Podcast Summary: Fr. Mike Schmitz Reacts to "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery"

Podcast: The Fr. Mike Schmitz Catholic Podcast
Host: Fr. Mike Schmitz (Ascension)
Episode Release: January 8, 2026
Episode Focus: Reflections on faith, pop culture, and spirituality through the lens of Rian Johnson’s latest Knives Out film, which centers on a Catholic parish and its priests.

Episode Overview

Fr. Mike Schmitz dissects "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery"—especially its portrayal of Catholicism and clergy. Without endorsing the film, he zeroes in on two key scenes involving the young priest, Father Judd, to discuss Hollywood’s struggles with faith representation, priestly identity, and the true mission of Catholics in the world.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Hollywood’s Portrayal of Catholics

• Fr. Mike reiterates he is not recommending the film, suggesting its rating and content make it unsuitable for general Catholic audiences.
• Main Critique:
  • "Hollywood still has not yet figured out how to depict faithful Catholics on screen or zealous Catholics on screen... They don't know how Catholics talk." [01:05]
  • Fr. Mike observes that Catholic characters often speak and act like caricatures or "sound like Southern Baptists," using non-Catholic language.

2. Character Dynamics: Old Priest vs. Young Priest

• The film features:

  • Monsignor Wicks: The older, "bad" priest, more angry and antagonistic.
  • Father Judd: The younger, nuanced priest. A former boxer with a troubled past, now trying to direct his energy toward good.

• Fr. Mike appreciates that, unlike most Hollywood representations, the elder priest is not more faithful or orthodox; instead, he is just "really mean," while the young priest’s struggle is more internal and relatable.

  • "The thing that makes him endearing is not that he's...unorthodox. It's the fact that, oh, he has all of the same attraction to violence as the older priest has." [03:20]
  • "We're here to serve the world, not beat it. That's what Christ did." [05:00]

3. Key Scene: Ministry over Sleuthing

• [07:10] Key Moment: Father Judd, in the midst of a murder investigation, receives a phone call from Louise, who asks for prayers and confides in him about her ailing mother.

• The scene is a pivotal reminder for Fr. Mike—and the audience—that the priest’s primary role is spiritual care, not problem-solving or "sleuthing."

• Quote:

  • "That's not why I exist. I don't exist to solve the crime. He can solve the crime. She can solve the crime. I'm a priest. And there's someone on the phone right now who doesn't need a detective. They need a priest." [08:50]

• Fr. Mike reflects on the personal temptation to always "fix" or comment on everything, rather than offer presence and spiritual care.

• Personal Reflection:

  • "How often is our temptation to say, okay, there's this. This. I need to...weigh in. ... I need to care for this person in front of me. I don't need to make this point and win. What I need to do is put my stuff down in love." [11:35]

4. Takeaway: Mercy, Ministry, and the Catholic Mission

• Despite reservations, Fr. Mike admires the movie’s unexpected message about mercy and forgiveness.

• He acknowledges there’s a time for “fighting injustice,” but reminds listeners the Catholic calling is to love “the person in front of us.”

• The ultimate lesson: Priests—and by extension, all Catholics—should prioritize compassion and presence over debate, defensiveness, or assertiveness.

  • "The point is taking care of people and God's mercy, which I did not expect... That was really powerful." [13:05]

5. A Touch of Humor: Star Wars Reference

• In a light-hearted digression, Fr. Mike jokes about director Rian Johnson’s handling of another cultural icon:
  • "Even though in some ways the point is mercy and forgiveness, I don't think I can forgive Rian Johnson for ruining Luke Skywalker as a character." [13:40]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hollywood’s writing:

  • "Just the words that they have in, like, a Catholic mouth is like, we wouldn't sound. Say those things. I just. It's so strange." [01:20]

• On the core of priesthood:

  • "There’s someone on the phone right now who doesn’t need a detective. They need a priest." [08:50]

• On Christian priorities:

  • "I need to care for this person in front of me. I don't need to make this point and win. What I need to do is put my stuff down in love." [11:35]

• On mercy as the film’s theme:

  • "The point is taking care of people and God's mercy, which I did not expect." [13:05]

• Pop culture aside:

  • "I don’t think I can forgive Rian Johnson for ruining Luke Skywalker as a character." [13:40]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:00–01:40] – Fr. Mike’s disclaimer and Hollywood’s struggle with Catholics
• [01:41–06:15] – Analysis of priest characters and their symbolic roles
• [06:16–10:20] – The pivotal phone call scene: priesthood and ministry
• [10:21–13:00] – Personal reflections on faith, presence, and the call to mercy
• [13:01–14:00] – Takeaways, humor, and closing thoughts

Summary Flow

This episode offers a thoughtful critique of Hollywood’s oft-misguided attempts at representing Catholic faith and clergy, using the new Knives Out film as a jumping-off point. Fr. Mike highlights both the comically inauthentic dialogue and the unexpectedly sincere depiction of priestly service in one scene. Listeners are encouraged to prioritize compassion and service—the true heart of Christian and priestly identity—over argument, defensiveness, or the temptation to fix every problem.

In Fr. Mike’s words:

“I need to care for this person in front of me. I don't need to make this point and win. What I need to do is put my stuff down in love.” [11:35]

For listeners new to the podcast or the film, this episode is a compact reflection on faith, representation, and what it means to bring mercy into every encounter—on screen and off.