James Bond may have made Daniel Craig a star, but the “Knives Out” series will secure his place as an actor of the highest caliber.
In the latest outing, “Wake Up Dead Man,” his character, Benoit Blanc, doesn’t start piecing together clues until we’ve gotten plenty of backstory.
A young priest (played by Josh O’Connor) has been assigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude in upstate New York. He’s under the thumb of Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin) who believes in fire and brimstone. His congregation is dwindling, but he has a group of loyalists who hang on his every word. Naturally, they’re all in line to be suspects. When Wicks winds up dead, the faithful suspect it’s the new guy and put their money on his arrest. But is he guilty?
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What about the groundskeeper (Thomas Haden Church), the church secretary (Glenn Close, in one of her best performances), the local physician (Jeremy Renner), the fading author (Andrew Scott), the concert cellist (Cailee Spaeny) who lives with constant pain, the lawyer (Kerry Washington) or her politician brother (Daryl McCormack)? There’s enough guilt to spread around.
That’s where the inquiring Blanc comes in and begins his own mission. In the process, we learn about his religious beliefs and where he and the young priest butt heads. We also discover what propels both.
“Wake Up Dead Man” twists and turns effortlessly thanks to director Rian Johnson’s facility with this kind of format. He makes you think everyone is guilty and gives O’Connor more than a little sympathy. When circumstances look bleak for the newcomer, Johnson pulls out another card and plays it at just the right time.
The culprit is probably guessable, but it isn’t until all of the cards have been dealt. “Wake Up” does gothic horror better than any number of films that stake their claim to the genre (“Weapons,” we’re looking at you), but isn’t afraid to stuff its story with detail that could make this go in a number of directions.
O’Connor is a real find (and should get those roles that automatically go to Eddie Redmayne); Close proves it’s a crime she hasn’t won an Oscar…yet. And Brolin, who’s overexposed this year, has found a place where he can truly shine.
“Wake Up Dead Man” shouldn’t be discounted as “one of a series.” It’s a taut drama that stands on its own and gives Craig and Johnson a launching pad for any number of ideas. Once you see it, you’ll realize it’s a gem of a movie.
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