One Great Scene: “Wake Up Dead Man”
I was unreasonably a little skeptical about Wake Up Dead Man, the latest in Rian Johnson’s Knives Out films. I say unreasonably because I’m a big fan of everything I’ve seen from Johnson, particularly his run of murder mysteries. I loved Knives Out, Glass Onion, and Poker Face, but it’s because I’ve seen all these that I became a little worried. That’s a lot of murder mysteries! He’s given me no reason to be doubtful, yet in the back of my head was the question: how can he possibly give us more and still make it fresh?
That annoying voice in the back of my head was very quickly shut down. Wake Up Dead Man is fantastic. It’s got all the signature Johnson style while still being fresh. Josh O’Connor gives one of the best performances of the year. The entire cast, while being a little more limited here, is great. It’s hilarious. It gives Daniel Craig’s iconic Benoit Blanc a bigger arc than before. The murder mystery aspect of it is also maybe the strongest it’s ever been. A lot of this caught me by surprise, so much so that I would even recommend it to people who haven’t been the biggest fans of Knives Out or Glass Onion.
Yet maybe the most surprising thing about the movie is how moving it is, particularly with its examination of religious faith. While the murder mystery aspect is what drives the plot forward, the focus is much more on faith. This is prevalent throughout but it all comes together in one great scene midway through. It caught me so off guard and instantly became one of the most memorable scenes of the year. Let’s break it down:
Spoilers for Wake Up Dead Man ahead. It’s currently playing on Netflix if you still haven’t checked it out.
We’re about halfway through the movie, and the plot has really started rolling. Monsignor Wicks (Josh Brolin) has been mysteriously murdered, and all clues lead to Father Jud (O’Connor). Wicks is revealed to have a son, and it’s none other than Cy Draven, a devoted member of Wicks’ church. Not only that, but a lost family fortune has been found by Wicks before he died. When Benoit Blanc (Craig) and Father Jud (O’Connor) begin to frantically try and find a potential clue to where this fortune is (leading to them smashing a snowglobe, including a Jesus figurine inside), they make yet another discovery. The crypt where Wicks was buried had to be opened by a construction company. The thing is, the order for that opening was placed well before Wicks was murdered.
It’s a lot of reveals happening very quickly, you can feel the franticness in Father Jud and Blanc as they catch up with all of this. Father Jud quickly calls the construction company to see if they can tell them who could’ve made the order, as they’re sure it’ll help them figure out who the real guilty party is, hopefully getting them closer to clearing Father Jud’s name.
We cut to a full shot of a tiny office of the construction company, where we meet Louise for the first time, sitting in a cluttered desk, answering Father Jud’s call. We cut back to Father Jud introducing himself, then back to Louise saying hi back, then back to Father Jud. Once the introductions are made, Louise turns into a steam roller. Father Jud can’t even get his question out before Louise mentions how she runs the company with her brother, how he takes orders but she processes them, how unusual it is to get crypt opening orders, how she didn’t meet Father Jud but has been to the church he attends, how she doesn’t like that Monsignor Wicks, her condolences for his loss. It’s annoyingly hilarious, as we see the desperation on Father Jud’s face and Blanc looking flustered. You’re right there with them as we never see Louise throughout all this. The movie really is turning gears but Louise is grinding it to a halt! Finally Father Jud gets his moment to speak, and he asks if there’s any way she can tell him who made the order for the opening of the crypt. Louise tells him she can try and find out from her brother and give him a call back once she gets the information he’s looking for. Father Jud and Blanc are happy enough with that answer, and you can see Father Jud has every intention to hang up the phone and call it. But Louise isn’t done. She asks Father Jud if she can ask him something.
Father Jud reluctantly says yes, but asks if she can make it quick, as they’re doing something really important. For the first time in this conversation, Louise stumbles on her words, and goes quiet before asking if Father Jud can pray for her.
We stay on Father Jud, the quick darting of his eyes throughout the conversation slow down as he asks what’s going on. Louise sniffles on the phone. She then talks about her mother and how she’s in hospice, with a tumor in her brain. Father Jud looks down, and we cut to the broken up Jesus figurine they smashed as they were looking for clues, desperate to clear his name. Louise talks about how the last time she and her mother talked, it turned into a fight, as the tumor in her mother’s brain caused her to say terrible things. There hasn’t been any music for a while here but the silence feels even louder now. Louise is scared that the harsh words she said back to her mother is going to be the last thing she ever says to her.
We finally cut back to Louise, this time a close up shot of her, with tears in her eyes. “Father, I um…I’m feeling pretty alone, um, right now.”
You can see everything else fade away from Father Jud. He slows down. He tells Louise how sorry he is, and that she isn’t alone, that he’s right here. As he leaves Blanc, we hear him asking Louise for her mother’s name.
It’s this right here, that this movie became one of my favorites of the year. What starts off as an annoyingly funny bit, right in the middle of a whole lot happening, becomes something more, something unexpectedly moving. I thought it was funny. It may not necessarily be driving the plot forward, but it’s a great showcase of character here for Father Jud, who lets go of his own needs and quickly goes back to what he is clearly good at. It also allows for Benoit Blanc to see Father Jud for who he really is, and it helps enforce the decision he makes at the end with both Father Jud and Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close).
I couldn’t get over it. It’s a great scene in an equally great movie. One that will forever get rid of that annoying voice in the back of my head doubting Rian Johnson. Skepticism be damned. I got nothing but faith in the guy from now on.
