Rian Johnson has done something really nifty with his Knives Out trilogy. Rather than crafting the same type of whodunnit for detective Benoit Blanc to solve, each case has been wildly different from the next, allowing for audiences to each have their favorite. For me, I love the comedy and larger-than-life characters of Glass Onion most. But there are going to be many who find the third (and final???) chapter, Wake Up Dead Man (review), to be their favorite as it deals heavily with faith and religion.
Daniel Craig returns as Benoit Blanc for his deadliest case yet, as he gets ensnared in a case involving the murder of a firebrand Monsignor of the Catholic Church. It’s a mystery that forces Blanc to examine his own crisis of faith.
Once again, Johnson has assembled a star-studded ensemble around Craig. Josh O’Connor, Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Mila Kunis, Jeremy Renner, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny, Daryl McCormack, and Thomas Haden Church round out the cast.
SYNOPSIS: Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for his most dangerous case yet in the third and darkest chapter of Rian Johnson’s murder mystery opus. When young priest Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin), it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. Wicks’s modest-but-devoted flock includes devout church lady Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), circumspect groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church), tightly-wound lawyer Vera Draven, Esq. (Kerry Washington), aspiring politician Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack), town doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), best-selling author Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), and concert cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny). After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis) to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic.
Wake Up Dead Man hits theaters for a limited release on November 26th, before streaming exclusively to Netflix on December 12th.
