Culture Gabfest Knives Out Is Back with a New Hot Priest Edition
21 snips
Dec 3, 2025 
Jamelle Bouie, an insightful opinion columnist, joins the hosts for a lively discussion that spans film and history. They dissect Rian Johnson's latest mystery, celebrated for its unique portrayal of faith through Josh O'Connor's character. The conversation shifts to Ken Burns' ambitious documentary on The American Revolution, praised for its intricate narrative and historical critique. Finally, they tackle the debate on America’s intelligence decline, exploring cultural impacts and educational challenges, making for an engaging and thought-provoking dialogue.
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Episode notes
Faith As The Emotional Core
- Wake Up Dead Man centers faith and human decency rather than pure puzzle mechanics.
- Jamelle Bouie found Josh O'Connor's priest performance emotionally grounding and central to the film.
Right Scale, Right Lead
- Stephen Metcalf praised the movie's small, claustrophobic world and correct Benoit Blanc placement.
- He argued making O'Connor the foregrounded main character lets Blanc remain charmingly backgrounded.
Politicized Faith Crosses Traditions
- The film transposes a demagogic, manosphere style onto a Catholic setting to show politicized faith spreading.
- Jamelle Bouie saw this as illustrating how aggressive cultural Christianity seeps across traditions.
