Wake Up Dead Man Is Great, But As Someone Raised Catholic, I Really Loved Two Things

by

Be warned: this article contains spoilers for the movie Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery. If you haven’t seen it yet, we recommend watching it on Netflix first, or proceed with caution!

Netflix ended the year strong with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, which was easily one of my favorite films of the year and received a great review from TopMob. I watched the third Benoit Blanc mystery as soon as it came out, and while I expected to enjoy Rian Johnson’s newest movie, it especially resonated with me because of my Catholic upbringing.

I grew up Catholic and attended Catholic schools my entire life, from kindergarten through high school. Because of that strong upbringing, I especially connected with this movie. There were two scenes in particular that really stood out to me, and I want to discuss them before we move on to planning for 2025’s films.

The Scenes Involving The Sacrament Of Reconciliation Were As Painfully Awkward As I Assumed They’d Be

Many Catholics don’t practice the sacrament of Reconciliation—often called confession—and the movie Wake Up Dead Man shows us why. It can be deeply awkward for both the person confessing their sins and the priest hearing them. The film illustrates this well with a scene where Monsignor Wicks uncomfortably details his personal struggles to Father Jud.

Catholic teachings state that priests can forgive sins, but only if those sins are confessed verbally. While it’s clear Wicks was mostly teasing Father Jud, the scene still highlights how uncomfortable that confession can be. It’s easy to see why many people might hesitate to open up to their priest every Sunday. This kind of realistic portrayal is what I felt was missing from the movie Conclave.

‘Lord Of The Dance’ Was An Excellent Needle Drop Moment For This Movie

James Gunn is famous in Hollywood for his creative use of music in films, often even when studio heads have doubts. So, I was surprised to find Rian Johnson including a well-known Catholic hymn – one I distinctly remember hearing throughout my childhood and college years.

More On Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery

As a huge fan of mysteries, I always get fascinated by how a director approaches the ‘whodunnit’ aspect of a film. I recently read an interview with Rian Johnson, the director of the Knives Out movies, where he explained his process for figuring out who the killer is. It’s really interesting! He talked about how he starts with the idea of why someone would commit the murder, and then builds the story around that. He even shared his thoughts on Agatha Christie, pointing out where he thinks her methods sometimes fall short – apparently, she often started with the killer and then created a mystery around them, which he feels isn’t as satisfying. It’s a cool peek behind the curtain for anyone who loves a good mystery!

I’m talking about the song “Lord of the Dance,” which Simone plays on the cello at the very end of the film. It’s a joyful song that portrays Jesus’ life as a dance representing life, death, and rebirth. Viewers familiar with Catholic beliefs who saw Wake Up Dead Man likely recognized similarities between the film’s story and the mystery of Christ’s resurrection.

It took me longer than expected to fully grasp the film, but the scene of people discovering the empty tomb really made the meaning clear. I think it’s a movie everyone can enjoy, though my Catholic upbringing made certain moments particularly impactful for me.

You can now watch Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery on Netflix. Also, keep an eye out for all the new movies Netflix has planned for the new year – there are a lot of exciting releases coming soon!

Read More

2025-12-22 19:12