Monsignor Wicks is a priest who isn’t afraid to speak his mind in his church sermons, much to the chagrin of newcomers to the church, but has managed to maintain a small but loyal following in town. When Wicks is found murdered, the newly arrived reverend, Jud Duplenticy, finds himself accused of the murder. Questioning his faith in these changed circumstances, detective Benoit Blanc arrives in the town to begin investigating, determined to crack the case and prove Jud’s innocence.
I was ready to begin forever associating Daniel Craig with the character of James Bond, a role he played exceptionally well for five moves over the course of a decade and a half. But lightning certainly struck twice for the actor with the surprise success of the KNIVES OUT movies, with Mr. Craig going from playing England’s most famous secret agent to a Southern detective. Juvenile as it may be, I still laugh hearing the guy who once played Bond talking like Foghorn Leghorn. That’s worth the price of admission alone, but this critic is pleased to say the third and most recent KNIVES OUT mystery is another winner, featuring Craig and an ensemble cast giving top-notch performances, comedic and occasionally surprisingly profound. Yes, it’s too long, but there are more hits than misses when it comes to Benoit Blanc’s latest case.
While Benoit Blanc remains the one constant character across these films, each of them always manage to assemble a perfect ensemble cast. This time around we get Mila Kunis as a police chief, Josh Brolin as a controversial preacher murdered under mysterious circumstances, Glenn Close as his closest follower and assistant, Jeremy Renner as a depressed and divorced doctor, Andrew Scott as an author, Daryl McCormack as an unsuccessful politician in the making, and Cailee Spaeny as a musician with a disability. And did I mention the groundskeeper is Thomas Haden Church? But the unexpected standout of the cast is Josh O’Connor as Jud, the young newcomer who finds himself accused of murder. As ridiculous as the film may get at times, everyone here realizes the perfect balance between suspense and laugh-out-loud humor. They’re all up to the task and then some.
What sets WAKE UP DEAD MAN apart from prior KNIVES OUT movies is its religion-heavy settings and themes. Is the movie investigating the futility and datedness of religion? Is it showing how people cling to these elements for inspiration and that they’re not dated at all? The movie remains ambiguous on these topics, but there are some truly unexpected motions that show how diverse and well rounded these characters may be than what you’re initially expecting. This further adds to the twists and turns around each corner, and it’s difficult to say more without getting into spoiler territory.
If there’s one area the otherwise stellar film falls short, it’s pacing. This is true of the KNIVES OUT series at large; all the movies are about 20 minutes longer than they need to be. In the case of WAKE UP DEAD MAN, Benoit Blanc doesn’t even make his first appearance until 40 minutes into the film, and certain scenes of the movie do feel like they’re meandering. Trimming 20 minutes and maybe a side character or two would’ve benefited the final product with no loss of substance or humor.
The Benoit Blanc character has shown us that Daniel Craig is no one-role wonder. WAKE UP DEAD MAN is another gripping, and at times laugh-out-loud funny, KNIVES OUT mystery. The performances from the ensemble cast are fantastic, regardless of what’s required for a particular scene. Only an overlong running time holds it back from perfection. But there’s more than enough here to recommend this one.