The murder-mystery franchise “Knives Out” expands its catalogue with the release of a new film, “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.” This thriller piece initially premiered in theaters in late November and was later added to Netflix on December 12th.

The plot follows Father Jud, a young priest sent to a rural parish as penance for violence. There, he witnesses the murder of clergyman Monsignor Jefferson Wicks during a Sunday Mass. Father Jud and detective Benoit Blanc work to uncover which of Wicks’s six followers committed the crime, and through extensive investigations and interrogations, the killer slowly emerges.

Director Rian Johnson hoped to spark conversation around complex religious themes such as the clash between mercy and justice. Inspired by his own very Christian childhood, he allows his signature style—clever deception, layered characters, and intricate backgrounds—to mix with sacred imagery to build a thematically rich narrative. 

Johnson carefully establishes situational irony within the setting with the very embodiment of safety and sacredness, the Catholic church, as the site of a bloody murder. This juxtaposition frames the place as a symbolism for moral hypocrisy, and the rural isolation intensifies the helplessness and secrecy.

This sense of hidden deceit extends beyond the setting into the visual elements. Earthy, grounded tones, such as cold grey, deep maroon and ash brown take up the film’s general color scheme. These muted tones create a sense of gravity and also hint at the underlying darkness and corruption. 

This intentional palette establishes a distinctive visual language through a contrast with the scenes that flash bright, saturated color. The sudden vibrancy caught me off guard, and each shift in intensity felt intrusive. It forced me to reexamine characters that I previously thought I understood. In retrospect, these hues alluded to the individuals’ sins and mixed motives. 

While most films follow the saying “monsters are born, not created” and elicit empathy for the villain, this movie made me resent nearly every character. Johnson carefully curated each suspect to hold unique motives like most other directors do, but they originated from greed rather than sympathetic trauma.

Instead of antagonists forced into villainy, Dead Man showcased ethically conscious adults who chose corruption. Through this device, Johnson exhibited the selfishness and moral decay of humanity.

With the high acclaim received for previous installments, many doubted whether the sequel would live up to the same blood-curdling suspense. But “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” turned the tables and presented a satisfying extension of the series through an immersive setting, the notable use of color as visual storytelling, and eccentric character writing.

Like any good murder mystery, “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery” invites the audience to speculate through several twists and turns. Tension and suspense build throughout the movie, and the ultimate revelation of the killer brings an unmatched catharsis to the audience. Overall, I would rate this a four out of five stars.