'Wake Up Dead Man' not on par with other 'Knives Out' mysteries

The third film in the Knives Out series, "Wake Up Dead Man" had a short theatrical run in very limited theaters (none in our area) before making its recent debut on Netflix. While this is what I would call an enjoyable film, it wasn't as good as I was hoping. When we meet Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O'Connor) he is in what appears to be a calm discussion with a church deacon. Until Father Jud punches him in the face. A former boxer in his teenage years, Father Jud sometimes lets his temper get the best of him. After pleading for another chance, his superiors grant his wish. Though Father Jud may live to regret his second chance. Father Jud's punishment is unconventional. He is assigned to be the assistant pastor at Our Lady of Perpetual Fortitude in the small town of Chimney Rock, New York. That doesn't sound so bad. The punishment portion of this assignment is that the parish is led by Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). Wicks is…well…difficult. He preaches fire, brimstone and vengeance rather than love your neighbor. His sermons single out specific parishioners, berating them until they flee the sanctuary. His congregation has dwindled down to almost nothing. Father Jud wants to rebuild the congregation with a much more forgiving brand of Christianity. He aims to be the Yin to Monsignor Wicks' Yang. Naturally, this causes conflict between the two priests. Jud quickly finds that the remaining church members who actually attend services are blindly devoted to Wicks and reject Jud and his attempts to undermine the Monsignor. Just when Father Jud thinks things couldn't get any worse, Monsignor Wicks is murdered during his Good Friday sermon. In addition to Father Jud, the only other people present are local doctor Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), famous author Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), attorney Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), former professional cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny), failed politician Cy Draven (Daryl McCormack) and church caretaker Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close). One of these people murdered Monsignor Wicks. It's up to Private Detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) to unravel the mystery. I would have enjoyed "Wake Up Dead Man" more if that was the end of title. What I mean to say is, the fact that this is a "Knives Out" film caused my expectations to soar. The first film in the series is a modern-day classic. It was great when it was released and has only gotten better with time. The second entry, "Glass Onion," is a quality film. This movie is far from bad, but it doesn't live up to the quality of the prior films. The "Knives Out" films usually excel in two areas, the first of which is a rich, complex plot that involves an impossible murder. "Wake Up Dead Man" continues this tradition. The setting of a priest murdered in a remote rural church during a sermon is genius. I enjoyed the religious aspects of the movie, even if parts of it were disrespectful. The only problem with the plot is that it's too complicated. There's a difference between complicated and complex. Complicated is messy and unclear, you're not really sure what is happening or why. Complex is a rich tapestry of mysterious events that come together in the end in such a way where the solution now seems obvious. This film steps over the line to complicated. The second area the series excels in is eccentric characters. Benoit Blanc is certainly an eccentric detective. The other kooky characters that populate the film are interesting, including Father Jud. The unusual nature of the characters normally provides a brand of humor that is unique to the "Knives Out" films, but that oddball comedy just wasn't present here. It's hard to say why these characters weren't funny, but they weren't. The film boasts an impressive ensemble cast. Stars like Josh Brolin, Daniel Craig, Glenn Close, Jeremy Renner and Kerry Washington populate the film. They all perform okay, far from their best. Josh O'Connor is the standout of this movie, which is fortunate since he is the main character and protagonist. Where the other actors' performances are mostly caricaturish, O'Connor carries a film filled with stars. "Wake Up Dead Man" is an entertaining film with an overly elaborate final solution that suffers from the high quality of its predecessors. Throw in a little comedy and shorten the movie by 30 minutes and the film would have been much better. Grade: B+ Rated PG-13 for violent content, bloody images, strong language, some crude sexual material and smoking. ••• Bradley Griffith is a local attorney and longtime film buff.