Detective Benoit Blanc Has a Crisis of Faith in Rian Johnson’s Clever ‘Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery’
Sandra Miska
Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) faces his toughest case yet in “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.” In the third installment of Rian Johnson’s comedic murdery mystery franchise, an earnest young priest, Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor), finds himself in over his head when he is sent to a small-town parish to serve under the blowhard Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). However, nothing prepares him from what transpires after Wicks drops dead during a Good Friday church service, and Jud finds himself being the number-one suspect in the man’s murder.
Just as was the case in the previous two films, Johnson creates a colorful cast of characters and absorbing world, and much of the first part of the film is spent setting the scene; Blanc does not waltz into Our Lady of Perpetual Grace until about 40 minutes in. There is some intriguing lore here, as Wicks’ widowed grandfather was the church’s original priest, and Jefferson Wicks is the illegitimate son of his “harlot” daughter, Grace (Annie Hamilton). In present day, the congregation has dwindled down to an eccentric group, including devoted church lady Martha Delacrox (a hilarious Glenn Close), divorced doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), moderately-successful sci-fi author Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), and former cellist Simon Vivane (Cailee Spaeny), who believes Wicks can cure her chronic pain. There’s also Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), who has taken over from her late father as Wicks’ lawyer. She has been basically forced to raise her now-adult adopted son Cy (Daryl McCormack), who is believed to be her father’s illegitimate son.
Johnson creatively taps into our current political zeitgeist here. Cy is a failed conservative politician-turned-YouTuber, and Wicks has a personality and belief system that makes him better suited for being in a podcast studio rather than behind a pulpit. His vitriolic sermons drive away newcomers, making Our Lady of Perpetual Grace a dying church. While Jud strives to be a safe haven for the weary souls who remain, he sees Wicks as satisfying some of their baser instincts. But Jud has his own dark past and demons, as he was a boxer before he took the cloth. He killed a man in the ring, and has been living a life of repentance ever since. A power struggle ensues between the two priests, and O’Connor and Brolin have some great scenes of push and pull together before Wicks’ eventual demise.
Needless to say, Blanc, a self-confessed “heretic,” has his work cut out for him. He has some help from the local police department led by the capable police chief, Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis). “Wake Up Dead Man” manages to be a compelling exploration of faith that also appeases the comedy gods. Blanc is a believer in the church of logic and reason, but has a crisis of faith after his initial investigation leads to a dead end. Meanwhile, Jud, a man of God, has his own belief system shaken after the evidence overwhelmingly points to him as the most logical killer of Wicks. Of course, there is another chapter in this book of “Knives Out,” one full of the twists and turns we have come to suspect from the franchise. The eventual ending is sure to satisfy sinners and saints alike.
“Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” releases Nov. 26 in select theaters and begins streaming Dec. 12 on Netflix.