Wake Up

... well not to party, but to demolish stuff ... for the greater good (?) ... in any case: no pun intended as always. You may be surprised to see the makers of this ... well quite serious movie ... especially considering the stuff they did before ... be it Turbo Kid or We are Zombies ... both had violence in them, no doubt about that ... but they were also made with a lot of humor ... more light so to speak! This affair right here, has quite the different tone.

The main villain is or rather should not be left unsupervised in society ... but not just that ... he also has a job that has him to deal with customers ... well at first. His boss moves him or his shift to night, when there is no one who will complain about him ... or is there? Well wouldn't be a movie if it were too easy, right? Rhetorical question of course.

So if you don't mind the violence and the tone (or maybe you even cherish that those kids who always know it better will get theirs ... I do not agree with that sentiment, just saying) ... the movie will serve you well ... and be entertaining enough ... including one scene at the start of the end credits ... not for the faint hearted indeed.

"Wake Up" is the sort of film that has you rooting for the masked villain before the opening titles are done. And why not? It's not every day you see a group of overly earnest eco-warriors break into an IKEA to "save the planet," only to discover they've wandered into a nightmare.

The plot is sheer brilliance. A band of young activists decide that vandalising flat-pack furniture will save the world, only to find themselves at the mercy of a hunting-obsessed night guard who's far more interested in adding to his personal collection than protecting corporate property. Honestly, by the time the first bookcase was vandalized, I was on the guard's side.

As a fan of the genre, I found "Wake Up" a refreshing departure from the usual tired tropes. The film keeps you engaged from start to finish, with plenty of moments that had me both cringing and chuckling. The social satire? Sharp enough to slice through a coffee table. The filmmakers have managed to mock everything from corporate greed to eco-activism, all while keeping things bloody entertaining.

In the end, "Wake Up" kept me wide awake and wanting more. If you're after a slasher with a bit of bite-and a lot of wit-this one's well worth a watch.

Wake Up comes with an interesting and initially promising concept, offering a storyline that makes us think about extremism and its consequences, both from the activists' side and the security guards, who defend their work with questionable tactics. The film seems like it wants to explore this tension, questioning just how "right" or "moral" each side really is. But as it goes on, it quickly becomes clear that this potential for reflection is left unexplored and stays on the surface. It's a pity, as Wake Up had the chance to touch on relevant themes, but it misses the mark by not going deeper.

The plot is straightforward: a group of activists break into an IKEA-like store overnight to stage a protest. Tension rises when they realize they're being hunted by a security guard with homicidal tendencies. From here, the movie takes a classic slasher route, where the main objective is simply for the characters to survive while being hunted by a relentless killer. It's a well-worn formula we've seen many times, so from a narrative standpoint, Wake Up doesn't bring anything new to the genre.

The biggest issue is precisely that predictability. I felt like I knew exactly what was coming, with no twists or surprises to change those expectations. The film doesn't try to innovate or challenge slasher stereotypes. Instead, it sticks to them closely, making it feel predictable and, at times, a bit monotonous. It's not poorly executed-the production is solid, and the setting works-but it lacks the originality that would set it apart from so many similar films.

Even so, there is one standout moment. In one of the film's most memorable scenes, the characters are covered in glow-in-the-dark paint, making them easy targets for the killer. This scene in the dark is visually interesting and really captured my attention. It's the high point of the film, and I feel that if there were more of this kind of creativity in other scenes, the experience could have been much more engaging.

However, Wake Up doesn't go beyond a very basic horror thriller that meets the minimum requirements for entertainment but doesn't quite impress. In short, it's neither good nor bad; it entertains, but it's unlikely to leave a lasting impact.

If you just went to the Ikea store and you feel you still didn't get enough of it you can give this movie a go as it looks like it's been shot there. I guess they had to remove all Björks and Knutts to replace them by something similar, but it's clearly inspired by the Ikea franchise. Nothing wrong with that if it was a good movie, which it isn't by the way, unless you don't mind a guy getting his head bashed in, losing liters of blood and apparently not being dead as he pops up a bit later in the story without a single drop of blood spatter. Or another kid getting speared by a kitchen knife in the spine but still able to walk around like nothing happened. It's just too ridiculous for me. A bit of slashing, I can live with that, even enjoy it, but dead is dead to me, so when they are still functioning normally after being slashed I'm losing interest.

I was having a horror film weekend this weekend and started off with this and I must admit I was pleasantly surprised. I was expecting bad acting and no good story or deaths but I can say I was wrong. Most if the character's were good especially the main security guard, the only ones acting I thought was bad was the jock in it lol. Anyway the story made sense and the deaths were eventful. I like jumpy horrors and edge of your seat ones and i felt at times this film had both and right till just before the end. There was also twist so this film wasn't boring and did keep me entertained the whole way through. It's defo worth a watch.