Faith, Fury, and a Murder That Shakes a Church
So let me walk you through “Wake Up Dead Man,” the latest Knives Out mystery, which turns out to be one of the most surprising entries in Rian Johnson’s whodunnit universe. What makes this one stand out isn’t just the murder or the quirky suspects—it’s the way faith, hypocrisy, and genuine grace get woven into the chaos of a classic impossible crime.
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The story centers on a troubled little Catholic church in upstate New York called Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude. The place is practically falling apart, both spiritually and literally, and a big part of the problem is its leader, Monsignor Jefferson Wicks. Played with blistering intensity, Wicks is the kind of fire-and-brimstone preacher who can clear a pew faster than a sermon can begin. His homilies are less about salvation and more about humiliation, especially toward anyone who doesn’t fit his narrow world view. It’s the kind of environment where people stay loyal for all the wrong reasons—fear, guilt, or simply because they’ve got nowhere else to go.
Into this storm walks Father Jud Duplenticy, a young priest with a wide-open heart, a messy past, and a genuine desire to love people the way they are. He’s idealistic, he’s earnest, and he’s immediately targeted by Wicks, who senses a threat. The psychological abuse that follows is relentless—humiliating confessions, constant belittling, and a power struggle that forces Jud into impossible emotional corners. When Wicks is suddenly found dead during a Good Friday service, stabbed with a devil-headed knife in a spot no one seems to have entered or left, Jud naturally becomes the prime suspect.
And that’s when Benoit Blanc steps into the frame.
Blanc, with his smooth drawl and sharp skepticism, doesn’t share Jud’s faith, but he’s quick to sense the goodness in him. Their partnership becomes the heart of the film—one man led by logic, the other by belief, both trying to untangle a murder that seems to defy simple explanation. And around them swirls the usual ensemble of suspicious personalities: the struggling doctor, the bitter attorney, the fame-hungry influencer, the pain-stricken cellist, and the fiercely loyal church administrator. Every one of them has secrets. Every one of them could be the killer.
What makes the movie feel so rich is the contrast it builds: the darkness inside the church, the flashes of genuine compassion from Jud, and the willingness of Blanc to see something beyond the cynical. Even as the plot spins into wild, almost nightmarish territory—with rain, blood, and poison all playing their part—the story keeps circling back to mercy, humility, and the idea that doing the right thing may not clear your name, but it reveals who you truly are.
“Wake Up Dead Man” ends up being far more than a clever mystery. It’s a reminder that even in a room full of suspects, a little grace can feel like the biggest revelation of all.
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