Ben Shapiro Reviews: "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" - The Ben Shapiro Show Recap

Podcast: The Ben Shapiro Show

Published: 2025-12-20

Duration: 13 minutes

Summary

Ben Shapiro critiques Rian Johnson's "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery," highlighting its poor mystery construction and political undertones.

What Happened

Ben Shapiro reviews the film "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery" by director Rian Johnson, known for previous works like "The Last Jedi." Shapiro criticizes the film for its poor writing and unoriginal plot, calling it lazy filmmaking. The film boasts a large cast including Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, and Glenn Close, but Shapiro argues that the talent is wasted due to the lack of substantial roles.

Shapiro is particularly disappointed with the film's mystery aspect, noting that it fails to provide the audience with all the necessary clues to solve the puzzle. He compares it unfavorably to the original "Knives Out," which he believes was more cleverly constructed. According to Shapiro, the film reveals key information only in the last third, preventing viewers from engaging in the mystery-solving process.

The film's narrative centers around a right-wing monsignor and a young priest played by Josh O'Connor. Shapiro discusses how the movie portrays religion negatively, with Rian Johnson allegedly using the film as a vehicle to criticize Catholicism.

Shapiro argues that the film's characters are not memorable, except for perhaps Josh O'Connor's portrayal of the young priest. He criticizes the film for its overlong runtime and lack of character development, suggesting that the substantial budget was not well utilized.

Shapiro also highlights the film's political themes, describing it as scornful of traditional Catholicism and portraying religious figures as hypocritical or ignorant. He points out that the film does not offer any genuine defense of religion.

Despite the large budget and talented cast, Shapiro feels the movie fails to deliver on its potential, ultimately calling it a bad movie. He criticizes Rian Johnson for being more interested in subverting audience expectations than crafting a coherent and compelling story.

Shapiro concludes that while there may be entertaining moments, they are overshadowed by the film's numerous flaws. He expresses disappointment in Rian Johnson's direction and suggests that the filmmaker is overrated.

Key Insights

• The film 'Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery' features a large ensemble cast including Daniel Craig, Josh O'Connor, and Glenn Close, yet the roles are criticized for lacking depth and substance.
• The movie's narrative centers on a right-wing monsignor and a young priest, portrayed by Josh O'Connor, and is noted for its negative portrayal of religion, particularly Catholicism.
• Key information necessary for solving the film's mystery is revealed only in the final third, which hampers audience engagement in the puzzle-solving process.
• Despite a substantial budget, the film is critiqued for its overlong runtime and insufficient character development, leading to a perception of wasted potential.