“Wake Up Dead Man” is now on Netflix.
The latest Benoit Blanc mystery from writer/director Rian Johnson, following 2019’s “Knives Out” and 2022’s “Glass Onion,” sees Daniel Craig’s mischievous Southern detective travel to a sleepy New York hamlet to investigate the suspicious death of a monsignor (Josh Brolin). All the hallmarks of the series are present: a colorful cast of potential suspects (or maybe victims), this time including Jeremy Renner, Josh O’Connor and Kerry Washington; twists and turns galore; and, of course, an evocative score by composer Nathan Johnson.
It’s cliché to say at this point but the music really is another character in the film, guiding us through the mystery and tipping its hat when it needs to be tipped. Like the movie around it, it sounds and feels very different than the previous two installments, with an emphasis this time on mood and atmosphere. (Among other things, “Wake Up Dead Man” is the spookiest entry so far.)
And if you would like to learn more about the “Wake Up Dead Man” score, from the man himself, please watch this new conversation between Johnson and “The Wild Robot” and “Bridgerton” composer Kris Bowers. Sounds like music to your ears, right? Watch it below.
“Wake Up Dead Man” also stars Thomas Haden Church, Glenn Close, Mila Kunis, Andrew Scott, Cailee Spaeny and Daryl McCormack. A number of other key Rian Johnson collaborators, including cinematographer Steve Yedlin and editor Bob Ducsay, also return for his latest whodunnit.
“Wake Up Dead Man” is available to watch on Netflix now.
