From a stately home to a sun-kissed island, the third instalment of Rian Johnson’s genre-reviving whodunnit relocates again to find itself on holy ground. Wake Up, Dead Man delves into the gothic for Knives Out 3, eager to forge an admirably unique path as a series that has prided itself on each chapter feeling like a fully formed story in its own right. Daniel Craig returns as the distinguished Benoit Blanc, this time accompanied by an ensemble featuring Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny and Darryl McCormack.
When an impossible murder occurs in a tight-knit church community, secrets begin to spill that provide many of the congregation with motive to kill. Detective Blanc is called upon to unravel a mystery that defies all logic, a demand that may be beyond even his quirky capabilities.
Another tonal shift, another Knives Out entry - Wake Up, Dead Man may feel smaller in scale than its predecessor, but it boasts the same impressive level of intelligent writing and first-class entertainment we have come to know and respect from the murder mystery series. As confident a hand as ever, Rian Johnson’s fresh approach to each flick ensures it is riddled with surprise and excitement, and electing a somewhat darker tone results in a stirring and soulful effort that almost catches you off guard in just how profound it can feel. Stylistically striking, with Steve Yedlin’s cinematography imbuing the film with a visual proficiency that showcases both the foreboding tone and religious setting, Johnson captures both the claustrophobia and paranoia of small-town politics with aplomb.
It’s clear, partly given the three-year gap between instalments, that Johnson takes his time crafting a story worthy of the murder mystery genre. Never one to rest on his laurels, the embracing and subverting of genre conventions keeps Dead Man's guessing games rolling and his audience invested, respecting the genre while always prodding fun at it. His most thematically complex work to date, the film's philosophical angle opens the series to new depths that will undoubtedly reward repeat viewing, and no matter where you fall on the God-fearing spectrum will be able to resonate with it given both the sensitivity and clear-eyed approach it employs to all viewpoints and perspectives. If the exploration of the current climate of hate and internet culture feels a little more heavy-handed, that a filmmaker is tackling it with this platform is itself a worthwhile achievement, and Johnson's refuses to mince his words in his mockery of idiocy.
It would be fair to suggest that the narrative itself is not as sharply constructed as we have come to expect, and, in turn, the twists and turns never land with the shock and surprise that have propelled the franchise towards its most jaw-dropping moments to date. Additionally, although there are plenty of laughs scattered throughout the piece that provides a much-needed brevity (including a handful of sudden appearances from Close and Craig’s musical car tunes) to the darker tones in play here, they are never quite baked in to the story as seamlessly as prior chapters, more obviously 'dropped' into the moment rather than arising naturally and co-currently. Of course, this is still a thoroughly entertaining picture, but as the structure becomes clearer, the more trained eyes may unknowingly become resistant to the thrills.
The film belongs to Josh O’Connor, whose role as Reverend Jud Duplenticy provides the film with warmth and empathy that captures the “goodness” so central to our Knives Out protagonists. Rendered with complexity, O’Connor continues his ascent as one of the country’s most impressive talents, with the shading her brings to the character of Jud Duplenticy fundamental in securing audience interest in a more Blanc-lite feature: it does feel that there is a concerted attempt to give Craig a more backseat role this time out, relinquishing the spotlight while continuing to impress, his sheer commitment to the character and enjoyment in the role infectious - he’s having fun, and so are we. But he is, nevertheless, rather missed here.
To say the supporting ensemble players are underserved is less a criticism of the screenplay than it is a commendation of the strong supporting character work from the likes of Spaeny, Washington and particularly Close, all of whom sink their teeth into somewhat limited material with conviction. Their unique embellishments of these characters provide them with a richer texture, and the story benefits from the detailed sketching of these smaller roles. It is a shame that Andrew Scott and Jeffrey Wright are quite this short-changed, though, with the calibre of their talents deserving of longer screentime.
Wake Up, Dead Man is a purposefully moodier piece than its predecessors, reckoning with themes of faith and community in another timely, ruminative dispatch from the desk of Rian Johnson. With a game ensemble cast, a reliably intelligent screenplay and a respect for the genre and determination to continue the series’ evolution with each consecutive chapter, Wake Up, Dead Man is another sharp-left term away from expectations and, so long as Johnson continues taking his time crafting powerful and entertaining stories, Knives Out is not yet dead and buried - in fact, it's never felt so creatively alive.