Rian Johnson on Faith, Doubt and the Christian Themes in ‘Knives Out’—RELEVANT Podcast

Rian Johnson’s new Knives Out film, 'Wake Up Dead Man,' is sparking conversations few mainstream movies ever touch — faith, forgiveness, power and what it actually means to follow Jesus in a polarized world.

In this episode, we talk with the filmmaker about growing up in the Church, walking away from faith and why Christ’s teachings — especially “love your enemy” — still shape the stories he wants to tell. Johnson opens up about wrestling with the us-versus-them mentality, the corrupting pull of power and influence, and why he wanted to portray Christian belief with empathy rather than caricature.

Plus, the RELEVANT crew debates the best Christmas movie of all time in a chaotic bracket showdown, reacts to surprising year-end culture stories and discusses new research suggesting adolescence doesn’t actually end until age 32.

HIGHLIGHTS:

01:40 – Why 'Wake Up Dead Man' Feels Like a Gospel Story
04:00 – Serving vs. Fighting: Faith and the Culture War
06:45 – Why Culture Is More Open to Spiritual Conversations
09:20 – Is Wake Up Dead Man the Best Knives Out Movie?
12:10 – Is Rian Johnson Done With Faith?
13:10 – Christianity vs. Church Culture
20:15 – RELEVANT Buzz
22:00 – Forrest Frank Breaks Into Google’s “Hum to Search” List
26:30 – Theo Von and Morgan Wallen’s Bible Study Revealed
32:00 – Rian Johnson on Growing Up Evangelical
34:00 – “Arms Wide Open vs. Fists Up” Faith Explained
39:00 — SLICES
39:20 – New Research Says Adolescence Lasts Until Age 32
45:15 – AI Reality TV Is Here (Unfortunately)
47:30 – Christmas Movie Bracket Challenge