In Rian Johnson’s latest mystery, the Lord may work in mysterious ways, but detective Benoit Blanc works in methodical ones — even when religion becomes the central stage for murder.
“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” marks the franchise’s third installment, pivoting from wealth disparity to faith and dogma as Daniel Craig’s Southern detective faces what might be his most contemplative case yet. The film, which is currently in theaters and hits Netflix on December 12, ventures into holy territory with a locked-room mystery centered around a monsignor’s death — complete with a parish full of suspects harboring earthly motives.
Faith Takes Center Stage in Johnson’s Latest Mystery
Unlike previous entries that skewered the ultra-wealthy, this installment tackles religious institutions and the power dynamics within them. “I love the focus of religion and faith in this movie’s script, I think it’s very interesting,” one early viewer noted, highlighting the thematic shift for the franchise.
The story centers on a clash between two religious figures: Josh O’Connor’s young priest Jud Duplenticy, “a former boxer with a troubled past who in his new faith has found guidance and meaning,” and Josh Brolin’s Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, a fire-and-brimstone authority figure who rules through fear. “Anger lets us fight back,” the monsignor declares in one scene. “I hold the line,” he proclaims, embodying the rigid, controlling side of religious leadership.
When the monsignor is found dead under impossible circumstances, Craig’s Benoit Blanc arrives to investigate what he calls the “Holy Grail” of detective puzzles — a classic locked-room mystery. The town’s police chief (Mila Kunis) quickly focuses on O’Connor’s character, setting up the central tension of the film.
A Stellar Cast with Mixed Results
Craig delivers what some consider “his best performance as Benoit Blanc,” though others find his “Southern-fried dandyism” increasingly tiresome as the 140-minute runtime progresses. The detective, self-described as a “proud heretic” who “only kneels at the altar of the practical,” provides an interesting foil to O’Connor’s sincerely faithful young priest.
The ensemble cast reads like a Hollywood dream team. “Josh O’Connor and Glenn Close being the real standouts for me….Josh Brolin who is absolutely incredible in it,” one viewer commented. Close portrays the monsignor’s devoted secretary, while the suspect pool expands to include Jeremy Renner as an alcoholic doctor, Thomas Haden Church as a groundskeeper, Andrew Scott as a sci-fi novelist in decline, Cailee Spaeny as a cellist with nerve pain, Daryl McCormack as a “MAGA-like political hack,” and Kerry Washington as “a resentful lawyer” with deep connections to the deceased.
A Mystery with Pacing Problems
Does the film live up to its predecessors? Critics seem divided. While the religious themes provide fertile ground for Johnson’s signature social commentary, some describe the film as “gloomy and clunky” with significant pacing issues, particularly in its middle section.
The partnership between O’Connor’s priest and Craig’s detective offers some of the film’s strongest moments, with O’Connor bringing what critics call “a winning and soulful” performance that contrasts with Blanc’s skeptical view of religion as “just storytelling, a means of control.”
Johnson continues his penchant for cultural satire, weaving in jokes about Oprah, “The Phantom of the Opera,” and even Netflix itself. The film doesn’t shy away from stylistic excess — dead bodies tumble dramatically down stairs, an $80 million diamond makes an appearance, and characters scream “Vengeance is mine!” as storms swirl.
For mystery aficionados, the film offers structural nods to the classics. “Anyone who has binged classic Sherlock, Marple, and Peroit will get a twinge of nostalgia filling this from start to finish,” one viewer suggests. Johnson employs his signature “now, then, now” narrative approach, though attempts to keep it fresh enough to avoid feeling formulaic.
Rated PG-13 for violent content, bloody images, strong language, some crude sexual material, and smoking, the film received a lukewarm one and a half stars out of four from at least one critic.
In the end, “Wake Up Dead Man” may test viewers’ faith in Johnson’s mystery franchise, but the combination of religious themes, stellar performances from O’Connor, Close, and Brolin, and the return of Craig’s distinctive detective ensures that — like any good sermon — it will at least give audiences something to talk about after the credits roll.
