The more emotional, and beautifully messy, instalment in the Knives Out series.
In the timeless murder mystery setting of Knives Out (2019), the contemporary references (like the “What were the words overheard by the Nazi child masturbatin’ in the bathroom?” all-timer) were made in passing – you could miss them, and still be entertained. In the tech billionaire setting of Glass Onion (2022), the contemporary references were foregrounded, with plot points contingent upon viewer recognition – if your opinion of the Elon Musks of the world weren’t particularly informed and up to speed, then the film’s central tension was defused and its resolution wasn’t as satisfying. Wake Up Dead Man indulges the gothic overtones of its religious setting – and its heightened, expressive approach makes this the more emotional, but also the messier, instalment in this series.
Beneath the classic whodunnit trappings, the stellar ensemble cast, and the beautifully intentional film-making, is the beating heart of every Knives Out mystery which keeps it from being an anachronistic exercise in pastiche:
an affection for, a celebration of, and a triumph of kindness.
Wake Up Dead Man is somehow both shorter and longer than it needs to be. Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) doesn’t properly arrive for a good 40 minutes into the story, yet Wake Up Dead Man speed runs both his entrance and the detective’s other trademark (besides his Southern drawl): his (and writer/director Rian Johnson‘s) interest in the kindness of the protagonist. In the first two instalments, we spend enough time with Blanc, and Blanc spends enough time with Ana de Armas‘ Marta and Janelle Monáe‘s Andi in their respective entries, for he and us to discover their kindness and his developing loyalty to them, together. In this episode, however, we discover without Blanc how Josh O’Connor‘s Father Jud fills the endearing, kindly shoes of a Knives Out protagonist. Then Blanc (and the movie) yada-yada-yadas his being simply plugged into the story, to then function as he’s designed to. And this is just one of the ways we’re regularly reminded that this is an episode in a series:
At one end: most of the ensemble cast doesn’t get to do as much as we know they can (Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, and Cailee Spaeny in particular), or as much as was given to all the players in the other films, while others (especially Josh Brolin and Glenn Close) get to do what they were born to. Meanwhile, either the murder mystery or the film’s plot (or both? In a movie like this, are both one and the same?) at least feels even more convoluted than in the previous instalments (and the two-plus-hour running time isn’t helping this to beat the messy allegations).
Yet at the other end: depending on your taste (and perhaps your upbringing), the simplicity and elegance of a particular phone call may be the most beautifully moving scene you never saw coming; Johnson and cinematographer Steve Yedlin create some of the most boldly experimental and expressive visuals of the series yet…
… as Rian Johnson explains to shittyrigs:
… and there’s still the series’ signature playfulness, from the broad genre strokes down to the esoteric details and quieter moments, even if the rhythm is a little looser and the tone a little darker this time around. But Wake Up Dead Man‘s redemption is in its own ultimate kindness toward religion: acid for cults and of cult figures, but affection for faith and for those with grace.
Further Viewing
We love a script-to-screen side-by-side (via Netflix):
We also love a Knives Out Notes On A Scene (even if this time there are no ‘iPhones in movies’ spoilers). Johnson describes his use of flashbacks and flashforwards in both writing and editing to make it easier for the audience to process information (via Vanity Fair):
On the topic of delivering and withholding information, here’s Johnson on misdirecting vs misleading the audience (via CinemaBlend)…
… and he goes into more detail about how he manages that in his writing process (via Gold Derby):
More on the stellar work of director of photography Steve Yedlin:
Perhaps the closest we’ll get to the popularly demanded Muppets crossover is ‘Forks Out’: A Benoit Blanc Sesame Street Mystery (via Netflix):