Movie review
November 26, 2025 · 145 min · PG-13
Woke Score
Lower is better
Review
Rian Johnson turns the latest Knives Out into a whodunit set inside a Catholic church where a firebrand conservative priest gets murdered. The villainous monsignor (Josh Brolin) is drawn as a Trump-style cult leader who shames gay couples, single moms, and anyone not toeing his hard-right line while building a loyal echo chamber of superiority. The young priest (Josh O’Connor) pushes mercy, grace, and “love your enemy” instead. Johnson loads the script with explicit jabs at Christian-right intolerance, us-vs-them politics, misogyny, and homophobia—framed as the real problem with modern faith. It’s the most openly ideological entry in the series, and conservative viewers are calling it out as heavy-handed anti-Christian satire.
Breakdown
These are the editorial factors and ratings behind our score for Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
Woke representation / casting
Diverse supporting cast (Kerry Washington, etc.) but not the driving force or “forced” swap controversy; incidental to the ideological focus.
Woke political dialogue
Heavy, recurring lines directly slamming homophobia, misogyny, “culture war” Christianity, and us-vs-them politics—widely noted as unsubtle.
Identity-driven story themes
Core conflict is conservative religious identity vs. progressive grace/acceptance; identity politics (gay rights, women’s roles) fuel the villain’s sermons and the hero’s arc.
Western institutional / cultural critique
Explicit takedown of how faith institutions get hijacked for power, division, and right-wing politics—Johnson frames it as the opposite of Christ’s teaching.
Woke character or canon changes
Not relevant – fully original story, no canon or legacy IP alterations.
Anti-woke backlash and complaints
Clear anti-woke backlash from Christian/conservative circles calling it propaganda and heavy-handed satire of the right; not fringe or mixed on this specific angle.
Creator track record context
Johnson’s consistent history of embedding left-leaning social/political critique in his mysteries raises confidence that these themes are intentional.
Production
