The French chef Jacques Pépin once stated that if he were to judge the abilities of a peer, “I would probably ask them to do an omelet,” a simple yet meaningful test of technique.
Whodunits are the storytelling equivalent of this. While their ingredients tend to be formulaic — there’s always a mystery to solve, most often a murder, plus an intriguing setting and a compelling cast of suspects — how each one unfolds reveals its writer’s prowess.
Filmmaker Rian Johnson displays his impressive skill once again in “Wake Up Dead Man,” the third installment in his “Knives Out” franchise that will begin streaming Dec. 12 on Netflix after a brief theatrical run. Like its predecessors, the new film, which takes place at a small Catholic church in upstate New York, is hilarious and twisty-turny enough to keep you enthralled until the very end. But it also ends up striking the deepest chord of the bunch, layering onto the puzzle a thoughtful meditation on religion and faith.
Returning to the scene of a crime is one Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig), the eccentric detective known to be the best in his field. Craig continues to thrive in the role, maneuvering with ease as he questions characters in a ridiculous Southern drawl that somehow never distracts from the unfurling plot. The actor remains the star here but faces stiff competition from Josh O’Connor, who plays an ambitious young priest named Jud Duplenticy.
O’Connor, fresh off more poignant turns in Kelly Reichardt’s heist film “The Mastermind” and Oliver Hermanus’s romantic drama “The History of Sound,” exhibits sharp comedic timing as a fighter turned Father whose penchant for brawling gets him sent to the remote church led by the charismatic Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). Jud is desperate to connect with the tight-knit congregation, but Wicks, a dogmatic leader, commands their loyalty. They remain wary of Jud and are quick to point fingers in his direction when, early in the film, he discovers Wicks stabbed to death in a closet during Good Friday services.
Blanc, who arrives to aid the local police chief (Mila Kunis), isn’t convinced of Jud’s guilt. The priest describes himself in voice-over narration as “young, dumb and full of Christ,” signaling a far more altruistic lifestyle than that of his churchgoers: a passive lawyer (Kerry Washington) and the sleazy aspiring politician (Daryl McCormack) she raised as her son, a washed-up sci-fi writer (Andrew Scott), a cellist (Cailee Spaeny) suffering from chronic pain, and an alcoholic doctor (Jeremy Renner) whose wife recently left him.
That’s about as much of the plot as I will reveal; it would be cruel to spoil any more, given how deliciously it all plays out. But what I can prepare you for is the fascinating contrast drawn between Monsignor Wicks’ and Father Jud’s approaches to Catholicism. Whereas Wicks preaches from the pulpit of a church at war with a corrupted world, positioning himself as its savior, Jud sees the goodness of humanity as its true salvation.
Johnson, who refers to himself as a “lapsed Christian,” offers a critique of institutionalized religion but doesn’t mock believers. Wicks’ right-hand woman (Glenn Close), who has worshiped at his church since it was led by his father, joins Jud in trying to preserve the purity of her faith. While Craig and O’Connor do most of the emotional heavy lifting, the film’s exploration of conviction offers Brolin and Close some meatier scenes as well.
