The RELEVANT Podcast16 Des 2025

Episode 1280: Director Rian Johnson on Faith, Doubt and the Christian Themes in ‘Knives Out’

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

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