wake up dead man”; Labyrinth of faith, resurrection of conscience

No one thought that the director of the episode “The Fly” of the series “Breaking Bad” could pull Daniel Craig from the heart of the James Bond franchise and bring him again and again in the role of the infamous detective, Benoit Blanc, in his mystery films, “Knives Out”; But “don’t play until three” and Ryan Johnson is loyal to the game. The third part of the “Knife” series of mystery films, “Wake Up Dead Man” (Wake Up Dead Man), is back again with completely different mysteries and cast, and although it does not have the previous intelligence, it fits itself in the hearts of the viewers with beauty and emotion. In the review of the movie “Wake Up Dead Man”, I discuss the new case and the difference in Jansen’s view in this movie, which is more personal than ever.

Warning! There is a risk of revealing the story in the review of the movie “Wake Up Dead Man”.

Review of the movie “Wake Up Dead Man”; The mystery of death and resurrection

Ryan Johnson in “Wake Up Dead Man” with riddles, suspects and completely new secrets, this time he focused on a young Catholic priest who is involved with his faith and his past. Pastor Judd (Josh O’Connor), a former boxer sent to a New England chapel after killing his rival, quickly finds himself in the heavy shadow of the authority of the monstrous bishop, Jefferson Weeks (Josh Bralin); Especially since Vix strictly adheres to a limited circle of his loyalists and does not allow any outsiders, including Judd’s father, to enter this circle. The secrets of the church members, none of which are quite what they seem if you’re familiar with The Knives, and the story of the millions of dollars of inheritance stolen from Weeks’ grandfather, Reverend Prentice Weeks (James Faulkner), after his death, complicate the mystery of this small church.

In the style of the previous two films, Jansen has gone to top-notch Hollywood actors for the many characters in the story; The actors who are more skilled than ever in “Wake Up Dead Man”; Even if the script doesn’t know what to do with the heavy weight of their abilities. Glenn Close is a seasoned church secretary with many secrets, Andrew Scott is a narcissistic writer who comes from New York to New England to find the inspiration for his new book, Kerry Washington as a seasoned lawyer and Jeremy Renner as the neighborhood doctor, Keeley Spinney is a disabled cellist who goes to Wicks for recovery, and Daryl McCormack is a YouTuber in his limited moments in the story. He plays a young man who, with his many ambitions, has turned his gaze to the future horizons in politics.

Unfortunately, the script does not know how to use the potential of all these prominent names. Unlike the previous film, “Glass Onion”, where all the characters get a chance to shine, “Wake Up Dead Man” practically abandons the secondary characters in favor of Reverend Judd. Except for the final scene, Glenn Close doesn’t do anything else but cross himself and peek. After Cy’s secret is revealed, Daryl McCormack is effectively left out of the story, and the casting of Andrew Scott as a narcissistic New Yorker is incredible.

In contrast to the immature secondary characters, Jansen has worked with Josh O’Connor, who, like Ana de Armas in “Knife” (2019), is the emotional support of the film. He goes from optimism and idealism to deep disillusionment and struggles with the deep suffering of a man of faith under the violence and cruelty of Wix in Berlin. When Weeks is suddenly killed in a seemingly impossible murder, the local cop (Mila Kunis) is quick to point the finger at Judd, whom all the evidence points against. But the cult that Vix has gathered around him are not all saints and have their own secrets; Secrets that only one person can reveal.

This is where Benoît Blanc, the popular hero of the “knife” films, enters and makes his formidable duo with Judd O’Connor; Two whose contrasting characters bring different perspectives to the single mystery of the story. Opposite Pastor Judd, who is struggling with his relationship with faith and Christ, Benoit Blanc is struggling with his personal crisis; A crisis that has less to do with faith and belief and more to do with his inability to solve the case. Blank, for all his brilliant intelligence, admits for the first time his inability to solve the case.

Although the presence of Benoît Blanc in “Wake Up Dead Man” is even less than the previous episodes of “Knife”, but Ryan Johnson in the new film penetrates more than ever into who and the character of Blanc. “Wake Up Dead Man” is the first time we see Blank as Blank, and not James Bond with a southern accent, which goes beyond Jansen’s script, thanks to Craig, who has brought his never-ending passion to the role year after year, keeping the character dynamic and interesting; Even with changes in hair style and clothes. In “Wake Up Dead Man” Block opens himself to another for the first time; During the conversations between Reverend Judd and Blank, we learn about the detective’s past and beliefs, his personal views on the world, apart from the ongoing mysteries. There is no judgment in these conversations, or surprising revelations; Rather, both characters listen and accept each other with all their differences.

Jansen’s film does not shy away from dealing with these heavier topics, such as the complications of faith or its misuse for political and social purposes. Of course, these do not go beyond allusions and you are not dealing with a whole philosophical or religious drama. Although “Wake Up Dead Man” is undoubtedly the most serious film in the franchise, it still maintains its comedic tone thanks to Blank’s character; Either with physical comedy and slapstick, or with clever dialogues and character-oriented jokes. Of course, Jansen’s film may not have the intelligence of Agatha Christie in solving mysteries, but it knows how to enter dark issues with a humorous look. This, of course, is the art that Jansen perfects in the “Poker Face” series.

Beyond dealing with his more personal feelings and his relationship with religion, God, and the church, Jansen has plenty of bright moments and risks in “Wake Up Dead Man.” As if the most popular character of the series pushed Benoit Blanc even more to the backstage of the narrative and handed over the reins to Reverend Judd O’Connor to guide the audience in the labyrinth of faith and conscience. The result is a film that, while lacking the intelligence or excitement of the first film, offers an honest, intimate and entertaining story; No matter what your relationship is with faith and which character you consider guilty or innocent.

Netflix should give more value to “knife” movies

“Knife” movies have never been as beautiful as “Wake Up Dead Man”. Always a big part of the emotional climax of the “Knife” films goes back to its staging, which in the new film culminates with a magnificent church in the middle of the forest that looks like it came out of the middle of a story by the Brothers Grimm. The architecture of the church and the landscapes around it intensify the mysterious and legendary mood of the film, and the play with light in the most dynamic way possible depicts nature in constant struggle.

Steve Yedlin, the film’s cinematographer and regular collaborator of Ryan Johnson, decorates each frame with creativity and visual richness. The film’s use of light, especially the rays that give simple scenes a holy effect, not only challenge Benoit Blanc and his faith, but immerse you in his emotions and spiritual reflections; A perfect combination of visual pleasure and narrative purposefulness. Obviously, these compositions are not decorative; Rather, Yedlin and Jansen determine the mood of the story in each frame by using light, space and staging. I refer you to the first conversation between Benoit Blanc and Pastor Judd in the church, which you have not seen in the cinema for a long time; Let alone a Netflix movie. In this scene, the warm and bright rays of the sun shine through the window to the empty place of the image of Christ on the wall; But when Benoit Blanc opens the table of his heart and says things that are considered blasphemous in the presence of the church, the sun goes down behind the cloud and the church is in shadow. Then, in a natural flow, the clouds move away and with the return of light, the conversation between the two is sweetened.

Despite the back-to-back successes of “Knife”, Netflix doesn’t seem to be taking it seriously; The cinema release does not give Jansen’s films the right treatment to be recognized as a good film franchise. However, even if Netflix doesn’t value the “Knife” franchise as much as it should, Rian Johnson’s films have managed to cement their place in our minds and hearts; Especially the character of Daniel Craig, who after James Bond, his legacy with Benoit Blanc has remained in the mind; A completely original character who has found a place in our vocabulary from his accent to the terms he uses.

“Wake Up Dead Man” is still faithful to the formula of the previous films; Many characters, complex plot lines and constant revelations, as always, hide so much information and clues from the viewer that you can’t join Blank and Judd in solving the case. Some puzzles reveal themselves very quickly; Others offer a solution so haphazard that it’s more like a scripted narrative cheat than a sharp decision. Still, if you’re a fan of the mystery genre, “Dead Man Awake” provides a visually beautiful and narratively thought-provoking opportunity to step into the heart of a seemingly unsolvable mystery with O’Connor and Craig’s performances.

Film ID “Wake Up Dead Man” (Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery)

Director: Ryan Johnson
Author: Ryan Johnson
Actors: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Bralin, Andrew Scott
Product: 2025, United States
Site score IMDb to the movie: 7.5 out of 10
Rating of the movie on Rotten Tomatoes website: 93%
Summary of the story: Reverend Judd is a young, honest and well-intentioned man struggling with a bloody past. Wanting to put this past behind him and restore himself and his relationship with God, he is assigned to work in a small church led by the violent Monsignor Jefferson Weeks; a narcissistic bishop who inherited the church from his grandfather, Reverend Prentice Weeks; But the real inheritance of several tens of millions of dollars that should have been given to Weeks disappeared with the death of his grandfather and has been haunting him for years. With Weeks’ sudden death and a seemingly impossible murder scene, the local police point the finger at Reverend Judd, who has all the evidence working against him…

The review of the movie “Wake Up Dead Man” is the author’s personal opinion and is not necessarily the position of Digikala Mag.

Source: Digikala Mag