Rian Johnson‘s ‘Wake Up Dead Man‘ uses a format that is already familiar to us. A cast that brings together enough stars for three other successful Hollywood films. A ‘whodunit’ mystery following the solution of a crime committed in a closed enclosure, with a number of characters equal to the number of suspects. Even if Agatha Christie is not the author of the novel that inspired the film, her name cannot be omitted as a source of inspiration (and is even mentioned in a subtle quote). Rian Johnson has specialized in recent years in writing scripts and directing films that have as their main hero the infallible detective Benoit Blanc. Daniel Craig has jumped ship from one series to another with great pleasure, that is, from the role of James Bond to that of Blanc. I confess that I was not enthusiastic about ‘Knives Out’, the film that opened this series, but now, this third film has made me a declared fan. ‘Wake Up Dead Man‘ is a film that gives the actors with big names in the cast the opportunity to play interesting roles and that manages in many moments to avoid clichés and cheap parodies, saying something authentic about both the characters and the world that surrounds them.
The story takes place in and around a Catholic church in a small town in the mountains of New York State. Jud Duplenticy – a young priest, a former boxer, with a past marked by violence – is in his first post in a parish led by the charismatic Jefferson Wicks, an older priest who arrogates the title of Monsignor. Around him and the faithful Martha, the church administrator, are a handful of parishioners who seem ready to follow the priest in whatever he does and says. The young priest’s attempts, convinced of his mission to open the church’s doors to a dialogue that will attract more parishioners, are viewed with suspicion by the Monsignor and his flock. When Wicks is murdered right in the church, during the Good Friday service, the main suspect is Jud. The innocent priest addresses the Most High and his prayers are rewarded with the appearance of Detective Blanc, a convinced atheist, who will discover in the small community a past marked by tragedies, with complicated relationships and enough reasons for anyone around Wicks to have wanted to kill him. What follows becomes for everyone involved – including Blanc – reason to evaluate their own convictions and beliefs, as well as the relationships between the natural and the supernatural.
The production is extremely precise. Rian Johnson has written a story with rhythm and filmed it in such a way that the 2 hours and 24 minutes of projection pass like a breeze. The cinematography supports the atmosphere and the actors’ performance is intense and nuanced. It is obvious that Daniel Craig enjoys every moment he is on screen. Glenn Close bravely approaches a dramatic and somber role. Josh Brolin is more impressive than ever. Finally, Josh O’Connor brilliantly supports the main role of the young priest, a character who embodies many of the dilemmas of today’s Catholic world and its confrontation with the modern world. I would not be surprised if some of these actors received Oscar nominations and I think they would be deserved. ‘Wake Up Dead Man‘ is an excellent proposal for the end of the year – on Netflix or in theaters -, a film consistent with those that preceded it in the ‘Knives Out’ series, a successful combination of mystery and comedy, detective enigma and supernatural, which takes place in an authentic environment and which offers a gallery of well-differentiated and believably outlined and interpreted characters. Intelligent and quality entertainment.