A revolutionary, British dart-focused restaurant/bar/event venue is flying into a buzzy Houston mixed-use development. The bustling Allen Parkway corridor project Regent Square will welcome Flight Club, the immersive pub making waves in the U.K. and here in the U.S.
This is the first Texas Flight Club outpost, set to open late 2021. (The venue boasts a popular presence in Chicago.)
Visitors should expect a decidedly retro Brit vibe, with plush booths, semi-private gaming areas, vibrant vintage signage and decor, and a ubiquitous red phone booth in an 8,500-square-foot space.
Press materials promise a “unique social gaming experience through specially designed technology and spacious set-up,” as well as an eclectic bar program led by award-winning Peter Vestinos, plus a menu curated by acclaimed Chicago Chef Rich Gresh.
Oh, and the darts and games. Pub games and darts are central here; the space can accommodate groups of six to 400. More than 160 million darts have been thrown by some 2 million people globally since the venue launched in October 2015, per the company.
“Houston is an incredibly diverse city with vibrant food and drink scene–we are so thrilled that our first Texas location will be in this market,” said Alan Cichon, U.S. president of ownership company, State of Play. “Houston has shown the world time and time again how resilient it is, and we cannot wait to be a part of the fabric that makes up the Houston culture.”
Adding a little note that he gets it, Cichon noted, “everything is bigger in Texas, including our concept.”
Josh O'Connor and Josh Brolin in Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
Since 2019, writer/director Rian Johnson has essentially turned over his career to murder mysteries, including 2019’s Knives Out, 2022’s sequel Glass Onion, and the just-canceled Peacock series Poker Face. He’s back for another bite of the apple with Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.
While private detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) returns to help investigate a seemingly impossible murder, the majority of the focus of this film is on the employees and parishioners at a small Catholic church in upstate New York. Father Jud Duplenticy (Josh O’Connor) has been assigned to the parish to work under Monsignor Jefferson Wicks (Josh Brolin). Wicks is a fiery orator who relies on intimidation, as well as the help of church aide Martha Delacroix (Glenn Close), to maintain control over his flock.
That group includes lawyer Vera Draven (Kerry Washington), her politically ambitious brother Cy (Daryl McCormack), Dr. Nat Sharp (Jeremy Renner), writer Lee Ross (Andrew Scott), cellist Simone Vivane (Cailee Spaeny), and groundskeeper Samson Holt (Thomas Haden Church). The tenets of Catholicism, and religion in general, are put to the test as Father Jud challenges Monsignor Jefferson for leadership, and a death changes things even further.
The free-wheeling and fun nature of the first two Knives Out films gives way to a more methodical and introspective approach in Wake Up Dead Man. While Johnson is interested in presenting a murder mystery, it’s the lives of the various characters that take precedence, especially that of Father Jud. He is shown from the start as someone who wrestles with his faith, which is tested on multiple occasions as he encounters people who challenge him more than expected.
The arrival of Blanc on the scene turns the film into a type of buddy movie, with Father Jud serving as both investigator and suspect. Neither man embodies the type of behavior one might expect out of their respective professions, and what limited comedy the film has comes from their interactions. They’re reined in by Police Chief Geraldine Scott (Mila Kunis), although her desire to get to the bottom of the murder is somewhat stymied by Blanc and Father Jud’s diversions.
The lessons learned from two very different types of sources — mystery novels and Catholicism — collide over the course of the film. A book club that very coincidentally includes multiple mystery novels, including John Dickson Carr’s The Hollow Man, plays a key role, as does the devoutness of the various people at the church. Ultimately, as was the case in the first two films, the nature of the whodunit comes in second place to how the characters react to the multiple reveals along the way.
Craig seems to tone down the over-the-top way he usually plays Blanc in this film, and his performance fits in well with the story being told. O’Connor, a star on the rise after Challengers and more, is asked to carry the film and he does so ably. The strong actors in the supporting cast are not used as well as they could have been, with only Close and Brolin truly making an impact. Geoffrey Wright shows up in a couple of small scenes and makes his presence known quickly.
Wake Up Dead Man is the least entertaining Knives Out film so far, but that’s not to say that it’s uninteresting. Johnson explores topics that result in more talking than action, but those conversations — especially between Blanc and Father Jud — are consistently engaging and revelatory about the characters and the crime they are investigating.
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Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery is now playing in select theaters; it debuts on Netflix on December 12.
