Synopsis
Detective Benoit Blanc returns for his latest case in Wake Up Dead Man. After an impossible murder rocks the faithful town, Blanc is called in to solve the unsolvable and prove that sometimes a miracle is just a murder.
Written and directed by Rian Johnson
Starring Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church
Released Streaming on Netflix from December 12th
Review
Knives Out? Fantastic. No notes. Glass Onion? … I wasn’t convinced. I’m not even sure I’ve seen it more than once. But give me a murder mystery and a cast this good, and I’m sold.
Rian Johnson returns to the Benoit Blanc universe with Wake Up Dead Man, a film that proves he’s still having a blast twisting the whodunnit, and I, for one, am here for it.
It’s a fantastic ensemble, packed with star power and personality, but never so crowded that you forget what you're there for... the mystery. Glenn Close is the standout, iconic and gloriously dramatic in all the best ways. I found myself laughing out loud more than once. It’s the kind of role that reminds you why she’s a legend. And bless her... those rocket ships...
Josh O’Connor, meanwhile, continues to quietly dominate every project he touches. As Father Jud Duplenticy, a man desperate to redeem himself in the church’s eyes, he brings genuine heart to a story that could’ve easily leaned too far into parody. His chemistry with Josh Brolin’s perpetually furious Monsignor Wicks gives the film an unexpectedly added battle of “good vs. evil” without taking from everything around it. And that reaction of disbelief during confession? Absolute perfection.
Johnson’s story was sharp, and never felt like it strayed too far from the mystery. It toys with tropes and pokes gentle fun at itself, and all this without ever going full meta. It’s another great reflection on murder mysteries from times gone by, Christie, Columbo, and (for the British mystery nerds among us) maybe even a little Jonathan Creek.
Wake Up Dead Man has humour and heart, clever twists and outrageous moments. Despite the stacked cast, no one felt undervalued, and they all seemed to be having a blast. As I said at the beginning, there was no real love from me when it came to Glass Onion, but Knives Out is one of my go to therapeutic watches, and while this might not get the same recognition in my movie diary, it will be up there.
What you should do
If you loved the previous instalments, then it's a no-brainer. Put this on. As a December release, it'll make a fun evening watch for the adults at Christmas. But if you haven't seen Knives Out and Glass Onion... what have you been doing? Having a life? That's not how I roll, I won't ever understand it, but you should probably call your friends round for a Benoit Blanc marathon.
Movie thing you wish you could take home
Daniel Craig and that hairstyle? If that's not possible, I would quite like that phone rig that Cy had.
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