Murder, hot priests. 'Knives Out' fans react to Josh O'Connor's role.

Holy Father, I have sinned. Yes, a "hot priest" bearing a cheeky neck tattoo is currently dominating social media feeds.

In the newly released "Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery," the third film in the "Knives Out" franchise, Josh O'Connor plays boxer turned priest, Father Jud Duplenticy. For most of the story, Duplenticy is Benoit Blanc's (Daniel Craig) leading suspect, but O'Connor (and hot priest) fans don't care, as this adds to the character's bad-boy whimsy. In fact, he's been deemed by social media users as the new "hot priest."

Countless fan-made videos, featuring short clips of O'Connor's character in the film, set to sultry music, are circulating on social media. Perhaps the most popular backtrack? Taylor Swift's "Father Figure."

"I'm not even religious but on god that face card could convert me," a TikTok user said in the caption of a video.

In particular, viewers have commented on Father Duplenticy's neck tattoo, which ever so slightly peeks from out his clerical collar. Despite its consistent presence in the film, the tattoo is never addressed. However, in an interview with Netflix, O'Connor shared that the full tattoo features a devil and angel with the word "Serendipity" underneath.

"I really loved the idea of being in this quite formal priest uniform with the dog collar – and there’s this little bit of his past creeping up," O'Connor told Netflix. "That is how Father Jud is attempting to be this version of himself. He’s not denying his past, hence he still has the tattoo."

How many 'hot priests' can one film handle?

If one hot priest wasn't enough, there are more.

Andrew Scott (from "All of Us Strangers" and "Sherlock") plays struggling author Lee Ross in "Wake Up Dead Man." However, for several years, Scott has been known as "the hot priest" for his role in the Prime Video original series "Fleabag." In the series, Scott's character, named The Priest, falls in love with a woman known only as Fleabag (Phoebe Waller-Bridge), but he struggles to restrain himself from veering from Catholicism's rules on celibacy.

Almost immediately, social media users became obsessed with this unofficial crossover. As many fan-made Duplenticy videos exist, there is likely an equal number of videos that volley between clips of O'Connor's character in "Wake Up Dead Man" and Scott's in "Fleabag."

"Big day for the hot priest community," an Instagram post, featuring side-by-side photos of the two priest characters, reads.

And the hot priest narrative isn't limited to fan communities. The stars are well aware, too.

Promoting "Wake Up Dead Man" in an interview on the "Today Show," Scott said he "wouldn't dare" impart advice on what it means to take on the role of a hot priest.

"I just welcome them into the fold, you know," Scott said with a laugh during the interview. "They're hotter priests than me, I must say."

"Knives Out" x "Fleabag" mashups aside, Josh Brolin (from "The Goonies" and "No Country for Old Men") actually plays a priest in "Wake Up Dead Man." His role as Monseigneur Jefferson Wick is just short-lived, as he's the murder victim in the story.

Brolin has been quick to debunk any theories that he may be a "hot priest" in the film. During a recent interview with Stephen Colbert, Brolin said rather than a "hot priest," his character is "212 pounds of manly priest."

Netflix, Josh O'Connor weigh in on 'hot priest' narrative

Netflix didn't hesitate to play into the hot priest obsession. On Dec. 18, the official Netflix Instagram account posted a triptych of photos featuring Brolin, O'Connor and Scott. The text atop Brolin and O'Connor's photos reads, "Hot priest," and text atop Scott's reads, "Hot (former) priest." The photo's caption states, "I'd pray to all of them."

In a TikTok video posted by the official Netflix UK account, a clip of Scott and O'Connor's characters arguing in the film is overlayed with the on-screen caption, "Hot priest vs hot priest."

O'Connor didn't slide through press interviews without being asked about playing a hot priest. In an interview with Gayety, O'Connor said he "felt the pressure" to live up to the "hot priest" while sharing the silver screen with Scott.

In some interviews where O'Connor sits alongside director Rian Johnson (director of "Knives Out" and "Star Wars: The Last Jedi") it's obvious the duo has received a litany of hot priest questions.

During an interview with BuzzFeed Canada, Johnson is seen lowering his head and smiling to himself when O'Connor is questioned about whether Scott imparted hot priest wisdom.

"We all know that performance was so iconic and it was so brilliant," O'Connor said about Scott's role in "Fleabag.". "I'd be lying if I said that it didn't inform anything. Maybe not necessarily this role, but other roles I've done in the past."

Coincidentally, "Wake Up Dead Man" was not O'Connor's first time playing as a man of God. In the 2020 film "Emma," inspired by Jane Austen's novel of the same name, which stars Anna Taylor-Joy, Callum Turner and Johnny Flynn, O'Connor plays clergyman Philip Elton.

Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].