Justin Chang

A detective story, she wrote, confirms our hope that, despite some evidence to the contrary, we live in a beneficent and moral universe, in which problems can be solved by rational means.

The new movie Wake Up Deadman, Rian Johnson's latest whodunit after Knives Out and Glass Onion, is too funny and slyly over-the-top to feel like a Petey James story.

To my knowledge, James never incorporated body-dissolving acid or the old poison beverage switcheroo trick.

But in his own crafty way, Johnson is also using mystery conventions to open up a spiritual inquiry.

The story takes place in and around a Catholic church at a small town in upstate New York, where a junior priest named Judd DuPlentice, played by a terrific Josh O'Connor, has been assigned to serve.

Unfortunately, he's forced to work under Monsignor Jefferson Wicks, whom Josh Brolin plays as an angry fundamentalist firebrand.

spewing hatred and contempt for gay people, single moms, and the entire hell-bound secular world.

Although Wicks' behavior has reduced church attendance, he's surrounded himself with a small group of loyalists.

The most devoted is Martha, who keeps the church running.

She's played by an amusingly nosy Glenn Close.

There's also Kerry Washington as a sharp-witted attorney, and Jeremy Renner as a sad-sack alcoholic doctor.

Kaylee Spaney plays a famous cellist who donates large sums to the church in hopes that God will heal her chronic pain.

Two characters feel like sharp, cynical jabs at American conservatism –

One is a formerly liberal writer, played by Andrew Scott, who's since drifted rightward.

The other is a failed young Republican politician turned aspiring YouTuber, played by Daryl McCormick.

With the best of intentions, Judd tries hard to break Wicks' hold on his flock and lead them into deeper faith in God.

But he succeeds only in making an even greater enemy of the Monsignor.

And when Wicks is fatally stabbed in the church, and on Good Friday, no less, suspicion immediately falls on Judd.

But Judd insists that he's innocent.

And before long, the private investigator, Benoit Blanc, played once again by Daniel Craig with a courtly southern drawl, comes knocking.