Daniel Craig returns as detective Benoit Blanc in “Wake Up Dead Man,” the third installment of Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” film series. Much like the first two films of the franchise, “Wake Up Dead Man” features an all-star cast as the murder suspects and victims. This film is quite heavy with social commentary and leaves the audience with a bittersweet yet hopeful conclusion.
It is no surprise that “Wake Up Dead Man” contained social commentary, as the first two “Knives Out” movies did the same. In “Knives Out” (2019), Blanc was hired anonymously to solve the murder of wealthy novelist Harlan Thrombey (Christopher Plummer). In this first film, Johnson critiques class differences through his portrayal of the Thrombey family and their treatment of Harlan’s nurse, Marta Cabrera (Ana de Armas). In “Glass Onion” (2022), the second installment of the franchise, Blanc is invited to tech billionaire Miles Bron’s (Edward Norton) private vacation island and tasked with solving the murder of Bron’s former business partner Andi Brand (Janelle Monáe). In this film, Johnson critiques billionaires and corrupt business practices through the characters’ willingness to lie on trial to protect Bron and themselves despite his technology putting others in danger.
In “Wake Up Dead Man,” Blanc now must solve the murder of priest Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). Josh O’Connor, known for his role as Patrick Zweig in “Challengers,” plays Reverend Jud Duplenticy, a former boxer who became a priest after a deadly match. Reverend Jud becomes the prime suspect of the murder due to his vehement disapproval of Monsignor Wicks’ preachings, so he teams up with Blanc to prove his innocence.
The social commentary in “Wake Up Dead Man” centers primarily around religion. Monsignor Wicks would intentionally construct his sermons to shame certain people, with the intent to anger them to the point of walking out. One scene includes him targeting a single mother in his sermon, while another scene shows a gay couple leaving angrily in the middle of mass. Johnson critiques the use of religion to shame and exclude others by contrasting it with Reverend Jud’s priority of using religion to guide and support others. Additionally, Johnson critiques the unfair perception, treatment, and disregard for women not only in religious settings but in society. There are several female characters, such as Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), and Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny), whose kindness is exploited by people like Monsignor Wicks.
A prominent theme in the film is the different ways that people interpret religion. During a scene in the church with Blanc and Reverend Jud, the lighting and coloring, although small details, showcase the two main ideas battling each other throughout the movie: using religion to shame people, and using religion to accept them. When Blanc expresses his disdain for religion due to its history of misogyny and homophobia, the lighting gets dark and the coloring becomes more muted. However, once Reverend Jud explains how his religion brings out the best in him, the sun shines through a stained glass window behind him, making the lighting and coloring become much brighter.
“Wake Up Dead Man” is incredibly thought-provoking and well-written, not only in the overarching message of the film, but in the small details. Throughout the movie, there are several clues hinting at both who committed the murder and how they did it. However, these clues come in such obscure forms that only someone as observant as Blanc would notice them. In the big reveal at the end, Blanc brings all of these clues and their meanings to light, giving the audience an appreciation for his detective skills.
While the ending might be somewhat predictable to some, the movie as a whole is full of twists. It is a bit more gruesome than the first two installments of the franchise, but not necessarily graphic. Fans of the “Knives Out” franchise and anyone looking to watch a mind-boggling, tension-filled murder mystery should absolutely watch “Wake Up Dead Man” on Netflix.
