Just a brief note before we begin – I have not set out to spoil this film or ruin its many surprises, but in an effort to speak more openly about some of its themes and ideas, I have taken a slightly more liberal approach. While the actual solution isn’t revealed at any point, I still suggest anyone who has not seen the film to first watch it, since there are some points throughout this discussion that allude to certain concepts that are better experienced firsthand before reading.

We all love a good murder mystery, which is something that Rian Johnson realised over half a decade ago when he set out to essentially make the film that would come to be seen as his landmark achievement. While we can appreciate the ambition of The Brothers Bloom and the spectacle of Looper (and his work in the Star Wars universe is fantastic), it is going to be Knives Out that will be viewed as his crowning achievement. This is not only because they’re his most well-crafted films that find the director doing exceptional work, but also occupies a gap in the contemporary cinematic landscape that has been left open for far too long. The idea of the darkly comedic murder mystery, built around sprawling ensembles and anchored by an ingenious detective, is a common trope, but it has proven to be extremely popular, and perhaps the one genre that can unite audiences, regardless of their background or interests. It was a good decision to develop these films as a loose series, allowing them to stand on their own while having a few connective threads that bind them together. The third entry (and a considerable improvement on the thoroughly mediocre Glass Onion) comes in the form of Wake Up Dead Man – set in a quaint hamlet in pastoral upstate New York, where the victim is a notorious local priest, the suspects his “flock”, equally cynical members of his congregation that form his inner circle, interrupted by the arrival of an idealistic young reverend who just wants to atone for his own misdeeds while also giving back to his community. A slight departure from the two previous films, but similar enough in terms of tone and approach to be familiar, Wake Up Dead Man is a strong addition to what it looking to become a wildly popular series of films, being as entertaining and enthralling as the first entry, which hardly anyone could have predicted would have been so radically successful by simply reminding audiences of the brilliant power of a simple story told well.

Something that Johnson recognised early on – perhaps even in Knives Out at the very start of this journey into the mystery genre – is that audiences love these stories, but very rarely do we find anything particularly unique being done with them, which leaves the possibility for genuine innovation. However, this is not an open invitation to make nothing but offbeat, wild decisions, but rather an opportunity to go in a different direction whenever possible, while still maintaining some degree of authenticity in the process. We realise very quickly in Wake Up Dead Man that this is not a film solely about solving a crime. In fact, of the three films in this series, its the one in which the central murder is actually the least interesting element – its not an overly dramatic moment (at least not in comparison to some other moments in the film), and instead just serves to open the door to some additional ideas that eventually take over, becoming the driving force behind the film. It may seem slightly strange considering the secular nature of contemporary Hollywood, but it still carries immense meaning once we see it in practice: this is a film about religion, and how faith represents something different for everyone. Before one just assumes this is Johnson grappling with his faith (which may be true, but we don’t know enough about him and his motivations to make any statement on it one way or another), there is a fundamental difference between seeing how religion functions as a form of personal belief on one hand, and as a balm that unites a broken community on another. This film fixates on the latter, presenting us with a group of characters who are all radically different and have their own reasons for being a part of this congregation, and shows how they each respond to a community leader being violently killed. Under this, the film manages to make some bold statements relating to morality, the degradation of the human soul and the idea of selflessness being the only remedy for a broken world. It’s a peculiar approach, but one that makes a lot more sense once we see it in practice, understanding exactly what Johnson was hoping to achieve when he set out to make Wake Up Dead Man, a film rich in allegory.

As usual, we find that Wake Up Dead Man is populated by quite an eclectic ensemble, which seems to be the reason Johnson has been drawn to these stories – there’s nothing like a murder mystery composed of a rogue’s gallery of eccentric and exciting performers. The charismatic Benoit Blanc is back yet again (although his presence here is left a bit more ambiguous – one has to wonder whether this story started as an independent idea that Johnson reworked into the Knives Out format), portrayed by Daniel Craig in yet another tremendously entertaining, engaging performance that underlines exactly why he’s a far more complex actor than many have given him credit for over the years. However, this is not his story, and he’s oddly a supporting player to the true lead, a role occupied by Josh O’Connor, who adds yet another strong film to his impressive body of work. This is not an overly complex character, but O’Connor elevates the part so brilliantly, going from a stereotypical protagonist to a multilayered young man who seeks salvation in the institution, but finds it within himself. The chemistry between O’Connor and Craig is terrific (and their accent work is impeccable, as usual), and they bring a lot of unique energy to the film. The supporting cast consists of the always-reliable Glenn Close, who can play to the rafters in a way that only she is capable of doing convincingly, as well as Thomas Haden Church (in a rare performance as a moral, genuinely likeable man), Jeremy Renner, Daryl McCormack, Kerry Washington, Jeffrey Wright and Josh Brolin, who has rarely been more terrifying than he is here. It’s a strong cast, and while it may be more focused on the two leads (rather than a true ensemble effort), everyone gets their moment, taking it all in stride and helping Johnson realise all these intersecting ideas that define and often guide this entire film.

It goes without saying, but Johnson’s murder mysteries tend to be shrouded with a darker tone – they’re undeniably comedies (and very good ones at that – it seems we usually fixate on the crime-based elements, and don’t acknowledge how these are very funny films as well), but there is always something sinister afoot. Wake Up Dead Man is perhaps the darkest of them all, since not only does it contain arguably the most violent murder, but also several ideas contained within the story hint at something much more sombre throughout. This is intrinsically tied to religion, and how it is not something that we can easily just reduce to personal beliefs, but instead a far more complex depiction of humanity’s constant quest for meaning, and how some parts of life simply cannot be analysed. This is as much about Benoit Blanc solving a murder as it is him having an existential crisis, realising that there could be something deeper to life that can stump even the most rational and logical of thinkers. In order to communicate these ideas, Johnson employs a more disquieting tone – there are some horrifying images (not quite enough to have this classified as a horror, but there are a few moments where it comes close), and some conversations do touch on more serious themes. This is not restricted to the grisly aspects of the story, but also the divine – there are a few moments in which we stop dead in our tracks, particularly those in which Wake Up Dead Man begins to ponder ideas far deeper than we ever could have imagined were possible – these are all people questioning their faith, whether it be their undying devotion to their god, or simply their appreciation for being part of a community. As far as the tone of the film goes, the story is perfectly suited to the core ideas – a daring, provocative dark comedy with deeply unsettling interludes, which makes for a tremendously entertaining, and frankly quite daring, work of art that shows that Johnson is indeed capable of challenging the status quo in creative ways.

There will come a point where the novelty of these films will wear off, especially if Johnson keeps structuring them as these darkly funny ensemble films filled to the brim with subversive ideas and a continuous stream of unconventional ideas leading to unexpected conclusions. As a murder mystery, it is a lot of fun, especially since it proposes the concept of an “impossible” murder, one that has to logically have some explanation, but which we (much like Blanc) can’t figure out until the very end – this isn’t a “whodunnit” or a “howcatchem” (to use the common terminology), but rather an entirely new style, one that simply asks “how?” – and while there is an explanation – perhaps not one that is as satisfying as we may hope – it’s sometimes far more interesting to just dwell in the possibility that some mysteries simply can’t be solved, and require some degree of faith, whether through blindly believing in some higher power, or suspending disbelief and just moving on. It’s a major improvement on the previous film, mostly because it does enough differently from the two films that came before it rather than resting on its laurels, and ultimately brings up enough fascinating ideas to pique our curiosity. The cast is exceptional, the writing sharper and more scathing than ever before (while also never being condescending or mocking – Johnson’s respectfulness for the institutions is fascinating, since he’s not afraid to lampoon, but never ridicules to the point where it feels mean-spirited), and often comes across as unexpected, moving in ways that we simply cannot predict. Bold, funny and subversive, Wake Up Dead Man is a terrific film, and while it may run slightly long (a film like this should not be bordering on 150 minutes), the film doesn’t overstay its welcome, and instead feels like a welcome return to a genre that seems to be gradually regaining popularity as time progresses and we see that it’s still a feasible form of storytelling.