📺 Rian Johnson’s third entry in his increasingly beloved Benoit Blanc franchise arrives with a somber, wintry mood — a stark departure from the sun-drenched Mediterranean escapism of Glass Onion. Wake Up Dead Man trades beach houses for church pews, tech b’naires for fire-and-brimstone clergy, and the result is Johnson’s most thematically ambitious mystery yet — currently boasting a 92% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

The film centers on the murder of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), a conservative Catholic priest whose sermons weaponize shame and fury rather than champion hope. Father Jud Duplenticy, played by Josh O’Connor, becomes a prime suspect due to his violent past.

The mystery itself is a bit convoluted, but as with all Knives Out films, that’s not really the point. These are whydunnits instead of whodunnits — explorations of motive, morality, and the human condition wrapped in genre trappings. Is it as tightly constructed as Knives Out or as purely entertaining as Glass Onion? Perhaps not. Is it sometimes too clever for its own good, losing the thread in its enthusiasm to juggle themes and suspects? Absolutely.

What definitely works: O’Connor delivers what may be the strongest supporting performance in the franchise’s history with a delicate balance of earnestness, inner darkness, and genuine faith that never tips into preachiness. It’s a performance that cements O’Connor as one of the most versatile actors working today, following his remarkable turns in The Crown, Challengers, and La Chimera.

Here’s where we must make a confession: With a 144-minute runtime, Wake Up Dead Man is perhaps too long-winded and packs so many twists, turns, and red herrings that we occasionally found ourselves impatiently awaiting the revelation. Jackson’s affection for side quests can feel like a stall once the initial setup’s adrenaline fades.

WHERE TO WATCH- You can find Wake Up Dead Man on Netflix, and watch the trailer on YouTube (runtime: 2:02).

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