Latest ‘Knives Out’ is much too good to pass over
There are few religious experiences more divine than a “Knives Out Mystery” officiated by Benoit Blanc, a sainted non-believer serving as an acolyte to a young priest in the Easter-themed “Wake Up Dead Man.” It’s very much baptism under fire for the Southern-fried sleuth as he encounters a flock of sinful suspects in the “locked-door” slaying of a fire-and-brimstone monsignor on of all days, Good Friday.
It’s yet another immaculate conception courtesy of Rian Johnson, the brilliant creator of the Netflix franchise now in its third incarnation with Daniel Craig again filling the gumshoes of Blanc, the second coming of Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot. It’s arguably the best yet from both Craig and Johnson, kindred souls shrouded in a heavenly aura of charm and cleverness.
What a blessing it is to have them back, along with series newcomers Glenn Close and Josh O’Connor, for my money, 2025’s hottest actor. Close is the film’s kingpin as Martha Delacroix, lector to Josh Brolin’s anger-is-power Monsignor Jefferson Wicks. Not only does she dote on her boss, but she also serves as the trusted keeper of where all the bodies are buried in and around Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude parish in upstate New York.
Still, it’s O’Connor you worship most as Father Jud Duplenticy, a former boxer “with hate in his heart.” It’s said he once killed a man in the ring, sorta, kinda on purpose. He says it’s why he chose the priesthood. But serving God has done nothing to appease his guilt, which is why Bishop Langdon (Jeffrey Wright) reassigns him to assist a monsignor so ill-tempered he’s chased most of his congregation away. Well, that and punching out a fellow priest in Albany. A change of scenery, if you will. He’s supposed to have the hated Wicks’ back, but winds up being accused of thrusting a knife into it.
Blanc and, to a degree, we know Father Jud isn’t capable of such a heinous act, despite his history. So, Blanc’s sights turn to prominent parisioners: recently divorced alcoholic Dr. Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner): failed sci-fi author Lee Ross (Andrew Scott); disgruntled lawyer Vera Draven (Kerry Washington); her younger political aspirant brother, Cy (Daryl McDormack); and the mousy, wheelchair-bound cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny). All have a motive, but do they have a means?
That’s the twist, given that no one witnessed a murder that occurred right in front of them. Johnson has a lot of fun with the so-called “locked-door” mystery made famous in John Dickson Carr’s 1935 novel “The Hollow Man,” the paperback version of which makes a couple of notable cameos.
As with the previous two “Knives Out” entries, it’s not difficult to guess the killer. But the “whodunit” isn’t nearly as stirring as watching Craig’s Blanc generate unease and suspicion among the suspects. And Craig has never been better, or funnier. After discovering a skeleton in an acid bath, he quips in his down-home country drawl that the deceased is right there, “In the flesh. Or, what’s left of it.” And did he really say “scooby dooby doo”? The role continues to fit Craig even better than that iconic tuxedoed character he’s associated with, James something or other…
He encounters his equal in O’Connor, who follows up his excellent work in “The Mastermind” and “Rebuilding” by nearly stealing the movie right out from under Craig. The two generate so much chemistry, you can’t get enough of them as they debate God’s place in the world while turning up a slew of clues in solving not just who killed the monsignor, but also God’s truth about his “harlot-whore” mother, Grace.
Close is right there with them, seamlessly transitioning from the film’s more dramatic aspects to a dozen or so Frau Blücher moments when she literally suddenly appears out of nowhere at the most opportune times. Creepy, yes, but funny even more. The rest of the cast – which also includes Thomas Haydn Church as the groundskeeper, Samson Holt, and Mila Kunis as the town’s chief of police, Geraldine Scott – all get their chance to shine. But it’s Craig and O’Connor who lift this mashup of “Father Dowling” and Flannery O’Connor into the choir loft.
I particularly enjoyed them taking the time to trade thoughts on the meaning of faith. Blanc, “a proud heretic,” makes no bones about his devotion. “I kneel at the altar of the rational,” he tells Father Jud, who counters by noting that the very definition of faith is not seeing is believing. By no means are such philosophical discussions the film’s gospel. No, that would be a LOL comedy. And I’d wager it’s the funniest of the year. Certainly, more humorous than its two predecessors.
Holmes and Watson have nothing on Craig and O’Connor, who, along with Close, prove a holy trinity of good times to be had, no matter which god you subscribe to, if you worship one at all. There are a few lulls, to be sure. And the plot, which preaches that the past begets the future, can get confusing at times. But it’s an overall good time, featuring excellent acting, sharp writing and the perfect location – a Gothic church brimming with unholy ghosts and scandalous secrets.
True, the dialogue may commit a deadly sin or two. Still, when it’s Craig and O’Connor doing the cursing, I swear on a stack of Bibles you won’t be offended, just enthralled, and left hungering for more, as they miraculously finesse blasphemy into a blast.
Movie review
Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery
Rated: PG-13 for some crude sexual material, smoking, body images, strong language, violent content
Cast: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Andrew Scott, Kerry Washington, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack and Thomas Haden Church
Director: Rian Johnson
Writer: Rian Johnson
Runtime: 145 minutes
Where: Currently in theaters (limited); begins streaming on Netflix Dec. 12
Grade: A-
