Wake Up Dead Man: The Best Knives Out Mystery Yet? - Movie Review by Sucharita Tyagi
Wake Up Dead Man plays out better as a commentary on what moves and changes humanity, rather than a whodunnit. SUBSCRIBE - youtube.com/user/sucharitatyagi?sub_c... Interview with Rian Johnson - • Behind the Scenes: Rian Johnson on Knives ... Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery Movie Review by Sucharita Tyagi - I found myself enamoured with the notion that the opposite of religious fanaticism doesn’t have to be renunciation. And that the opposite of not believing is not always religious fundamentalism. Now, I am not a religious person, having identified as an atheist since the age of 15, perhaps. But I see loving and kind people around me, who have found solace and peace in the idea of a God, finding strength in the idea of divinity, which a true follower will more often than not interpret and replicate as kindness toward fellow humans. It is to those people, Rian Johnson speaks to with this film. And yet, the central character, Reverend Jud, isn’t a centrist either. He is a young man who prays to a mythical being but also has ideals, liberal moral clarity about right and wrong. In one scene, Rev Judd sees a dead body being turned around for a post mortem, he runs out of the room and collapses with his back to a wall. At his most scared and vulnerable, he doesn’t run to a chapel or start chanting. Rather, he allows a detective, a man of practicality about life and death, to hold his hand and pass on strength. Wake Up Dead Man plays out better as a commentary on what moves and changes humanity, rather than a whodunnit. Of course all the elements of a fantastic thriller are here— incredible actors, dark stormy nights, inexplicable miracles, fun rapid zoom shots, jump scares, many suspects and red herrings, but by keeping the action largely inside and around a place of worship, the film also demands introspection. But there are references to Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Scooby Doo, to remind you to also enjoy yourselves, lest things get too heavy. If not playing at a movie theatre near you, catch the film on Netflix. Join me! Instagram - / su4ita Twitter - / su4ita Read Sucharita's reviews here - / sucharitatyagi Be decent people, Sucharita
