Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
CLICK THE PHOTO ABOVE FOR MR F’s FOX19 REVIEW OF WAKE UP DEAD MAN: A KNIVES OUT MYSTERY
Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for his most dangerous case yet.
STORY: A+
A deeper mystery.
This movie delivers everything you love in a Knives Out mystery: a stacked cast working their way through a compelling, complicated, captivating murder mystery.
While it’s got plenty of laughs, the movie is more interested in exploring the greatest mystery of all: the mystery of faith. Doubt vs. belief. Certainty vs struggle.
Darker than the deliriously funny Glass Onion, this spiritual journey turns out to be as riveting as any Knives Out mystery we’ve seen yet.
PEOPLE: A
Another Rian Johnson script, another dozen dazzling performances.
If you slap the right pair of gloves on a great wide receiver, an already gifted athlete can reach even greater heights and make more amazing plays.
Rian Johnson’s screenplays do the same thing for actors. Each member of the remarkable cast (Daniel Craig, Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner, Jeffrey Wright, Mila Kunis, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Josh Brolin, Callie Spaeny, and Thomas Haden Church) delivers a delicious, delightful performance.
Shining brightest is Josh O’Connor, best known for his Emmy-winning performance as Prince Charles on The Crown. His jumpy, jittery disposition lends every scene he’s in a charming spark of energy. Here’s hoping he can keep grabbing more big film roles like this one in the future.
FILM NERD STUFF: A
Show me the light.
Johnson plays with light the way a cat owner plays with a laser pointer. We notice a shadow creeping through the church window, and we crouch tight, ready to pounce on whatever happens next. We see a distant lantern in the dark woods, and our attention scrambles and leaps at it with claws drawn.
The lighting work is highly skillful and impressive. But its best feature is that it never feels like it shows up just to show off. It toys with us, a devilish grin that never leaves its face. It’s part of the “game.”
ONE BIG LESSON: A
This you is made up of every you there’s ever been.
Johnson was a deeply religious young man up until his early 20s. He’s likely describing himself when we hear an eager Father Duplenticy proclaim, “I’m young, dumb, and full of Christ!”
Johnson is no longer a religious man. He’s likely describing himself again when we hear a weary Benoit Blanc say that he’s, “... a proud heretic. I kneel at the altar of reason.”
The two characters join forces for a good chunk of the film to solve the crime. They work as a single unit, signifying that they are two parts of Rian Johnson. Their opposing philosophies don’t work against them (though occasionally they do make for some great comedic moments); their different philosophies make them a stronger team.
Neither person “wins” the argument because neither side is interested in winning. Peace comes from trying to understand, not from trying to defeat another’s point of view.
Johnson knows that the young, religious man he used to be is just as much a part of who he is as the person he is today. He knows each of us are the sum of everyone we’ve ever been.
FINAL COMMENTS:
Johnson knocks another Knives Out story out of the park. It shares its DNA with its predecessors, while also standing as its own unique, compelling self.
Mystery lovers, fans of Rian Johnson, and devotees of smart cinema will love this movie.
Where Knives Out goes next is a mystery, but in Johnson’s masterful hands, I’m sure the reveal will be glorious. The franchise feels like the surest bet in movies today.
FINAL GRADE: A
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Story drops on Netflix, Dec. 12th. Rated PG-13. Common Sense says 13+