Wake Wood

On briefly reading the reviews here, I was a little disappointed at so many negative words for what for me is one of the best horror films I have seen in quite some time. Each to their own I suppose, that's what opinions are there for after all!

Made on a low budget and set in either the north or south of Ireland (hard to decipher which!), 'Wake Wood' is the tale of a recently bereaved couple who relocate to this remote outpost to overcome their grief. As luck would have it - the locals led by a sinister and menacing Timothy Spall just happen to have pagan powers to resurrect the dead for three days. Some people have all the luck!

This is a great wee story with all the trademarks of what made Hammer films so spellbinding in the first place. A remote location, strange locals, an abundance of gloomy weather and of course blood and guts aplenty. The tale twists and weaves, there's a number of interesting plot twists and fantastic performances all round especially from Spall who puts more proof in the pudding he is one of the most versatile British actors around. Debutant Ella Connolly playing the couple's tragic daughter is superb as well.

The script is original something difficult to muster in the horror genre nowadays. There is every chance 'Wake Wood' will end up becoming a cult classic in the same vein as 'The Wicker Man. Here's hoping it does because on first viewing it certainly deserves such an accolade.

I found the story line original, or at least something I haven't seen in the past 10 years, because it's nearly all been done by now. The story moves at a good pace, showing you mysterious things along the way, teasing you a little before revealing what exactly is happening.

I would describe Wake Wood as a mix between the Exorcist and The Wicker Man. While it never reaches the brilliance of the previously mentioned films Wake Wood is a solid film, with good acting, particularly from the ever excellent Aidan Gillen. The cinematography is hardly groundbreaking but suits the mood of the film well.

Any fan of supernatural horror should be satisfied with what Wake Wood has to offer.

And I am utterly delighted to say this is exactly the sort of movie I hoped Hammer would produce when it rose from the ashes. Last week, I laid into The Resident which was hopelessly feeble. This is anything but. A gory, edge-of-the-seat cracker which also has a fabulous psychological edge. From the start it grabbed me. Which is not too surprising because in the first three minutes a young couple's daughter is torn to death by an angry Alsatian. This inspires the pair, Patrick (Aidan Gillen) and Louise (Eva Birthistle) to start a new life, deep in the Irish countryside, at a village called Wake Wood (what a great name). Louise senses there is something a little odd about the locals, who are led by a squire, played with perfect gravitas by Timothy Spall. Many other reviews have given the game away at this point. I am going to avoid doing that and just suggest supernatural jiggery pokery. Patrick and Louise get involved and the consequences are bloody but rather brilliant. I have read that Wake Wood has echoes of the Whicker Man and I sort of understand this thinking. Certainly, the villagers share a secret and are involved in behaviour which outsiders are unlikely to understand. Gillen and Birtwistle are rather splendid as the fraught interlopers. They succeed where Hilary Swank failed so hopelessly in The Resident. And then there is Spall. I've been enthralled by Spall, so to speak, since the days of Auf Widersehen Pet. He gets better with age. But the real hero is director David Keating who was also on the writing team. With a limited budget he has created a movie with levels of horror and suspense which would make the heroes of Hammer proud.

I watched this film a few weeks ago and i found it to be a very good horror film. i found it to be a very gripping sort of film with some nice views of the Irish countryside. It is about a young couple whose daughter is torn to death by an angry Alsatian not very far from their home. To get over the terrible loss of their daughter they decide to start a new life in Ireland in a small village called Wake Wood. Soon after they arrive there the girl's mother Louise finds that the local villagers are involved in some rather unusual behaviour. I found this film to be very entertaining throughout, with a very good storyline. I thought that the young girl's parents Patrick (Aidan Gillen) and Louise (Eva Birthistle) were very good actors too. I would definitely recommend this film: 6/10

Based from the movie's cover, then "Wake Wood" looked really interesting, so it was with some anticipation and expectation that I sat down and watched this movie.

The story told in the movie was actually quite good, I will give the movie that much. Dealing with a family torn apart by the death of their little girl, then given the chance to see their deceased girl again for three days, and for three days only. But of course, something is amiss... Actually the story was much similar to the plot in Stephen King's "Pet Semetary" movie/book.

For scare effects and scare value, then "Wake Wood" was a very weak cup of tea. There weren't any moments that made you jump in the seat or even had the hairs on your neck stand up. Not everything in the movie was bad, mind you. There were scenes and scenery that were working well for the movie, but it just never came to any scary moments.

The acting in "Wake Wood" was alright as well. The movie was carried by Aidan Gillen (playing Patrick) and Eva Birthistle (playing Louise). The role of Alice (played by Ella Connolly) wasn't particularly well executed and could have been more creepy with another child actress.

For a horror movie, then "Wake Wood" was a very uninspiring, uninteresting and non-entertaining movie. If you like horror movies, then there are far better ones out there. The movie is worth checking out for the story alone, though, just bear in mind that it is much similar to the works of Stephen King though.