"WAKE UP DEAD MAN" REVIEW

"Wake Up Dead Man" is the newest & third installment of the Knives Out franchise, directed by Rian Johnson and starring Daniel Craig (yes, James Bond, everyone) as detective Benoit Blanc. And by god do I hope the two of them make these movies until they are old and gray. The cinematography is truly beautiful, with the camera work and the use of lighting in certain scenes. It's obviously highly entertaining as well, with its "whodunnit?" plot. But it's also very endearing and takes a softer approach to the perception of religion and faith, while still giving us a stereotypical movie view of religion of being harsh and crass at times. The cast is amazing, as all 3 of the Knives Out movies have had.

The thing that compelled me the most about this movie is actually the takes on religion, specifically Catholicism. By the way, fair warning that there are spoilers ahead. Let's start with my review on Letterboxd:

So, without getting into too much about religion (trying to stay non-controversial, obviously), two main people represent faith/Christianity. One is Monsignor Wicks, played by Josh Brolin, who is the main preacher at the Catholic church shown in the movie. His preaching style is shown to be more of a "fear-mongering" approach to his followers. Striking fear into many, calling out sin, and casting out harsh judgments on new members, similar to the Old Testament. He represents the "God is all-knowing and judges us all for the way we fail to live in His glory by our sins" form of Christianity we see nowadays. The second is Father Jud, played by Josh O'Connor. He seems to portray the softer and warmer side of Christianity. "We all fall short of the glory of God, but God is also all-loving and forgiving". That's what Jud's character represents to me. He legit killed someone in a boxing ring, but found God and tries to help people who were as broken as he was. No scene is more evident than the one of him on the phone with Louise, an employee for a construction company that can give them a clue. It starts have funny and comedic moments as she keeps interrupting Jud, but turns serious ever so quickly. She asks Father Jud for prayer and advice as her mother is sick. Jud immediately exits the room he was in with Benoit Blanc and stops everything he's doing to help her in a time of need and vulnerability. It's heartwarming and endearing. It strikes hope in you that people like this, regardless of Christianity, still exist today. I myself grew up questioning religion, the church, and so many other things. I've seen both forms of the Christianity I mentioned above with my own eyes. It's just a beautiful movie with a deeper meaning if you look into it all, while still being a great mystery movie. I don't mean to get so in-depth and overlook the mystery aspect (you should go watch the movie). Give me 8 more of these movies asap. Including a Muppets one.