Wake Up Dead Man (2025)
Wake Up Deadman is a serviceable pulp mystery. It’s something you can imagine obsessively reading in the tub on a rainy day. Josh O’Conner truly being the saving grace of the whole thing. Intentionally or not he’s the only character in the movie who is so genuine and forthcoming. The biggest twist of the movie that kept me on my toes was just watching Johnson keep this character on track. It’s hard to believe, in these ridiculous conspiracy laden films, just having a straight man. He’s just a good guy in a swamp of the typical Rian Johnson cast of conniving monsters.
Really this is all heavily centered on religion and hypocrisy. At the start I was getting worried it was leaning too far into cynicism. The failings of the church and the big curtain it casts to protect wolves in shepherds clothing. But then it will get you with some genuine scenes of the relief faith can grant people. I think it’s really important if you’re going to blast all these Reddit tier obvious criticisms of the church. To at least demonstrate an understanding and empathy for why it draws people in and why people participate in it. It is the entire support of our main character. A man who doesn’t buy into religion literally, but sees immense value in the habits and lessons it can teach.
In the end though I just get hung up on how exhausted I’m becoming with these Trump era caricatures. The criticisms are warranted but it’s becoming so tired to watch a satirical Trump character surrounded by his yes men cronies. I see this stuff on every adult cartoon and late night show daily. We’ve faced news articles that read like The Onion for a decade now. Pointing a finger at how absurd the world is just makes me sad. I know it is, I am reminded every day. Injecting it with so little subtlety in this movie just took me out of the world it was weaving. Maybe im putting on blinders but its becoming low handing fruit to make another piece about the dynamics of Trumpism.
It’s a solid story about stories. It has its moments but then Mila Kunis shows up and you wonder why she doesn’t have a day job at this point. Make 100 more of these and I’ll keep watching every year.