WAKE UP DEAD MAN

Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, Cailee Spaney, Andrew Scott, Mila Kunis

Rian Johnson has created a dynamic franchise of murder mysteries with detective Benoit Blanc at the center. His latest, Wake Up Dead Man, may just be his best and most pointed story yet. It’s been dubbed as “The Good Friday Murder” as Josh O’ Connor’s character, Father Jud, states. He’s the narrator for this story. Father Jud is a young priest and former boxer who has been reassigned to Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude in upstate New York. It sits in the small cozy town of Chimney Rock. He’s been brought there to boost attendance for this dying congregation. Its full-time minister is Monsignor Wickes (Brolin). He’s the loud, fire and brimstone type whose methods seem old and dated, but he has a firm grip on his few, but devoted members. Newbies come and go scared off by the Monsignor. Father Jud is concerned about what’s happening and not afraid to shake things up. That all changes during a Good Friday Mass when Monsignor Wicks is killed in a storage closet in the middle of service. The suspect list includes Wicks’ devoted followers who are played by Kerry Washington, Jeremy Renner, Cailee Spaney, Andrew Scott, and Daryl McCormack who all have their guard up. There’s Glenn Close as Martha Delacroix who worked for Monsignor Wicks and stood by his side every step of the way. Mila Kunis is the local detective working on the case, while Daniel Craig’s Benoit Blanc presides over it using his unorthodox methods. Now in theaters and will be streaming on Netflix December 12

Here’s my review