There’s something about the name Benoit Blanc that assures you that you can expect a fully solved mystery. A mystery so captivating that you’re ready to hang on every word and detail as you watch it. You know you can sit back (but not relax), put your phone away, and immerse yourself in a good puzzle you’re trying to solve – with Benoit Blanc.
Rian Johnson’s latest film in the series, Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, isn’t a ho-hum pedestrian stroll, and it’s not like any of the previous films (although they were good, too). It’s a clever, witty thriller that invites you to jump in and start making a list of suspects. Cue the whiteboard, math equations and a side of introspection, as the film delves into politics, generational trauma and religious faith versus good old logic.
Josh O’Connor plays young Reverend Jud Duplenticy, a good-natured former boxer who is still dealing with his past. He often talks about how he killed someone in the ring, and that’s the reason he turned to the priesthood. The film takes place in a small town in upstate New York, where Jud is sent after getting into trouble for punching a priest (yes, at work). O’Connor adds a disarming, sympathetic quality to the role that puts you at ease, but also reminds you that his hands can be weapons.
Upon arriving at his post at the church, he meets Josh Brolin’s Monsignor Jefferson Wicks – the title of Monsignor is pretentiously self-important – who takes his job very seriously. Their first conversation, both funny and frightening, shows you exactly what kind of person Wicks is, and you either think he’ll be the victim or top the list of suspects. He’s the kind of priest who delivers sermons with spit, fury, and harsh judgment coming out of his mouth to both his congregation, earning himself fans and enemies. This flock includes Kerry Washington as local lawyer Vera, Jeremy Renner as Dr. Nat Sharp, Cailee Spaeny (who plays a former cellist), Glenn Close as a delightfully zealous and ancient church member sexy priest himself, Andrew Scottas an unlucky author.
What is Jud doing with blood on his hands?
They are all in love with Wicks, for various reasons. We spend time with them all, learning about the church, its religious practices and who is who and whose when the monsignor drops dead in the middle of a church service.
Daniel Craig returns once again as Detective Benoit Blanc, who appears midway through the film after being summoned to help with the murder case. He lets Jud team up with him to find the killer, even though the guilt-ridden cleric is himself a suspect. In a nod to Agatha Christie’s book, The Hollow Man, the investigation begins.
Craig is convincing with his Southern dialect and poker-faced detective, while Brolin and O’Connor are convincing opposing priests. But we’re also treated to an incredibly funny – and sometimes scary – performance from Glenn Close, which you got a taste of in the trailer as her character, Martha, is disgusted that kids keep spray-painting rockets on the cemetery grounds.
The film’s narrative critiques forms of exploitation and manipulation of religion, while also offering more grounded and sincere human perspectives through its characters. There’s a play of light and dark in the cinematography that serves as both comic relief and a subtle nod to its religious themes.
Detective White asks questions of the suspects, himself and, in a wink, the viewers as well. The monsignor had secrets, a fortune to inherit, devoted admirers and resentful haters. Who is guilty in this Scooby-Dooby-Doo mystery?
Everyone is perplexed.
Can you help solve this impossible crime? The twists and turns in this one will cause you to lose the investigation, so even if you don’t succeed, you’ll be invested in what happened.
Netflix’s Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery hits theaters on November 26 and arrives on the streaming service on December 12.
