When I first met master detective Benoit Blanc in the movie Knives Out back in 2019, I was initially kind of stunned that Daniel Craig would put on such a ridiculous accent to play the character. By the time the movie was over, I was ready for 10 more Benoit Blanc mysteries. Well, he’s back now for another go-round, and the accent is still there, and it’s still ridiculous, and I’m not sure I could be happier about it.
Wake Up Dead Man is director Rian Johnson’s third installment in what is now a series, following 2022’s Glass Onion, and it may well be the best of them so far. It’s certainly the most interesting, as it follows a young priest who’s moved to a rural Catholic church that’s run by a fire-breathing idealogue who sees the rest of the world as a constant stream of threats only the Church can combat. Our young priest, Father Jud, believes in a different path, wanting to heal the world through love and acceptance, and this sets up the central philosophical conflict in the movie, with Father Jud’s views being repeatedly challenged by the rather monstrous Monsignor Wicks and his small but zealous flock.
Now, this is all hardly The Last Temptation of Christ—despite the compelling religious issues it raises, the movie is still a comedy, and when a major character drops dead in what appears to be a locked room, Benoit Blanc shows up to help figure out what happened and who amongst the flock might be responsible. Daniel Craig is clearly still having an enormously good time playing the detective, with little physical flourishes and an extra giddy-up in his step that’s delightful. And the entire cast is a joy, with Josh O’Connor showing off his disarming sincerity as Father Jud, Josh Brolin appearing ready to explode as the Monsignor, and half a dozen other familiar faces all having a ball. And, if it needs to be said, we still aren’t tired of Benoit Blanc, and I’m already looking forward to the next mystery three years from now.
Wake Up Dead Man is in theaters now and on Netflix December 12th.
