Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

Synopsis: Entry #3 in the Knives Out mystery series. Benoit Blanc is back to solve a very tricksy mystery.

First off, I do not like the morbid title. But since I know that it’s a Knives Out mystery, I figure it will be more clever than macabre. Second off, I like the character of Benoit Blanc, but I do not like Daniel Craig. (He comes off as so smugly abrasive in interviews.) The good news in AKOM #3 is that Blanc’s character takes a back seat to the ensemble, led by a magnetic Josh O’Connor with scenery-chewing by Glenn Close and Josh Brolin. Let’s get started with the set-up…

Jud’s had a setback in his fledgling career. He gets banished to rural Chimney Rock from Albany, NY. Seems he punched a colleague, though the guy kinda deserved it. 

Jefferson Wicks is Jud’s new superior, and the boss from hell. He yells at Jud, destroys his initiatives and tells him how often he masturbates. Wicks should be fired, but the organization he works for doesn’t have a good history with firing problematic employees.

You see, they are Catholic priests. So, Jud is Father Jud and Jefferson Wicks is Monsignor Wicks. FYI, a monsignor is a title of distinction, though not something that would impress a bishop. Monsignors do, however, get to wear birettas, flashy square hats affixed with a pom-pom on top.

The monsignor title must’ve gone straight to Wicks’ head because he does whatever he wants. Most of the sermons I’ve heard are performed in a determined monotone, as though the priest is trying to patiently reason with you. Yes, it defies reason that a man could walk on water, but if that man is the son of God, it makes perfect sense. The priests often sound a little bored, because, let’s face it, would you really want to talk about the same person-deity every day of your career? 

Msgr. Wicks yells at his parishioners and points accusingly at them. He also preaches fire & brimstone sermons, which went out decades ago in the Catholic Church. He also spends little time talking about Jesus, and a whole lot of time railing against the Harlot-Whore. The woman he is slut-shaming is his deceased mother. How could the Church let a priest get away with such behavior? Not protecting the flock? Unheard of!

Wicks also defies today’s priestly conventions by sporting long, unruly hair and wild facial hair like John the Baptist wandering the Judean desert. I’m pleased to say that this angry reactionary (is there any other kind?) is played to perfection by Josh Brolin. The character never seems like he could be an actual person, but he is entertaining.

And Jud? Josh O’Connor’s acting is like lightning in a bottle, so that Fr. Jud comes across as believable whether the character is defiant, afraid, confused, clever or passionate. Just as good here as he was in Challengers as a cocky amoral tennis player.

Jud appears to have a feral streak that he has tried hard to tame. He conveys hot priest aka Father-What-A-Waste vibes. Please, young sir! This is the 21st Century, you don’t have to go through with the whole cloistered and celibate thing. 

Wicks has a coterie of favorites who are afraid of him. Rightly so, as they all have secrets and he is a cruel master. There’s Simone (Cailee Spaeny), as an ailing young woman; Vera (Kerry Washington), a lawyer with a grasping adoptive son; Nat (Jeremy Renner) an alcoholic doctor; Lee (Andrew Scott–a hot priest in Fleabag), a novelist with  a sinking career; Samson (Thomas Haden Church), a secretive groundskeeper, and finally Glenn Close as Martha, a true believer who’s eager to do unpaid odd jobs for Wicks.

Wicks wants Jud to leave the Church of Perpetual Fortitude. He torments or undermines him at every turn. Jud set a up a prayer group with Wicks’ favorites, and the evil monsignor went ballistic when he found out. Expect things to get violent between them. I was worried for Jud because, even though he used to be a boxer, Wicks has that madman strength. And yes, you read correctly, Jud used to be a boxer. Didn’t you know that when a pugilist retires, he often starts a second career as a holy man?

And what of Benoit Blanc who was so crafty and southern accented to the point of caricature in the previous Knives Out outings? Well, there is a murder and Jud is a suspect. It’s a locked room case, so Blanc has his work cut out for him. Jud insists on being his lieutenant on the case. A stolen flask, a red thread and suspicious receipts will provide clues.

The local police chief, Geraldine (Mila Kunis) has her own theories. Benoit always keeps his cool while investigating, but Jud is under a lot of stress as a suspect.

One stormy night, Jud finds himself running through the nearby woods seeing spirits and a cloaked figure. I don’t remember where Benoit was during this juncture, but he was probably steam ironing his white linen suit or mixing himself a mint julep. 

If you like the kind of movie where the detective gathers all of the suspects into a parlor and explains what happened leading up to the murder and announces who the killer is, you’ll like Wake Up Dead Man. And because this is a Knives Out mystery, expect Blanc to put his own stamp on the proceedings. The good gentleman plays the church organ for the good and not-good parishioners before explaining all.  

P.S.  Grammatically-speaking, shouldn’t the title include a comma? As in, Wake Up comma Dead Man. You wouldn’t write Go to Sleep Bob because then it would seem like the person’s name is Go to Sleep Bob vs. telling Bob to go to sleep. A better title may have been Help the Priest, Benoit. Not, however, Help the Priest Benoit because that would mean the priest in need of help is Father Benoit. The priest in actual need is Father Jud. Commas can be important.

Movie Loon’s Movie Review Shortcut:

Grade:  B+

Cut to the Chase:  An entertaining, well-cast mystery.

Humor Highlight:  Glenn Close as pious, cold Martha who would’ve had a field day accusing people during the Salem Witch Trials.