“[I]t is impossible for a man to begin to learn that which he thinks that he knows.”
-Epictetus, Discourses 2.17.341
Late in Dec. 2025, I saw a film that changed my life—Wake Up Dead Man (2025).
Marketed as Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery (2025), the third installment in the Knives Out franchise follows disgraced Catholic priest Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) as he navigates an epic locked-room mystery. Not only does it uncover the truth of a Lazarus-style resurrection, as the title suggests, but it also explores the implications of the church system. Throughout the film, Msgr. Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin) serves as an active symbol of how Christianity has been used to institutionally marginalize various groups in America. But this isn’t the only reason Wake Up Dead Man is so effective at critiquing American Christianity—it’s also the incredible juxtaposition that Wicks has with Father Duplenticy.
In contrast to Wicks, Duplenticy embodies everything that is sanctified, beautiful, and pure in Christianity. He prays for those who need it and attempts to establish a community by holding prayer meetings. He quite literally welcomes each parishioner with open arms, saying, “My real and only purpose [is] not to fight the wicked and bring them to justice, but to serve them and bring them to Christ.”
I can’t deny that Christianity has been used as, and will continue to be used as, a weapon. It’s a fact that is directly addressed by hero Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) himself in his introductary scene: “And [the Church makes me feel] like someone is shouting a story at me that I do not believe, that’s built on the empty promise of a child’s fairy tale, filled with malevolence, misogyny and homophobia, and that’s justified untold violence and cruelty while hiding its own shameful acts.”
Blanc’s stance is completely justified by history and current events alike, but this film wouldn’t be half as successful at making these critiques if it didn’t have Father Duplenticy to ask us, “Do these stories convince us of a lie, or do they resonate with something inside us that’s profoundly true, that maybe we can’t express any other way than storytelling.” Although Christianity can be corrupted and used to justify atrocious acts—the Crusades, colonialism, the Salem Witch Trials—it can also be a very beautiful thing that gives people purpose and community.
This all goes to show one important point: without recognizing Christianity’s duality, a critic loses all credibility. Wake Up Dead Man is the perfect example of how institutional Christianity can be ruthlessly critiqued, but educatedly so. It’s the perfect opposite of “Youth Against Christ.”
“Youth Against Christ” isn’t that widespread a sentiment. Mostly, it’s just an attempt by Polish death metal band Behemoth to put the edgiest statement possible on the back of one of their many t-shirts. However, when I see the statement equated with a perceived ethical superiority, I tend to get a very special kind of upset.
Someone who supports “Youth Against Christ” most likely relates to one or more of the following statements:
One, they are a person who worships Satan, the enemy of Christ, according to the Holy Bible. “Youth Against Christ” thus represents a spiritual leaning. Two, they believe that Christ stands for everything that is socially, politically, and/or culturally wrong about the world, and therefore are against the concept of Christ. In this circumstance, “Youth Against Christ” is a term of political activism, an opinion that I find vexing. Third: they are a fan of the album Youth Against Christ, released by the Dutch death metal band Altar in 1994, or are a fan of the aforementioned Behemoth. Either way, this could mean that this statement is a mere expression of musical taste; however, considering the themes of this album and those upheld by the two bands are heavily influenced by anti-Christian, anti-institutional, and Satan-worshipping sentiments. Some track names on Youth Against Christ include “Jesus is dead!” and “Cauterize the Church Council,” for example—it’s incredibly unlikely that one who supports this band only agrees with the third.
Even if one were merely a Satanist—not a Satan-worshipper—who donned a “Youth Against Christ” as a means to symbolize personal liberation, doesn’t it go against at least one of the Seven Fundamental Tenets of Satanism to display it in such an apathetic manner? And if one is using it to represent the superiority of their rationalist, scientific thought, isn’t it completely illogical and irrational to generalize an entire belief just because you may disagree with the actions of specific groups or individuals? And if one is using it to be countercultural, proving to the world that they go against the grain of this sick and twisted world, doesn’t it defeat the purpose of counterculturalism to be just as callous as the groups they attempt to critique?
Being countercultural doesn’t provide justification to villainize someone else’s beliefs. Furthermore, just because a certain belief is the norm in a specific demographic doesn’t make it ethically wrong, destructive, or malicious.
One can identify as a Christian and be a bad person; one can identify as a Christian and be a good person. The same goes for most beliefs, religious or political. One can be of any belief and be wise.
