Wake Up Dead Man (2025) - 8/10

Things get a little darker on the third instalment of the Knives Out films. Ex-boxer, Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) punches another priest and gets shipped off by Bishop Langstrom (Jeffery Wright), to the sleepy parish of Chimney Rock, to work with Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin), the church housekeeper, Martha (Glenn Close) and the groundsman who likes to pat her bottom, Sam (Thomas Haden Church). The pace is fast, playful and funny. I laughed out loud several times inside 10 minutes, all credited to O’Connor I believe. His character is brought up to speed with his new homes history, as we learn of Wick’s pious grandfather, who built the church and gave away (maybe hid) a fortune and of his less than devout mother, Grace (Annie Hamilton), who hungry for the money, tried to destroy the church. This is the dark bedrock we’re told, one that now clearly permeates this upstate New York affluent congregation. Everyone has an angle. Vera (Kerry Washington) is upholding her father’s legacy and connection to the church, through gritted teeth. While her freeloading half brother, Cy (Daryl McCormack) showboats. Depressed Doctor, Nat (Jeremy Renner) is drinking in church and getting told off by down on his luck sci-fi celebrity writer, Lee Ross (Andrew Scott). It’s a heady mix, topped off with wealthy benefactor and terminally ill Simone (Cailee Spaeny), whose vulnerability is being preyed upon. This is the core group of dwindling numbers on the pews. Outsiders driven away by Wicks’ fire and brimstone ultra conservative hypocrisy. It’s certainly the darkest set up these films have posed. Wicks rules on high, everyone’s scared of him and Jud see’s it. This isn’t the accepting, spiritually open church he recognises. It’s an angry and petrified echo chamber and Jud vows to break Wicks’ hold. Perfect premise for a murder, Wicks’. Although it doesn’t exactly look like one. All the players are in plain sight mid-sermon, well aside the victim who’s taking a breather in a side room. As whodunits go, it’s a doozy! But after their falling out is public knowledge, the suspicion falls on Jud. Enter Police Chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) and of course, the star, Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), who with a wonderfully scripted sharp monologue, rips the essence of the Catholic Church to shreds. This is going to be fun. The opening act without Blanc was already great, but his input kicks this up another gear. He’s Jud’s saviour, “stick with me”. Blanc is animated by the perfect impossible crime, “the holy grail”. Craig is fantastic at this. Larger than life, he leans in even further on this outing to his southern gent persona as we tear through theories on possibilities in a flamboyant role play style. He works wonderfully with O’Connor, they’re quite a formidable duo. They’re not alone though. Even the seemingly bit part players here get to have some fun and stomp their foot on the gas pedal. It’s still too long though. I don’t know what the current fascination is with two to three hour runtimes, but please stop. This is a rip roaring tale, but it easily out stays its welcome by half an hour at least. I’m being harsh though, this does twist and turn beautifully. Leading us gently one way, before giving us whiplash in another entirely. Is it perfect, no, but it’s close and where it lacks, it makes up in pure entertaining fun and isn’t that the core of any great whodunnit. On the strength of this, I hope there’s more. Craig has found himself another crime fighting franchise.

8/10