In an interview with Marcus Errico on the third instalment of the Knives Out universe, Rian Johnson admits that he begins the film by focusing on the “very fundamental spine” of the story. In that case, the fundamental spine of Wake Up Dead Man is Father Jud’s journey with his faith. Narrated by Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor), Johnson takes us to a quiet but disconcerting church in upstate New York with Father Jud grappling with a ‘flock of wicked wolves’, attempting to herd them back to the Church’s teachings. In a critical look into the state of the church in current times, Johnson unveils a complicated narrative of how storytelling can inspire or manipulate.
“You’re right. It’s storytelling … I guess the question is, do these stories convince us of a lie, or do they resonate with something deep inside us that’s profoundly true that we can’t express any other way?”
The looming presence of the church’s haunted past is emblemised by the shadow of the holy cross, missing from its place behind the altar. Taken down by Monsignor Wicks’ (Josh Brolin) “harlot whore” mother, Grace (Annie Hamilton) years before, Wicks continues to provide sermons in a hollow church, fueled by his righteous fury. This story is relayed to the audience by Martha Delecroix (played by scream queen Glenn Close), Wicks’ devoted secretary. A fondness I have for Johnson’s films comes into play again in Wake Up Dead Man, with Johnson’s penchant for telling different perspectives. This time, with the use of stained glass windows, Johnson highlights the flawed perceptions people can have and delicately tackles misogyny within the church through his cinematography. In Martha’s narration of events of the past, Johnson frames each scene with red cellophane, mimicking the stained glass of the church. The story is told again later in the film, without the stained glass, painting Grace in a different light.
The ensemble cast of the film includes Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Thomas Haden Church, Cailee Spaeny, and Andrew Scott as potential murder suspects or victims. In Knives Out and Glass Onion, the ensemble cast plays a larger role, each of them culpable of murder. In Wake Up Dead Man, however, they take an ever-so-slight step back. Rather than a theatrical whodunnit reveal, Johnson reveals the culprit in an almost deadpan, matter-of-fact manner – the generational evil of greed boiled into “Eve’s Apple”. A pink Fabergé diamond which Monsignor Wicks’ grandfather swallowed and choked to death in an attempt to cull the greed of his daughter, Grace. An easter egg for keen eyes would notice the mistranslation of “L’éveil Appel” on the container, and that it actually means “the call of awakening”, neatly tying into the spine of the narrative.
It goes without saying that Daniel Craig’s performance as Benoit Blanc is as captivating as the last two films. His charming southern drawl only makes an appearance about 40 minutes into the film. This is quite a long while to go before the beloved detective arrives on the scene, charming the pants off the audience. However, this paid off in spotlighting O’Connor as a powerhouse in Jud Duplenticy delivering a lost shepherd wrestling with his faith as he witnesses the disarray of Monsignor Wicks’ church. It is at the halfway point of the film that Johnson deliberately breaks the tension of Benoit Blanc and Father Jud’s search for clues to clear his name, for a quiet moment between him and Louise. Without allowing the film to spiral too far into predictability, Johnson pulls it back to the heart of the film – compassion and understanding.
I had the opportunity to see Wake Up Dead Man in its limited run at the Glasgow Film Theatre. In writing this review, I gave it a rewatch on Netflix with my friends, laptop propped on a table, a fireplace going in the background. While the latter was cosy and comforting for a cold January night, I’d be remiss to say the energy of a theatre’s audience wasn’t an added layer of joy in watching the film.
Author: Elizabeth Bin
Image credit: Word on Fire https://woforgmedia.wordonfire.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/08142515/umZHsYDJEcK9j8AozU2mVC.jpg
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