Wake Up Dead Man
2025
***½
Director: Rian Johnson
Cast: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, Thomas Haden Church, Jeffrey Wright, Annie Hamilton, Noah Segan
Benoit Blanc travels to the small town of Chimney Rock to investigate the murder of Monsignor Wicks, who had alienated all but his most loyal followers with his incendiary sermons. Blanc teams up with a young priest, whom everyone else considers as the main suspect. Following Knives Out and Glass Onion, the third Benoit Blanc mystery deals with faith, corruption, and hidden treasures, and its abrasive murder victim bears an uncanny resemblance to the current US President. The first 30 minutes are hilarious, but the comedy soon gives way to drama and suspense. All in all, I found the film to be too long, though no better or worse than the previous two.
