Two decades ago, Rian Johnson embarked on one of the most acclaimed filmmaking careers of the 21st century, segueing from high-school noir (“Brick”) to con-man larks (“The Brothers Bloom”) to revisionist sci-fi (“Looper,” “Star Wars: The Last Jedi”).
This year marks the release of Johnson’s seventh feature film: “Wake Up Dead Man,” a Benoit Blanc mystery named after an underappreciated U2 song (the grunge-inflected closer of the band’s 1997 album “Pop”).
Just as the song is about a crisis of faith, “Wake Up Dead Man” tells a tale of rationality versus religion, setting its locked-room mystery in a church. That makes it one of Johnson’s most personal works, given his Christian upbringing and his persistent interest in spiritual struggles.
With the world waiting to see “Wake Up Dead Man” make its theatrical debut on November 26 (and its—sigh—streaming debut on Netflix on December 12), now is the perfect time for a retrospective ranking of Johnson’s films. As Blanc would say (with apologies to Sherlock), the game is afoot.
6. “The Brothers Bloom” (2008)
One of Johnson’s films has to start the list at the bottom, and most of his fans would likely agree that this quirky Euro-caper would have to be it.
“The Brothers Bloom” is markedly different from Johnson’s other movies. It’s evidently inspired by Italian cinéastes like Fellini (an influence not normally associated with Johnson) and its principal cast members (Mark Ruffalo and Adrien Brody as the titular con artists and Rachel Weisz as their lovely mark) are not among the director’s regular collaborators.
Those are just a few reasons why “The Brothers Bloom” exists in a strange liminal space. It’s an indie feature released by an increasingly irrelevant studio; it’s neither a cult classic nor a mainstream hit; and its only genuine asset is Weisz (who learned many skills—including juggling, card tricks, rapping, and skateboarding—to master her character’s disparate hobbies).
5. “Brick” (2005)
An undeniable cult classic thanks to its unique style, “Brick” is set in a California high school…where all of its teenage characters deliver hard-boiled, Bogart-esque dialogue amid contemporary drug wars.
Though “Brick” suffers from a surfeit of unlikable, unintentionally hilarious characters (Lukas Haas as “The Pin” stands out, due to his ludicrously vintage Barnabas Collins costume), the cast effectively sells the film’s greatest attribute: its alluring mystique.
Cloaked in Steve Yedlin’s moody cinematography, “Brick” stays muted and gray despite the SoCal sun, giving it a “Made in Canada” vibe akin to CW shows like “Supernatural.” Fans of that show may even see a resemblance between Brendan (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) and Jared Padalecki’s Sam Winchester, who also has long hair and a layered wardrobe.
Johnson, however, has cited Spike Spiegel from “Cowboy Bebop” as the blueprint for Brendan—a reference that helped cement his sci-fi nerd cred alongside his film-nerd cred.
4. “Glass Onion” (2022)
A much sunnier mystery, Johnson’s second Benoit Blanc film is set on a Greek isle privately owned by tech bro CEO Miles Bron (Edward Norton)—a character who behaves like Elon Musk as written by Jessica Fletcher.
Set in May 2020 (at the height of COVID-19 lockdowns), “Glass Onion” would’ve ranked higher if not for its instantly dated environs and distracting glut of product placement (possibly mandated by Netflix?). But the sequel is still a blunt satire of “disruptor” culture, its release coinciding mightily with Musk buying Twitter.
Over the course of the film, Bron coasts on his billions and brainrot while palling around with the politically repugnant (prophetically, given Musk’s fascistic turn). Opposing him is Andi Brand, his business partner turned nemesis, ingeniously played by Janelle Monáe.
It’s hard to discuss Monáe’s performance and suspenseful storyline without spoilers, but it’s sinful that she was snubbed at the award shows. Another crime: Netflix still won’t release this movie on physical media.
3. “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (2017)
If I may say so, it’s a bold choice to give Johnson’s sole shot at blockbuster IP the bronze, given the bitterly divisive reputation “The Last Jedi” has among “Star Wars” fans. Yet while much of the criticism is easy to dismiss as racism and misogyny, the movie does have legitimate flaws.
Most damagingly, Johnson underdeveloped Finn (John Boyega) and Poe (Oscar Isaac). His approach to those characters negatively impacted not only his film, but J.J. Abrams’ “The Rise of Skywalker” (2019), proving that the sequel trilogy needed a firmer hand.
Still, Johnson’s swings for the philosophical fence win more than a few home runs—as does his highlighting of Daisy Ridley and Adam Driver’s chemistry (a palpable influence on romantasy literature like Thea Guanzon’s “The Hurricane Wars,” which began as Reylo fanfiction).
Plus, “The Last Jedi” features Johnson’s greatest action sequence: “the Holdo Maneuver,” a move so badass that it transcended seemingly endless fan arguments about the physics of hyperspace travel.
2. “Looper” (2012)
Johnson’s third film contributed to a very specific 2012 cinematic micro-trend at Sony Pictures: casting two great actors of different generations as time-shifted versions of the same character—and giving the younger performer prosthetics to strengthen the visual resemblance.
Unlike Josh Brolin and Tommy Lee Jones in “Men in Black III,” however, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis interact extensively in this sci-fi noir as Joe and Old Joe, who are forced to fight the future syndicate that has employed them through the 21st century. It’s akin to “The Terminator” (1984), if Kyle Reese had to face his younger self.
Gritty and wild in its complex creativity, “Looper” earns the silver as one of the most original genre thrillers in recent film history. And, if Johnson’s comments about his filmmaking future are any indication, he’s far from finished with sci-fi.
1. “Knives Out” (2019)
Here, Johnson finds his voice most distinctively, creating a colorful, star-studded send-up of Agatha Christie. Thus begins his fruitful collaboration with Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc, who investigates a New England manor full of trick doors and well-worn bookcases.
This is easily the finest ensemble Johnson has assembled. Ana de Armas acquits herself charmingly as nurse Marta Cabrera, while Chris Evans plays Captain America’s antimatter counterpart: Ransom Drysdale, who is somehow not the biggest bigot in the Thrombey family (which includes both open Nazi trolls and soft-racist progressives).
With its expert blend of social criticism, multitiered tension, and timeless panache, “Knives Out” proved Johnson to be a certified auteur, writing and directing on his terms. And like his best characters (especially Blanc), he remains brilliant but unassuming in his narrative pursuits.
