Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (Christian Movie Review)
A beautiful feat of filmmaking, Wake Up Dead Man is filled with twists, eccentric characters, and a surprisingly faithful portrayal of a relationship with God. It is a refreshing and unique story that reminds viewers of God’s grace.
About the Film
Wake Up Dead Man is the third installment of the wildly popular Knives Out series, and barring the power of nostalgia, it may be the best one yet. Amid a political climate rife with religious tensions, this movie is both timely and unexpected. A beautiful feat of filmmaking, Wake Up Dead Man is filled with twists, eccentric characters, and a surprisingly faithful portrayal of a relationship with God. It tells a refreshing and unique story that reminds viewers of God’s grace.
Rian Johnson is a gifted director, and his craftsmanship is on full display here. The skillful use of light stands out in this film. It is a type of storytelling in and of itself. Wake Up Dead Man not only uses light to highlight important plot points but also to represent God’s presence, making him a more tangible character. The shots are creative and intentional: close-ups are used during intense conversations, and more distant shots are used for secretive chats or to represent emotional distance. These elements are the bedrock of filmmaking, and their importance can’t be overstated.
The film is expertly crafted, but the central mystery is not as crisply developed. This story is more disjointed than previous Knives Out movies, with considerably more content to wade through. Nearly everything is accounted for in the big reveal at the end, but there are some unnecessary plot points and character insertions that do little to enrich the story. Though they may serve as red herrings, they also add confusion to an already dense plot. Nevertheless, while the focus of the first film was on the mystery itself, the focus in this one is on the characters’ relationships with each other and with Christ, which arguably makes it the most thematically rich of the series.
Faith and religion play a central role in the story (check out our Collision interview with director Rian Johnson in which he discusses how his religious upbringing influenced the story). Both the good and bad guys proclaim to be Christians, though good ultimately triumphs. The bad guys preach a gospel of war and selfishness, supporting a posture of vengeance and greed. The good guy speaks about unity and grace: “You’re setting me against my real and only purpose in life, which is not to fight the wicked and bring them to justice but to serve them and bring them to Christ . . .. We are here to serve the world, not beat it. That’s what Christ did.”
The writing is bolstered by excellent acting performances, particularly from Josh O’Connor, who plays the protagonist, Father Jud. Many of the conversations offer an argument for Christ as well as a short but intelligent atheist rebuttal. For the most part, the dialogue focuses on the behavior Christians should demonstrate rather than on the transformative power of a relationship with Jesus. O’Connor’s character does an incredible job of portraying a man of sincere faith. The film depicts his humanity, the conviction of the Holy Spirit, his repentance, and his return to the Lord. It is a surprisingly faithful portrayal of Christianity for a Hollywood movie.
The other characters attend church for selfish reasons or due to misguided beliefs. The murdered man—the one who is supposed to offer forgiveness and lead them to truth—exposes and condemns their sin. O’Connor’s character directly opposes him, determined to present the truth of Christ. The film’s climax focuses on the road to Damascus (Acts 9), where a character receives an epiphany. The character doesn’t ultimately accept Jesus, but he realizes the importance of grace, particularly for those who least deserve it.
This third Knives Out film is well worth a watch for both the technical aspects and the story. It is a beautiful piece of art with authentic writing that leaves the question of salvation up to the viewer, because it ultimately is. To me, this film is more representative of the Christian life than many solely Christian films. It is a call to artists and filmmakers to step into conversations about religion because, as writer and director Rian Johnson says, “everybody has had some kind of experience with the church and with faith, and [we] want to talk about it.”
For Consideration
On the Surface—(Profanity, Sexual content, violence, etc.).
Language: There is one F-word, as well as around 30 other profanities (the most frequent being “s—” x14). Several other vulgar terms are used for sexual organs (“p—y,” “d—k”). A running joke is that whenever Father Jud is startled, he accidently uses a minor profanity.
Violence: Blood pools around a murdered man who is stabbed, and the knife wound is later visible. Two bodies are shown that have been partially or fully eaten by acid, revealing their skeletons.
Sexuality: Multiple times, a character attempts to make a priest uncomfortable during confession by recalling (in graphic detail) his frequent habit of masturbation. In an act of vandalism, many penises are painted on the wall. A woman is repeatedly referred to as “the Harlot whore.”
Engage The Film
Faith in God, Not People
It’s tempting to place our faith in the people we love most or in those who appear to have everything together. But every person is sinful and will eventually disappoint us. In the film, Father Judd is a devout Catholic who clearly understands the gospel. Still, he mistakenly places his hope in Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), the charming, confident Cajun detective who has solved many prior mysteries. After a disappointment in the case, O’Connor’s character exclaims to Craig’s character, “I put my faith in you!” before collapsing into a chair. O’Connor’s character relying on people rather than God is a theme throughout the film. It is only once he chooses to focus on his Creator rather than his problems that he finds peace and understanding.
Psalm 118:8 reminds us, “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in humanity.” Jeremiah 17:5 echoes that statement: “Cursed is the person who trusts in mankind.
He makes human flesh his strength, and his heart turns from the Lord.” When we trust in humans, everything falls apart. In God, we find our strength. As Philippians 4:13 states, “I am able to do all things through him who strengthens me.” Of all the films I’ve seen this year, Wake Up Dead Man most clearly reflects this truth.
