Awoken

I had the chance to sit down and watch the 2019 movie "Awoken" here in 2020. And with the movie's cover, it being a horror movie and it being a movie I hadn't already seen, of course I found the time to sit down and watch the movie from writers Alan Grace and Daniel J. Phillips.

Well, for a horror movie, then "Awoken" was just bland. Now, don't get me wrong, I am not saying it is a bad movie. Not at all. The movie was actually, in fact, watchable and entertaining enough, but it was just a bland movie experience, that offered nothing new to a seasoned horror veteran such as myself.

The storyline in "Awoken" was fair enough. There were some good enough aspects to it that made it worthwhile watching. But at the same time, the storyline also had some rather mundane and generic aspects to it. Especially the predictability that lurked over the movie was just holding it down.

Now, I will say that the aspect of sleep deprivation has been used countless other times in other thrillers and horror movies, but it actually worked out well enough for the plot as written by Alan Grace and Daniel J. Phillips.

The acting in "Awoken" was good, and the actors and actresses carried the bland storyline a great long way with their individual and collective performances on the screen. I wasn't familiar with the talents in the movie, so that was definitely something that appealed to me.

For a horror movie, then the special effects used in "Awoken" were adequate. They weren't outstanding or particularly memorable, nor were they effects that make you go "wow!" I think that having made more use of high end special effects would have lifted up the overall feel of the movie in a much needed direction.

If you enjoy horror movies, give "Awoken" a chance. Mind you, this is by no means a movie that will rock your world, nor will it revolutionize the horror genre as we know it. I am rating director Daniel J. Phillips's 2019 movie a mediocre five out of ten stars. It was watchable, albeit predictable, but this is hardly a movie that will make you sit down to watch it a second time.

For a first time director with a limited budget you can't get much better. No money for massive vfx and OTT gore so subsequently stays within its boundaries, thus uses atmospheric lighting, sinister sounds etc. Don't expect polished Blumhouse, think when they first started. Only fault, well it is padded out to a degree, could have cut twenty minutes.

Now I see many reviews that trash talk the movie, and we have to respect others' opinions, but I, as a huge horror fan can tell you it is far better than you'd expect.

The subject sleep paralysis/deprivation/demons/night terrors/ is one a tad bit less used in this genre and not exploited as much as say, slashers or zombies. So there is still some wiggle room here, parts of it that might seem new, fresh, that's why I make sure to always put an eye on such productions, see what the latest is all about. Surely enough, Awoken doesn't go too far from the subject, it's a swing and a hit I'd say, but I'm quite sure it had the potential for an out of the park kind of impact. As a horror and as a sleep deprivation movie it uses a lot of the clichees one might expect to find here, and I do believe they could have achieved a lot more if they tried a little originality as well, not just go for the sure thing.

Nevertheless, it is a decent effort, an OK movie, from the acting to directing, everything falls in place nicely. I liked it for my late night and I do recommend it to others.

Cheers!

I was really pretty surprised with this movie in the best way! I really like supernatural possession movies especially with a decent story... The acting done by the main female lead was pretty great! Good story, rightly paced, scary moments and a little twist towards the end. Highly recommend if you like these types of horror movies! Definitely underrated I'd say!

Basically a nowhere fast movie where nothing happens. A woman is worried to distraction over her brother who hasn't slept in days. Weeks, even. She fears for his life, but some - those in the know, fear for his soul. And his life. And their lives. Apparently if you don't sleep for a monthish a foreign demon gets ya. This could have been scary good, but not this time.