blanc examines the impossible murder of a vengeful priest (Josh Brolin) whose sermons often shamed and belittled his congregation.

For suspects we get the newly-appointed junior priest with a quick temper (Josh O'Connor) whom Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Brolin) fucked with from day one, a devoted church lady (Glenn Close) and a disabled cellist (Cailee Spaeny) both of whom believe the priest has powers beyond mortal men, and a fearful and devoted congregation made up of an alcoholic town doctor (Jeremy Renner), a tightly-wound lawyer (Kerry Washington) and her illegitimate half-brother (Daryl McCormack), an odd groundskeeper (Thomas Haden Church), and a struggling author (Andrew Scott) all trapped in the hateful magnetism of Monsignor Wicks.

In smaller roles, we also get Mila Kunis as the local sheriff and Jeffrey Wright as the bishop who assigns O'Connor's character to the parish early in the film (realizing he's doing neither priest any favors). The script will clue the audience on to notable details which will become important by the third act if you are paying attention, but as for the method of murder and the revelation of our killer, you'll have to wait until the end (but, trust me, it will be worth the wait).

• Title: Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
• IMDb: link