Wake Up Dead Man

Wake Up Dead Man

Author: TruStory FM December 16, 2025 Duration: 52:57
A locked church. A sermon mid-amen. A knife that absolutely should not be where it is. This month, The Film Board turns its attention to Wake Up, Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery, the most austere—and maybe most confrontational—entry yet in Rian Johnson’s whodunit canon. From the opening minutes, the film dares the audience to argue with it: what you just saw could not have happened… and yet here we are.Pete Wright is joined by Steve Sarmento, Mandy Kaplan, and Tommy Metz III to wrestle with a mystery that swaps billionaire excess for spiritual rot, replacing champagne flutes with hymnals and certainty with something far more dangerous. The panel digs into Johnson’s tonal gamble—less joy, more gravity—and whether a franchise built on clever fun can survive a movie so willing to sit in moral discomfort.The conversation dives deep into the film’s mechanics: the church as a performance space, the precision of the Lazarus door, the way light itself becomes a narrative instrument, and how the film quietly trains you to look without ever announcing it’s doing so. There’s admiration for the film’s rewatchability, its refusal to hide answers offscreen, and its confidence in letting silence—and doubt—do real work.Benoit Blanc, played once again by Daniel Craig, emerges subtly transformed: less showman, more listener. The panel explores what it means for a great cinematic detective to say “I don’t know” and mean something different every time. Along the way, there’s sharp appreciation for Josh Brolin’s venomous Monsignor Wicks, Glenn Close’s inevitable gravitational pull, and a stacked ensemble that understands exactly when to lean in—and when to get out of the way.🎬 Watch & Discover
Support The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:The Next Reel Family of Film Podcasts:Connect With Us:Shop & Stream:

There’s a particular kind of energy that comes from walking out of a movie theater with a head full of thoughts, needing to unpack everything you just saw with someone who gets it. That’s the feeling The Film Board captures every month. Host Pete Wright gathers a dedicated panel of film enthusiasts-regulars like Tommy Metz III, Steve Sarmento, and Justin Jaeger, plus a rotating lineup of fellow movie lovers-for a roundtable conversation that feels like the best kind of post-movie debrief. They dive into the latest theatrical releases without holding back, so spoilers are a given. You’ll hear them dissect everything from a film’s most bizarre moments and puzzling narrative choices to those random, memorable details that stick with you. This isn’t a formal review show; it’s a lively, opinionated, and deeply informed discussion among friends who are genuinely obsessed with cinema. The conversations are fueled by that shared obsession, resulting in a mix of insightful analysis and unapologetically strong takes. Tune in to this podcast for the kind of candid, detailed, and engaging talk that makes you feel like you’re right there at the table with them, long after the credits have rolled.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 175

The Film Board
Podcast Episodes
Being the Ricardos [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:37
One week in the world of Lucy and Desi leading to a live taping of I Love Lucy in 1953, Being the Ricardos covers their rocky relationship as husband and wife, the accusations of Ball’s participation in the communist par…
Scream (2022) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:27:12
It’s time to Scream again!Ocean Murff is joined by our very own Tommy Metz III to discuss the fifth film in the Scream franchise, Scream. But why isn’t it called Scream 5? Is that part of the meta-nature of the film? Wha…
Spider Man: No Way Home [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:24:38
They stuffed a lot of movie into two and a half hours with Spider-Man: No Way Home. Villains and Spider-Men from multiple movies across the franchise hit the screen and while most of the rumors predicted such, there’s li…
Eternals [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:27
Eternals introduces us to a whole new era in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. New heroes, new villains, new locations and technologies. It’s hard to say the company faces any true risks anymore given their Celestial girth…
Dune [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:40
We’re off-world this week as we head into Denis Villeneuve’s Dune with Ocean Murff, Matthew Fox, Steve Sarmento, and Pete Wright.This is a property with some baggage and we come carrying a lot of it. Loved the book? Love…
No Time To Die [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:33:43
James Bond is a brand - that's Ocean's opening take as The Film Board discusses the 25th 007 outing, No Time to Die. And with such an iconic brand comes responsibility. How has Daniel Craig's tenure as Bond evolved the f…
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:45
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings proves people don't tire of superhero origin stories when the storytelling is this good. Under director Destin Daniel Cretton, the narrative takes center stage in Marvel's 25th M…
Black Widow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:12:37
The Film Board convenes in the Red Room to discuss Cate Shortland’s new MCU entry, Black Widow. It’s a packed house as Andy is joined by Kyle Olson from Marvel Movie Minute, Matthew Fox from the Superhero Ethics podcast,…
F9 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:49
Justin Lin returns to direct the latest entry in the Fast Saga, F9. But despite Lin being back behind the wheel, reviews have been mixed for this installment. For this episode of The Film Board Podcast, Andy is joined by…
Fatherhood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:57
Fatherhood is a fairly loose adaptation of Matthew Logelin’s memoir, but unfortunately it feels loose in all the wrong ways. There seems to be an interesting story there, but it never quite clicks. Andy Nelson is joined…