MOVIE REVIEW – Rian Johnson’s third Benoit Blanc mystery digs deeper into the political and social nerve endings of our time than ever before. Wake Up, Dead Man! functions simultaneously as a whodunit, a satire, and a moral provocation, shifting its focus away from puzzle-box mechanics toward power, anger, and ideological pressure points. This installment isn’t content with entertaining alone – it actively invites argument.

From the very beginning, Rian Johnson’s Benoit Blanc series has refused to exist in a vacuum, each chapter reflecting the cultural climate in which it was made. The original Knives Out skewered obscene wealth and moral rot through the lens of a fractured family, while Glass Onion turned its sights on tech moguls, inflated egos, and borrowed brilliance, pandemic baggage included. Wake Up, Dead Man! pushes this impulse even further. It is easily the trilogy’s most overtly political entry, one that presses buttons unapologetically – and not always the same ones for every viewer.

Faith, Power, And Control

Donald Trump and the MAGA movement are never mentioned by name, but Johnson isn’t interested in cheap caricature or finger-pointing parody. Instead, he examines how divisive leaders operate, how fear and resentment are weaponized to manufacture loyalty. Organized religion becomes the film’s point of entry, but it’s crucial to understand that Wake Up, Dead Man! is not anti-faith. In fact, it carries a surprisingly spiritual undercurrent. Johnson’s target isn’t belief itself, but those who cynically turn it into an instrument of dominance.

This thematic weight immediately darkens the film’s tone, making Wake Up, Dead Man! the bleakest and most serious chapter of the trilogy so far. Humor is still present, but where Glass Onion often veered into near-farcical excess, this film opts for a drier, sharper form of irony. Johnson seems less invested in the usual parade of colorful suspects, a choice that may divide audiences. Daniel Craig’s Southern-drawling Benoit Blanc remains a central pillar of the franchise, yet once again he isn’t the true focal point – more a catalyst who sets other people’s conflicts in motion.

Living In The Shadow Of A New Protagonist

Despite a long list of suspects, many characters are deliberately pushed to the margins. The reason becomes clear quickly: Johnson places unprecedented emphasis on a new central figure, Reverend Jud Duplenticy, played with remarkable sensitivity by Josh O’Connor. Previous films paired Blanc with a de facto co-lead – Ana de Armas’ Marta, then Janelle Monáe’s Helen – but Jud occupies that space more decisively than anyone before. Johnson’s focus on Jud is so strong that Benoit Blanc doesn’t fully enter the narrative until well into the second act.

Jud’s past is anything but clean. A former boxer, he ends up exiled to a small town in upstate New York after a disastrous incident. There he crosses paths with Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, portrayed by Josh Brolin with an unsettling, smug authority. Wicks is authoritarian to his core, maintaining control over his congregation through fear, hatred, and psychological manipulation. One of the film’s most powerful sequences is an almost wordless montage of a sermon so repellent that newcomers literally flee the church. We never hear the words, yet the poison is unmistakable.

Jud quickly finds himself at odds not only with Wicks but with the wider circle surrounding him: Glenn Close delivers a ferocious turn as a fanatical believer; Jeremy Renner appears as a divorced physician; Kerry Washington as a calculating attorney; Andrew Scott as a former sci-fi writer turned online agitator; Cailee Spaeny as a fragile young woman desperate for a miracle; and Daryl McCormack as an aspiring political climber. Rounding out the ensemble is Thomas Haden Church as a loosely cynical caretaker.

Strong Characters, Limited Screen Time

On paper, this is an exceptionally strong supporting cast, yet Johnson doesn’t fully exploit the potential of every role. Brolin and Close receive the lion’s share of attention, with Close in particular delivering some of the film’s sharpest comedic beats. That imbalance isn’t fatal – O’Connor is so empathetic and compelling as Jud that staying with him feels right – but the nagging sense remains that this ensemble could have gone much further.

Eventually, the narrative arrives at the obligatory murder, and suspicion predictably falls on Jud. This is where Benoit Blanc finally steps into the spotlight, confronting questions of faith as a proudly self-described agnostic. Craig continues to relish the role, and his chemistry with O’Connor is especially effective. There’s a sense that Craig is still having a great deal of fun with Blanc, and if Johnson chose to keep this series going for years, few would object.

Familiar Turns, Heavier Implications

At times, Wake Up, Dead Man! proves more predictable than it would like to be, with certain major twists telegraphed well before their reveal. Even so, the film remains engaging, witty, and entertaining, darker themes notwithstanding. Johnson guides the story with confidence, layering it with small reversals and standout performances.

As a director, Johnson also leans into subtle but striking visual ideas: a cloud briefly dimming the light before the sun breaks through like a moment of divine illumination; the deliberate use of shadows and weather to reinforce mood. The overall atmosphere is cozy in an unexpected way, evoking the feeling of a rainy evening by the fireplace – a sharp contrast to the sun-drenched setting of Glass Onion.

The real question is how audiences will respond. Johnson never spells out his political parallels, yet the implications are impossible to miss. Some viewers may wish the film had steered clear of contemporary politics, but the Knives Out series has always functioned as a reflection of its era. Johnson’s message is uncomfortable but clear: faith itself is not the danger – it becomes one only when reduced to a tool of power.

-Herpai Gergely “BadSector”-