Rian Johnson’s Wake Up Dead Man Cements His Place as Mystery’s Modern Master: Review

When Rian Johnson borrows a song title for a Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) mystery movie, he’s never very subtle about it. Knives Out featured a literal wheel of knives, Glass Onion took place inside a literal glass onion, and Wake Up Dead Man… Well, appropriately enough for a story largely set inside a church, featuring multiple priests, resurrection is one of the topics under discussion.

Johnson’s newest Netflix film brings together another outstanding ensemble for Craig to interrogate with his signature Southern drawl. The crime in question this time: The death of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), who was murdered inside his church immediately after giving a sermon. Upon taking the case, Benoit Blanc immediately notes that it’s a textbook example of a locked-room mystery, meaning that the only possible suspects are those who were in the church that day. This includes the church’s long-standing housekeeper Martha (Glenn Close), assistant priest Father Jud (Josh O’Connor), and a small group of parishioners, who could be described as somewhat cult-like in their allegiance to Wicks.

While Craig is first billed, he’s never really the star of these movies; this time, the narrative weight falls on Father Jud, a young priest with a violent past and an ill-advised neck tattoo peeking out beneath his traditional black collar. It’s through Jud’s eyes that we’re introduced to Wicks’s congregants in the small upstate New York parish — a location far away from the blue-sea’ed splendor of the previous movie. (Wake Up Dead Man filmed in England to really nail down that grey and gloomy vibe). Yet thanks to some extremely clever storytelling choices, even Father Jud is still a suspect.

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There’s something so satisfying about the way these movies work, finding ways to play with and innovate on this beloved genre — ensuring that no matter how many pieces of the puzzle you think you know, there are at least one or two surprises still to come. It’s the sort of mystery only a true mystery fan could write: One so familiar with all the tricks that he knows how to outfox them.

The biggest flaw of Wake Up Dead Man is that unlike the previous two Blanc mysteries, not every cast member is as well-served as they could be — perhaps the least-utilized is Andrew Scott, whose wonderfully specific charisma doesn’t get much opportunity. Perhaps Johnson was worried that Scott’s own past as a hot priest would be too big a distraction? He’s certainly playing a very different character from his time on Fleabag, but who knows.

Still, it’s a dream ensemble that stands out not just because of its individual cast members, but the way they all bump against each other. O’Connor plays every dimension of his character’s journey with nuance and grace — finding the human behind the priestly robes, and bringing out the humanity that led him to the cloth. Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, and Thomas Haden Church all defy any type-casting associated with their past roles, while Glenn Close is predictably brilliant, and frequently hilarious, in her extreme devotion to Wicks. Most importantly, Josh Brolin proves that while he’s no stranger to playing the villain, he’s capable of finding new dimensions to being the kinda guy you’d really like to see dead.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Netflix)

Also, Bridget Everett of Somebody, Somewhere has a small role that makes a huge impact, her performance leading to one of the movie’s most raw moments of sweet sincerity. It’s one of several quiet touches that gives the movie more weight and depth than your typical murder-mystery trifle, Johnson’s eye for the best and worst of humanity continuing to elevate his work.

Much like the actual clues planted for the audience to understand later, Johnson brings out the themes of his stories in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways: Knives Out explored the ugly side of family dynamics, Glass Onion ripped apart the myth of the “brilliant founder,” and now this U2-titled mystery focuses on the real questions surrounding religion in modern times.

The real balancing act achieved isn’t the mix of secrets and lies that eventually lead to the reveal of the killer — it’s finding a way to explore faith (Christian faith, at least) in a way that respects both believers and non-believers. The concept of grace and kindness is woven throughout here, largely demonstrated through Father Jud, but not exclusively so. As mentioned, Benoit Blanc isn’t in the driver’s seat for a lot of the movie, but his own relationship with such matters captures the imagination, revealing yet another detail about the character to add to our limited understanding of him.

Hopefully, further movies will continue to explore him further; the journey thus far has been such a rewarding one. Overall, Wake Up Dead Man feels less like the third movie in an ongoing series of mysteries and more like the confident Season 3 of a prestige TV show — one where the creators feel fully seated in their powers, certain to deliver something captivating. It’s the strongest Benoit Blanc movie yet, thanks to the way that the best artists learn and grown from their previous works, applying those lessons to their future projects. Hopefully Netflix knows just how special that is.

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery begins a limited theatrical release on November 26th, before streaming on Netflix beginning December 12th. Check out the latest trailer below.