The Awakening

I, like several others, decided to watch this movie because on Netflix it has a 4 star (or almost 4 star) rating. I must have gotten this movie confused with another movie for which I saw commercials a few years back that looked interesting. This movie has a weak plot, sub-standard acting and chintzy special effects. It's not that bad if it's a student film, but if this film is considered to be "professional" then these guys should be out of work right about now. It's very difficult to actually get connected to or care about the fate of the characters because there is no character development. There are no explanations and it appears that the "God" or "Demon" antagonist of the film only wants to kill and kill and kill for no reason. This film ALMOST has a zombie-like flavor to it in that the malevolent entity is passed from one person to another and then it turns around and kills as many people as possible.

I feel bad slagging this film. It's like badmouthing a grammar school play. This is not a real movie. It's cheap digital video with poor production values and sub-sub-par acting. Somehow this is appearing as a recommended film on netflix. And it has a 4+ star review rating there. It is artificially inflated. I warn you not to bother. Not because it's terrible, but because it's not a movie. It's someone's goofy little project.

As I said, I feel bad slagging it. But I chose to do so because I felt cheated by Netflix for recommending this to me. One might come to the conclusion that there is "fishy business" going on in the over-inflated review scores on netflix.

It's not a bad movie, in fact, it's not a movie at all. Don't bother.

And one more time - don't bother

Like others, I found this film through Netflix, with an exceptional rating for a horror movie. Honestly, I suppose it could be worse, but right from the get-go it has that "student film" quality about it. The actors appeared untrained, the special effects were terrible, and the entire movie looked like it could have been made on a budget of $500 or less.

As someone who has acted in a number of student films, I found it entertaining, but it doesn't deserve credit as a professional movie, and it definitely doesn't deserve four stars on Netflix. As an amateur film, it's not bad. It might even be worth watching for a couple chuckles, but if you're looking for a good movie that actually scares you, this is not the movie for you.

As an amateur film, I give it 7.5/10, but as a professional film I give it 1/10.

I don't believe this merits another mass apology via mail, but I would be curious to read the mass detailed explanation email. I guess I am just echoing the other similar sentiments about being roped in by a "slightly"(when the example sentence in a spelling bee for the word would be "Chernobyl was slightly affected by a slightly under maintained nuclear reactor.") overrated horror flick. When you've exhausted Netflixs' international catalog down to at least 2.5 stars, it raises hopes, or it certainly did mine. The most interesting moment for me came during the credits when it was revealed one of the actors only looked like a high school classmate (barring a name change, which would have been highly presumptuous by any of this movie's cast members).

This thriller of an independent film has a little bit of everything.

"The Awakening" was well executed on many levels. The first thing that I noticed was the film's look. The cinematography looked good with a good amount of contrast without being overbearing and a wide variety of shots. Most of the film was shot relatively unsaturated which gave it a slightly grey, uneasy color. Juxtaposing the unsaturated look with the more vivid, friendlier moments helped build the desired suspense.

Editing for "The Awakening" was a bit unusual, out of the mainstream, with cutting that I can only describe as a hybrid of Edgar Wright movies ("Hot Fuzz," "Scott Pilgrim vs. The World") and television sitcom "Scrubs." This created almost a throwback film but with a new age feel that was different without being abrupt.

The movie's subject matter will likely affect some people's interest. The film is definitely geared towards a younger audience. It does include swearing and mildly graphic imagery which won't deter most youth. This isn't the kind of film you would want to take your grandmother to, or, in some cases, your mother. It is a strong 17 to 30 film which can reach beyond that age group.

The plot worked around a demon/god possession concept which Rotonda and Schaefer take beyond the cliché exorcism films.

The acting in the film was well executed with the majority of the cast delivering strong, natural performances. The chemistry between Donovan (Brian Schaefer) and Amanda (Emersen Riley) was great as their characters' relationship progressed in an unforced way. Also the character of Roy (Kevin Lowe) played a funny and hapless protagonist throughout the film. Lowe's facial expressions alone could tell a story.

The soundtrack was another highlight of this film; the music fit the story progression with a great alternative rock sound.

Overall the film delivered on all the levels to be expected. Its foundation was strong with plenty of background information. It is good, and if you're a fan of indie films, I suggest you get the chance to see it.