Detective Benoit Blanc is back again for a Gothic whodunit, and his return to the big screen certainly did not disappoint. The highly anticipated third installment of Rian Johnson’s “Knives Out” series leads viewers through baffling twists and gripping misdirects while delivering relevant social commentary on religion, radicalization, redemption and intolerance.
A classic “locked-room” mystery ensues when the divisive head priest of a church suddenly drops dead during a sermon. The only witnesses are Father Jud and the Monsignor’s circle of loyal devotees, who follow his every word with a cultlike eeriness. The town is quick to blame Jud, though they all hold dark secrets that they would do anything to keep concealed. From racing to find a hidden diamond to witnessing a supposed dead man come back to life, Jud needs to prove his innocence with the help of the detective.
While the film features satirical references to ragebaiting and right-wing messaging through the character of Cy Draven, it also includes more emotional lessons about how to live with and support each other, shown through the character Louise. Though Bridget Everett’s appearance was brief, she absolutely stole the show. As Jud gets more and more caught up in the race to find the murderer, tension building, his frantic phone call with Louise suddenly breaks that momentum when she asks him to pray for her. He freezes for a moment. He remembers why he became a priest in the first place. And he sits with her. The moving conversation made for a beautiful scene as Louise seeks help navigating her mother’s illness. It perfectly summates everything that went right with this film.
“Wake Up Dead Man” features incredibly moving performances from Josh O’Connor, Josh Brolin and Glenn Close. Sadly, though, for a film series known for its quirky star-studded ensemble, the rest of the cast seemed to fall flat. As a fan of powerhouse actors Andrew Scott and Kerry Washington, I found myself pining for more depth from the other characters. Though their unique motives are ultimately revealed, they fail to leave much of an impact on the story. (Side note: Mila Kunis was a jarring choice for a small-town cop… dare I say, the film’s only miscast character).
Moody and cinematic, the lighting was an integral part of the film’s messaging, shifting from rays of warm golden light to cold, empty darkness, then back again. The movie features a variety of different lighting settings — “day, night, overcast day, sunny day, dusk, dawn, early morning warm light slicing in,” according to cinematographer Steven Yedlin. This was a refreshing change of pace in comparison to other popular films today that are often lit darker and flatter, and force viewers to strain their eyes.
“Wake Up Dead Man” is undoubtedly a bizarre story: a murdered man risen from the dead, dissolved bodies in a tub of acid, a missing inheritance waiting to be found. But what else would we expect from a “Knives Out” mystery?