Wake Up Dead Man
Published January 11, 2026
Film info
- Title Wake Up Dead Man
- Director Rian Johnson
- Year 2025
- Run time 2hrs 25m
- Genres Comedy, Thriller, Mystery
- Tagline He works in mysterious ways
When young priest Jud Duplenticy is sent to assist charismatic firebrand Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, it’s clear that all is not well in the pews. After a sudden and seemingly impossible murder rocks the town, the lack of an obvious suspect prompts local police chief Geraldine Scott to join forces with renowned detective Benoit Blanc to unravel a mystery that defies all logic.
Live blog
| Time | Comment |
|---|---|
| 3:22 | “Do you understand?” “Not at all, but yes.” |
| 6:39 | Oh god, confession is too much information. |
| 11:24 | Wealth isn’t all bad, it’s the people behind it you gotta watch out for. |
| 17:11 | What about induction stoves? |
| 28:56 | I want a moat around my house! |
| 40:18 | “I kneel at the altar of the rational.” |
| 43:37 | The use of the sun, the light and dark, is very interesting. |
| 50:33 | Is a fruit basket a US thing? You don’t hear of them much here. |
| 51:43 | That’s a syllabus being added to my reading list. |
| 1:00:06 | Trying to figure out how the tomb fits into the picture. |
| 1:07:23 | Is he coming back to life? |
| 1:19:00 | “Give me four years, you could be president.” Painful because it’s true. |
| 1:27:31 | The community bits of religion are great. |
| 1:38:37 | Always raining when bad things happen. |
| 1:48:13 | Not sure I’m ever going to be able to listen to Phantom in the same way again. |
| 2:00:54 | Giggling child while being punched is psychopathic. |
| 2:09:59 | I’m assuming the priest confidentiality clause doesn’t count when you say it all in front of a detective. |
| 2:14:25 | Daily bread. |
Thoughts
I was a bit nervous about this one, if I’m being honest, because the last two Knives Out films have been brilliant, how long can this run last? And this one incorporating themes around religion and faith, and priests and resurrection… not really my cup of tea. But of course, it was fantastic.
Yes, it was fully rooted in religion and belief but it was all done so well, so respectfully for both sides. Josh O’Connor was outstanding as the young, modern priest troubled from start to finish but hauled into this murder investigation with the ever-brilliant Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc. I almost think O’Connor outperforms Craig here. The scene where he desperately wants information but takes time to listen at the end of the phone, well it made me almost see the good side of religion.
The cast of characters were varied and believable, you had to get through quite a bit of exposition to start with but it was done in that traditional Rian Johnson style that holds your interest throughout. And I tried to guess, I really did. I worked things out, I pieced bits together but never, never got to the right answer. It’s so frustrating but so brilliant.
The only negative thing I have to say about this is that the exterior of the church was SO obviously British, it distracted me a couple of times. But everything else was perfect. Three out of three so far!
Rating: 5 / 5