Wake Up Dead Man - Review: Rian Johnson's Holy Trinity

 

Rian Johnson (“Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” “Looper”) may not be a household name yet, but “Knives Out” and its sequel “Glass Onion” have certainly put him well on his way. Both released to rapturous critical success and audience viewership in theatres and on Netflix, now the third film has arrived. “Wake Up Dead Man” sees Johnson and Daniel Craig (“No Time to Die,” “Logan Lucky”) delivering the series darkest and most dense mystery yet, pulling at moral threads not yet tackled in the most interesting of ways.

The film follows Reverand Jud Duplenticy, played by Josh O’Connor (“God’s Own Country,” “Challengers”), as he arrives at Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude, a flagging church run by arrogant and incendiary preacher Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, played by Josh Brolin (“No Country for Old Men,” “Avengers: Infinity War”). When Wicks dies during Good Friday service, his group of devout followers; the church’s secretary Martha Delacroix, played by Glenn Close (“The World According to Garp,” “Albert Nobbs”), the church’s groundskeeper Samson Holt, played by Thomas Haden Church (“Sideways,” “Spider-Man 3”), town doctor Nat Sharp, played by Jeremy Renner (“The Avengers,” “The Hurt Locker”), local lawyer Vera Draven, played by Kerry Washington (“Scandal,” “Ray”), her adoptive son and wannabe politician Cy Draven, played by Daryl McCormack (“Peaky Blinders,” “Good Luck to You, Leo Grande”), washed up science fiction author Lee Ross, played by Andrew Scott (“All of Us Strangers,” “Fleabag”), and disabled former concert cellist Simone Vivane, played by Cailee Spaeny (“Civil War (2024),” “Priscilla”), all point their finger at Rev. Duplenticy. That is, until the local police chief Geraldine Scott, played by Mila Kunis (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Black Swan”), enlists in the help of gentleman sleuth/detective Benoit Blanc, played by Craig, to help solve the case.

Johnson has always been unafraid to tackle some pricklier subjects in his films, from the arrogant tech bro culture in “Glass Onion” to toxic fan culture in elements of “The Last Jedi” to class warfare in “Knives Out.” But “Wake Up Dead Man” gets into the thralls of organized religion with a specificity unlike any of his previous works. There’s a dialogue happening at the center of this tale that's increasingly engrossing as things progress. It arguably overtakes the central mystery, leaving everything out on the table for Blanc and by extension Johnson.

There's plenty of poking and prodding without ever becoming disrespectful or mean, and it's a testament to his skill as a screenwriter that he can tackle ideas like this without removing the dry humor this series is known for. Despite the nature of this being the most grim and dense film of the series thus far, Johnson and his cast never forget to have fun with things either. The fantastic wit and sense of humor is still there in spades, allowing each cast member to get some jabs and comedic moments in. It’s a film that always remembers, even in its most dower moments, to have fun with itself.

Craig is expectedly great, but his presence and performance as Blanc would be more notable at this point if he wasn’t. O’Connor is the star of the show though; the series threepeats its tendency to have Craig help showcase the talents of another younger actor, and O’Connor virtually steals the entire film from Craig. He has a warmth and determination to him that makes it easy to believe his faith and prognosis on what religion can and should be in the world. Brolin is easy to hate and adds layers to Wicks that make him far more complicated and complex than one might initially expect from his archetype. Scott, Kunis, and Renner are all great, despite being less attention grabbing than the other performances. Washington and McCormack have great verbal sparring sequences together, Spaeny gets some great heartbreaking moments that are well worth her entire role, and Church is a spot of genuine warmth amongst the chaos.

Close is giving one of her best performances in years, possibly eyeing a Best Supporting Actress nomination, and it's a great example of one of the things Johnson’s films do so well: they double back and reveal depth you didn’t see before. Like the previous two films in this series, “Dead Man” has plenty of elements and scenes that turn back around in the end. In typical whodunnit fashion, they showcase pieces that you didn’t know were there the first time around and add layer upon layer to the characters, performances, and themes of the film as a whole. Johnson never makes it as obvious as simply having Blanc explain everything at the end though. Even down to how things are presented and in what way, it all ties back into the film’s central themes of religion, faith, and belief.

Unsurprisingly, it's a gorgeous looking film. Johnson’s longtime collaborator, and cinematographer for the whole “Knives Out” series thus far, Steve Yedlin (“Looper,” “Brick”) sets up some wonderful camerawork that plays with zooms and the oscillating light and darkness of this small-town New York state setting. Numerous moments within warm, wooden living rooms lit with faint lamp light or foggy nighttime darkness are simply delectable to look at. Nathan Johnson’s (“Looper,” “Brick”) score fits right in with his previous work in the series, while adding a more church-y angelic tone with slower, darker string work and organ music.

With the social satire of “Glass Onion” and the dusky, warm, dark tones of “Knives Out,” this latest Benoit Blanc mystery combines all of the already excellent elements from the previous films into a dense concoction that manages to be thought provoking as well as riotously entertaining. “Wake Up Dead Man” makes a strong case as the best film in the series, and if this latest film is any indication, things are only going to keep getting better with each subsequent mystery. 5/5