O’Connor shines as Knives Out goes to church
They should release a new Knives Out movie every two years…in perpetuity. The casts, the characters, the Agatha Christie whodunnit plots, and Daniel Craig’s disarmingly charming and wise detective, Benoit Blanc, are all batting .1000 across three films and I just can’t get enough. Even Glass Onion, the second Knives Out film and widely considered the weaker of the first two films (now the weakest of the three), is still a hilarious and engaging mystery. The Knives Out film series is written and directed by Rian Johnson (Looper; Star Wars: The Last Jedi), who has an incredible knack for creating an interacting web of distinct characters, twisted murders, and sharp dialogue. Wake Up Dead Man, the latest in the series, continues with all the beloved characteristics that made the original a hit, while adding previously unexplored depth. Featuring a standout performance by Josh O’Connor (Challengers), Wake Up Dead Man is the most dramatic Knives Out story yet and a thrillingly fun watch.
O’Connor plays Father Jud Duplenticy, a young boxer turned priest who gets reassigned to a remote upstate New York parish run by the eccentric, radical head priest (but self-titled “Monsignor”) Jefferson Wicks, played by Josh Brolin. Immediately upon his arrival, Father Jud is wary of Wicks’ unorthodox methods and the unhealthy dedication of a small group of devout worshipers to his cultish persona. A few months into Father Jud’s time at the new parish, Benoit Blanc (Craig) is summoned by local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) to help solve an “impossible murder” when Mons. Wicks is murdered in a small, open enclave during Good Friday morning mass. The make up of the story’s tight group of worshipers, now murder suspects, similar to the previous two Knives Out films, contains a mix of stars having fun playing bizarre characters. The suspects in question include Glenn Close as church organizer Martha Delacroix, Jeremy Renner as sad alcoholic Dr. Nat Sharp, Kerry Washington as local lawyer Vera Draven, Andrew Scott as spiraling sci-fi novelist Lee Ross, and Cailee Spaeny as disabled former violin player Simone Vivane. There are even more characters interwoven among the proceedings, since Wake Up Dead Man is an engaging tangle of mysteries that careens toward one solution to the murder before being knocked off course, angling towards a different answer.
Johnson’s script handles the tonal shifts with expert precision while confidently relying on his talented cast to deliver the humor, drama, and intrigue. In one particular instance, involving Father Jud making a phone call to a local business, what first begins as a silly exchange flips on a dime into a scene of pure faith, affection and, most importantly, humanity. O’Connor is absolutely masterful in this scene, and his performance could, and should, earn the series’ first acting Oscar nomination. Johnson continues returning to the theme of human decency in Wake Up Dead Man, throwing religion, detective work, religious symbolism, and materialism all up against the greatest force of all – compassion. And, he doesn’t do it cynically or with saccharine speeches. The script and the deliberate utilization of lighting and staging imbue every emotional turning point and/or character come-to-Jesus moment with a sincere, even spiritual feeling. In these instances, Wake Up Dead Man can be quite beautiful and sometimes heartbreaking.
Earlier this year, Johnson explained to Rolling Stone that he wanted Wake Up Dead Man to hark back to the classic gothic atmosphere of Edgar Allan Poe. From the gothic church interior to the thick, dark woods surrounding it, Wake Up Dead Man does create an eerie sense of mystery and discomfort. And what better setting than a rural gothic church (though there are some funny lines about the stylings) to explore faith, community, and the trials and tribulations of organized religion. Johnson is not so blind to the current political climate that he would leave any political critiques on the cutting room floor. On the contrary, Johnson’s script contains more than a few hilarious chastisements aimed at the powerful influence that leaders of religious fanaticism can wield in today’s political landscape. O’Connor is well suited to be the audience surrogate when listening to characters run their mouths, and his devotion to goodwill, understanding, and mercy is all the more intriguing as he confronts and is continuously challenged by Wicks’ radically-charged followers.
It’s also easy to dispense with the deeper themes at play and simply enjoy Wake Up Dead Man as a twisty-turny murder mystery. The script will keep you guessing (I for one, didn’t see the end coming), and there’s not a dull moment to slow it down. Like in Wes Anderson films, you can tell that actors enjoy being on a Knives Out set, getting to play exaggerated archetypes alongside a cast of their accomplished colleagues. Craig and Johnson have both hinted at their willingness to keep making Knives Out mysteries as long as both are involved, and I hope they stick to it. There are endless mysteries for Blanc to solve, if Johnson and Craig feel inspired to make them happen. I wouldn’t be mad if O’Connor returned as well, like a religious-oriented Watson; he and Blanc could team up to solve a murder in Rome? Or not. I trust Johnson will know which Knives Out mystery to give us next.
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Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery opens in select theaters on Wed., Nov. 26th and streams on Netflix on Fri., Dec. 12th.
