Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery – Movie Reviews by Ry!

Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery – Holy Marks of a Detective’s Faith

Oh, how it is to fret the murder … but be tantalize by the mystery.  Is it a question of confused moments, or just a play upon circumstance.  Whatever it is, death can become a point of a riveting tale, especially in film.  In this review, I take a look at the latest Murder/Mystery from Netflix.  In the next chapter from our famed detective, Wake Up Dead Man is an ingenious tale of murder, mysteries and unfathomed faith.

As an unholy death rocks a small community, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) must put his detective skills to the ultimate test.  When it comes to murder, the spectrum of awe and intrigue is plastered against the shutters of curiosity.  When this becomes a point of direction (in film), what starts out as expected will turn down different paths.  With this latest chapter in the Knives Out Saga, It may start from a point of death, but it becomes something more through a creative spin of characters, community and faith.  The first thing that you notice (with this film) is that Rian Johnson (Writer/Director), does away from the general linear path.

Chopped up Timelines

We start from the perspective of a new character, Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Conner).  He is a young priest that get’s sent to a rural parish led by Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin).  After some interesting scenes and conversations with those living in the community (view the list of actors/actresses at the film’s IMdb page – link), the ‘incident’ happens, leading us into the present timeframe of Jud meeting Benoit Blanc.  From this meeting, we begin to move between ‘past’ and ‘present’, where the typical acts are thrown out the window for chopped red herrings and a playful use of voice over narration.  This dissection helps turn the investigative scenes into a retrospective of faith, purpose and guilt.  With a light placed upon everyone in the community (as suspects), the uncertainty frames the ‘whodunit’ trope through a playful complexion of personas. 

Uniquely Grounded Characters

This leads to the second thing that breaks from the typical detective story.  Each individual that has a spotlight stands out in an atypical way.  Each parish member has a specific role in the community, but that role is spun through a web of backstories that drive the ‘suspect’ label.  Through untimed segments to obtuse dialogue, each character is bombastic but stays grounded through whimsical like ways.  The complexity is layered through word play that drives confusion through desires, pitting one’s own faith against the frailty of being human.  This adds heightened emotional weight to each layer of discovery, providing that earnest trait to the twists of the tale.

The blend of creativity to the twisting of the genre, we head into layers upon layers of thinking one way, but coming out shocked by indifferent revelations.  As Blanc puts the pieces together, we head into a finale that continues to play with time, but strikes a relative tone without being too complex.  With the culprit caught, we head into a full circle climax and epilogue.  Wake Up Dead Man is a creative twist of a great mystery.  If you are a fan of Rian Johnson, the actors/actresses involved or detective tales, this is one for you.  It is already available to watch on Netflix, but it would have been fun to see this on the big screen.

Full Score – 4 out of 5 (Full Price)