Prior to the premiere screening of at the Toronto International Film Festival, cautioned that it would not precisely mirror the two preceding installments of the series.
He stated, “We’re returning to church.”
Johnson’s new movie represents a notable shift from and . While Knives Out offered a comforting feel and boasted a lavish, anti-establishment vacation vibe, Wake Up Dead Man delves into a gothic setting. It maintains its humor but adopts a more sinister atmosphere, exploring profound themes related to the essence of faith. The film also positions Daniel Craig’s beloved Southern detective, Benoit Blanc, in a less central role. Here is what to expect from the movie, which will have a theatrical release in November before becoming available on Netflix on December 12.
What is the premise?
Wake Up Dead Man revolves around a Catholic parish named Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude, located in the fictional upstate New York town of Chimney Rock. This is where our narrator, Father Jud Duplenticy (), is assigned after an incident where he punched a deacon at his previous post. Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude is overseen by the aggressive and mischievous Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). (In his initial confession to Jud, Wicks admits to frequent masturbation.) Wicks inherited the church from his grandfather, who once disparaged Jefferson’s mother, calling her a “harlot whore.” Father Jud and Monsignor Wicks immediately come into conflict: Jud views faith as a path to redemption, having embraced it after accidentally causing the death of a fellow boxer in his youth, whereas Wicks employs shame in his sermons. Wicks also commands a devoted following who hang on his every word. And then, inevitably, a murder occurs on Good Friday, leading to Benoit Blanc’s involvement.
Who are the potential culprits?
As expected, an all-star cast of potential murderers is once again present. O’Connor’s Jud and Brolin’s antagonistic priests are among them, but there is also a multitude of Wicks’s ardent disciples. is unsettlingly creepy as Martha, who has served Perpetual Fortitude since childhood and now dresses entirely in black while managing the church’s records. She is deeply admired by Samson, the loyal groundskeeper, portrayed by Thomas Haden Church. Then there are Wicks’s devoted followers. Jeremy Renner plays Nat Sharp, a doctor whose wife left him, and in whom Wicks fostered a growing misogyny. Kerry Washington appears as Vera Draven, a lawyer whose father was close to Wicks. Her father also tasked her with caring for his illegitimate son Cy (Daryl McCormack), an aspiring GOP figure who will embrace any rhetoric to advance his career. is amusing as Lee Ross, a formerly celebrated sci-fi author who relocated to this secluded area to escape the “liberal hivemind.” Lastly, Cailee Spaeny portrays a gifted cellist afflicted with chronic pain. She turns to Wicks, believing he can perform a miracle for her.
What is Benoit Blanc’s role?
Blanc is summoned to the town to solve the murder, but the film quickly develops into a joint effort between Craig and O’Connor. In fact, Blanc has a less prominent role than in any prior installment. If anything, Wake Up Dead Man is predominantly O’Connor’s film. Blanc largely observes from the sidelines as Father Jud drives the narrative. It is Jud’s moral journey that preoccupies Johnson’s script. He is a man who sincerely believes in his faith yet grapples with deeply human struggles of anger and hatred. While Wicks uses fear for manipulation, Jud understands humanity’s need for belief as solace. Yes, Blanc assists in solving the mystery, but Father Jud is the character you ultimately care most about.
What inspired it?
During his introduction, Johnson revealed that Wake Up Dead Man is a homage to a master of the mystery genre: Edgar Allan Poe. Later, in a post-screening Q&A, Johnson acknowledged his indebtedness to G. K. Chesterton’s Father Brown mysteries. He commented, “I believe it’s a truly excellent combination, the ideas of human grace and fallibility and all those elements within the murder mystery genre.” The film itself also provides a sort of reading list. Blanc specifically re-enacts scenes from John Dickson Carr’s The Hollow Man to illustrate the crime’s apparent impossibility. This book is part of a parishioners’ book club reading list that also features several titles by Agatha Christie, a frequent source of inspiration for these films.
Why this divergence?
Wake Up Dead Man is somewhat less lighthearted than the other Knives Out films, engaging its audience in sincere reflections on why people choose to commit themselves to religion. At the Q&A, Johnson mentioned that at the London premiere of Glass Onion he and Craig began discussing how enjoyable it would be to create something with a “darker tone and something a little more grounded” for their third collaboration. It serves as an attempt to showcase the versatility of these films, though this might be the last one for a while. Netflix only purchased two sequels to . In July, Johnson informed Rolling Stone that he currently has no concept for a fourth installment in . He added, “I would continue making them for as long as I can.”
