Wake Up Dead Man Review: Not the best of the series, but not the worst

I might be in the minority here, but I actually thought this was a step down from Glass Onion. Not by much, but just by a little bit. Yet, it's still a great movie. So, today, I'm going to talk about the good and the bad and the Casey Jones of this film in today's Reel Ranker review.

My biggest takeaway from this movie was that it was a very effective study of Catholicism and the flaws of humanity (with a little bit of politics thrown in for good measure)! The relationship between Benoit Blanc and Jud Duplencity was fantastic, and probably my favorite duo in the series so far. I think this movie had the best vibes and the most introspective shots and dialogue of the series thus far. This one absorbed me the most, in a way.

Wake Up Dead Man was far slower than the last film, for better and worse. It totally worked for me, but I can see that being a turn-off for fans of the last one. However, I think the film's more introspective, subdued vibe was my favorite part—and I say that as someone who loved the vibes of Glass Onion. I loved the isolated, claustrophobic small town; the fact that one of our characters was framed and how he unpacks that with his faith; and the fact that the priests were so, well, imperfect (as somebody who was a missionary with many flaws, I really appreciated the portrayal of Duplencity). It was interesting in a way unlike the past two films.

However, the characters outside of the leading duo and the old lady were disappointing compared to the side characters of the previous films. The characters in Glass Onion had so much personality, and while I'm not saying the characters here should have been as eccentric, they felt like they should've had more to them. I mean, Jeremy Renner was in this movie, and he felt so unimportant to the plot, even when he was supposed to be. The side characters really didn't steal the show... I think the script simply didn't give the side characters enough to do.

While the mystery and side characters were rather weak compared to the previous films, the main duo's dialogue and the impeccable cinematography really elevate Wake Up Dead Man.

My other main negative is that the murder was simultaneously too over-the-top and too predictable for me. The overall murder was pretty easy to guess, but the details were just... a little unrealistic and silly. It wasn't bad at all, just a little disappointing. Though, I felt the same way about Glass Onion in most cases, so it wasn't the biggest problem.

The Reel Ranker Verdict

Reel or Unreel? - Reel
The Reel Ranker Score: 75%
Letter Score: A
Star Ranking: 4 out of 5

While the mystery and side characters were rather weak compared to the previous films, the main duo's dialogue and the impeccable cinematography really elevate Wake Up Dead Man, making it pretty memorable and well done regardless. While I don't find this film to be the best in the series as many are saying, I still believe the Knives Out series is really blossoming into a consistent, well-done mystery series. I really hope Rian Johnson will continue to make more of these films for years to come!

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