Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
2025
When young priest Jud Duplenticy is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic.
Genres:
My notes
I think I need to watch this one again. My immediate reaction was that this was the least effective Knives Out film as it shifted the balance of darkness and levity way too far towards the darkness. The direction was fine. Josh O'Connor did a fantastic job, especially given the caliber of talent he was paired with (his boxing form was…let's just say archaic though). The Star War reference was apt (aside - I've always had a sneaking suspicion that the original Knives Out was a Rian Johnson's unpacking of Star Wars in much the same way Chef was Favreau's unpacking of Iron Man 2).
Still, even a "weak" Rian Johnson movie is better than most.