Movie Review - Wake Up Dead Man

Director: Rian Johnson
Genre: Mystery/ Thriller
Runtime: 144 minutes
Year: 2025
Starring: Daniel Craig, Josh O’Connor, Josh Brolin, Glenn Close, Kerry Washington, Andrew Scott, Jeremy Renner, Thomas Haden Church, Mila Kunis, Cailee Spaeny, Jeffrey Wright, Daryl McCormack
 
Description: Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns for his most dangerous case yet.
 
Review: Director Rian Johnson has never made a secret of his deep-rooted love for old-fashioned murder mysteries. That make two of us. His “Knives Out” films, this being the third in the series, are a clear tribute to Agatha Christie, with the only regular being Benoit Blanc, as a contemporary Hercule Poiroit.

“Knives Out” became an instant all-time favorite, having rewatched it many times already. The second film, “Glass Onion”, took some time to get used to, mainly because the setting felt less Christie-esk, but loved the mystery jus as much. And I absolutely loved “Wake Up Dead Man”. This film feels a bit more like “Knives Out”, when it comes to vibes and atmosphere, and yet again a clever whodunnit with a stellar cast and lots of humor.

The atmosphere is grim and leans towards a gothic mystery, with a church in New York State as a setting. The script is great, full of humor, witty dialogue and social commentary (the Christian right wing and tolerance being highlighted).

That Daniel Craig is great as Benoit Blanc, is a given by now. I actually think this is his best role ever, and not James Bond. I know, a hot take. The star-studded cast deliver solid performances, such as Glenn Close, Josh Brolin, Jeremy Renner and Kerry Washington. But Josh O’Connor as priest Jud is particularly noteworthy. His complex characters often steals the show and he forms a great duo with Blanc.

Some critics say it’s the best film in the franchise, or at least almost as good as the first film. Well, I am officially giving this film a 5-star rating, just like the other two. Making it a strong, solid, amazing murder mystery series. And I will be rewatching this film many time over.

Rating: 5/ 5

Rewatching My 100 Favorite Movies - Update 20

I decided to rewatch my 100 favorite movies of all-time. What those are, you can check HERE. I watch them in random order, there is no rhyme or reason there, just watching those movies I love so much.
 

67/ 100: Knives Out (2019)
That the Agatha Christie formula is still working, proves director and screenwriter Rian Johnson with this ingenious murder mystery that simultaneously honors, mocks and turns the rules of the genre inside out. A successful thriller author who celebrates his 85^th birthday at his mansion, surrounded by family, is found dead. Eccentric sleuth Benoit Blanc arrives to solve this crime. A cleverly written whodunnit that requires at least a second viewing, to see if you spotted the later unraveled clues. HERE is my full review.
 

68/ 100: The Princess Bride (1987)
A grandfather visits his sick grandson and wants to read to him a book. The boy doesn’t think much of it at first. Then a sparkling fairy tale unfolds about a young woman, Buttercup, who no longer believes in love after the man of her dreams goes missing at sea. When she is kidnapped, she meets numerous unusual characters. The film has much to offer: an original take on the genre, enthusiastic performances and a fun story for young and old. One of those romance movies that even men like. Read my full review HERE.
 

69/ 100: Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Shaun is suffering greatly from his breakup with his girlfriend Liz. He doesn’t have much use for his roommate Ed, who is too busy gaming, drinking and hanging around Shaun’s house. Still, Ed proves convenient when residents of a London suburb turn out to be infected by a zombie virus. A brilliant comedy, with a touch of gore. The first in Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s  “Cornetto trilogy”, all directed by Edgar Wright. Check out my review HERE.
 
Still to watch: 31

Movie Reviews - Knives Out

Director: Rian Johnson
Genre: Crime/ Comedy
Runtime: 130 minutes
Year: 2019
Starring: Daniel Craig, Chris Evans, Ana de Armas, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Don Johnson, Toni Collette, Christopher Plummer, Katherine Langford, Jaeden Martell, Frank Oz

Description: A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric, combative family.

Review: An old-fashioned murder mystery of Agatha Christie-like allure. That's what filmmaker Rian Johnson advocated when he took care of the story and direction for “Knives Out”. The director of “Brick” and “The Last Jedi” has stuffed all the standard elements of the genre into this classic whodunit: an immense mansion, a rich family full of intrigues, only striking characters and of course the murder of an authoritative man. As one of the characters makes clear, it looks like a lifelike game of Clue. So: who killed Harlan Thrombey with the knife in the study?
Successful thriller author and multimillionaire Thrombey had just called the family together before his death in order to tighten the ties again. Because it's hatred and envy within the family ranks. And with all those fights and conspiracies, the motives immediately come to the surface. His daughter-in-law made money back because of the study costs of granddaughter Megan, whom she cashed twice. Son-in-law Richard cheated with Thrombey's knowledge. A grandson (who by the way has the first name Ransom) was in turn disinherited and Thrombey's youngest son worked for the company. And then there is the South American nurse who may have tampered with medication.
One by one, Johnson will take care of the suspects. He does this with a series of interviews with a very special spectator. Private detective Benoit Blanc, a fantastically smooth role for Daniel Craig, who sounds like Francis Underwood's brother because of his southern American accent, has more than earned his spurs in a number of high-profile cases. Initially he is only used as an observer, but he always makes his presence known to potential suspects in an irritating way by pressing a piano key. It doesn't take long before Blanc completely takes over the murder investigation, although he leaves the detective under the illusion that it isn't so.
Knives Out is indebted to the genre that made Christie great and is therefore a tribute to the work of the highly productive British thriller author. There are studies that have shown that Christie suddenly built up her sentences in such a way that it is impossible to stop reading. Johnson's thriller may not have this hypnotic effect, but it is full of intriguing characters who all have their reasons to get rid of the pater familias. As it should be. It also helps a lot that next to Craig, famous faces like those of Jamie Lee Curtis, Don Johnson, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Christopher Plummer and Toni Collette make their appearance. But Craig is the one who owns this movie. It’s a very tongue-in-cheek performance, over-exaggerated, but therefor delightful to watch.
Knives Out is, with its beautiful scenery and camera work, above all a tribute to the classic murder genre, in which nothing and nobody is what it seems. It's a wonderful puzzle and therefore an escape from the daily grind. The ensemble cast is a pleasure to watch, because it must be wonderful to get absorbed in the dysfunctional family dynamics at a crime scene full of secret corners, spaces and doors.

Rating: 5/ 5

Movies to Look Forward to - November 2019

It's officially becoming colder outside, so a perfect time to go to the cinema and cuddle up with a bucket of popcorn and some good movies. Here are the movies I'm looking forward to for the month of November.

November 7th – Doctor Sleep
Director: Mike Flanagan
Starring: Ewan McGregor, Rebecca Ferguson, Jacob Tremblay, Cliff Curtis, Bruce Greenwood
Description: Years following the events of “The Shining”, a now-adult Dan Torrance (Ewan McGregor) meets a young girl with similar powers as his and tries to protect her from a cult known as ‘The True Knot’ who prey on children with powers to remain immortal.

November 7th – Last Christmas
Director: Paul Feig
Starring: Emilia Clarke, Henry Golding, Emma Thompson, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Serafinowicz, Patti LuPone
Description: Kate (Emilia Clarke) is a young woman subscribed to bad decisions. Her last date with disaster? That of having to work as Santa’s elf for a department store. However, she meets Tom (Henry Golding) there. Her life takes a new turn. For Kate, it seems too good to be true.

November 7th – Midway
Director: Roland Emmerich
Starring: Luke Evans, Patrick Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Mandy Moore, Dennis Quaid, Darren Criss, Nick Jonas, Aaron Eckhart
Description: The story of the battle of Midway, told by the leaders and the sailors who fought it.

November 17th – Western Stars
Director: Bruce Springsteen, Thom Zimny
Starring: Bruce Springsteen
Description: Live concert performance of Bruce Springsteen singing songs from hi album ‘Western Stars’.

November 21st – The Good Liar
Director: Bill Condon
Starring: Helen Mirren, Ian McKellen
Description: Career con artist Roy Courtnay (Ian McKellen) can hardly believe his luck when he meets well-to-do-widow Bettl McLeish (Helen Mirren) online. As Betty open her home and life to him, Roy is surprised to find himself caring about her, turning what should be a cut-and-dry swindle into the most treacherous tightrope walk of his life.

November 21st – Zombieland: Double Tap
Director: Ruben Fleischer
Starring: Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin, Jesse Eisenberg, Zoey Deutch, Bill Murray, Rosario Dawson, Dan Aykroyd, Luke Wilson, Thomas Middleditch
Description: Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg), Tallahasse (Woody Harrelson), Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) move to the American heartland as they face off against evolved zombies, fellow survivors, and the growing pains of the snarky makeshift family.

November 28th - Knives Out
Director: Rian Johnson
Starring: Toni Collette, Chris Evans, Michael Shannon, Daniel Craig, Jamie Lee Curtis, Christopher Plummer, Katherine Langford, Don Johnson, Jaeden Martell
Description: A detective investigates the death of a patriarch of an eccentric , combative family