User reviews

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.

I was happy when I heard that Hammer studios was back in business. So far they delivered 2 flicks, The Resident (2011) and this one. Wake Wood leans more towards the Hammer style then The Resident although both do have their own thing. Wake Wood has more red stuff. But that doesn't make a flick. My only point of negativity is the use of CGI. There is one scene that I didn't like, when they make a close-up of the child's neck and we see her wounds disappear. It was done 100% CGI and I hated it. I guess one shot is also CGI, when blood sputters out of a neck.

But luckily the film has a good atmosphere. It takes place in Ireland and let that be the country of Paganism and Witchcraft. And that is what it's all about. Bringing back the death by old rituals. As I stated it do contain a lot of blood but it never becomes too gory. It was David Keating his first attempt to make a real horror. And he succeeded. Some shots were typical seventies style , even hammer style and the way it was edited was also a return to the seventies. The acting was okay. Only Eva Birthistle we knew from the horror The Children (2008). She even has a small nudity in Wake Wood.

If I must choose which one, Wake Wood or The Resident, leans most to the old Hammer I would say wake Wood.

Gore 2/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

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

Following the unnecessary, yet excellent remake 'Let me In' Hammer returns with Wake Wood a supernatural chiller in which a child is brought back from the dead to comfort her parents for three days. But she's not quite the angelic child she was.

Eva Birthistle plays the grieving mother Louise and Twelve Rounds (2009) bad guy Adian Gillen is exceptional as the deceased child's father. Reliable Timothy Spall and the child actress are notable and the supporting cast are solid. 

There's some effective bloody gore, grizzly births, severed spines, dog attacks and killings. Some supernatural elements take place out of shot to avoid the use of CGI, which adds to the believability and saves the budget.

Wake Wood is dark, damp and dreary just as it should be. Nevertheless, it is slightly stifled by a filmed for TV look. That aside, with a small budget director David Keating keeps the blood flowing and the pace going.  It benefits from plausibility and atmosphere with an on location shoot. There's plenty of shadows, eerie music, sharp editing and a grounded screen-play (by Brendan McCarthy) to keep you watching with a grin that Hammer may have a place in this century.

With elements of  Don't Look Now, Case 39, Carrie, The Wicker Man and Pet Cemetery to name a few you could argue it's all be done before and better. However, Wake Wood's great ending debatably leaves you thinking sometimes less is more.

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.

After reading other reviews and watching the trailer for this movie, I had high hopes. They've since been dashed - I think I expected too much.

The story could have been a great one but has flaws. I felt many of the characters were a bit week so I didn't get emotionally attached to any of them and didn't really care what happened to them.

Don't get me wrong, I've sat through much worse films in my time and Wake Wood isn't terrible. I'm disappointed that I'm not going to bed with the story playing on my mind.

I'm also not sure what involvement Hammer had in this film, if any other than a logo on the box of the DVD and on the menu page. They weren't even mentioned in the credits which also had a copyright year of 2009.

If you could only watch one new Hammer movie I'd say The Resident or Let Me in are both a lot more enjoyable.

Even though they will forever remain linked to Peter Cushing, Christoper Lee and a whole variety of immortal Gothic horror movies produced during the sixties and seventies, it's still tremendously great news that Hammer Studios are back in business! The legendary British studios, of which I loved nearly everything they ever accomplished, make an exquisite comeback with the traditionally themed and old-fashioned spooky "Wake Wood". The plot borrows obvious and less obvious elements from a handful of famous genre classics, but it nevertheless stands on its own as a solid and competent horror movie that is occasionally very tense, disturbing and repulsive. Approximately one year after they tragically lost their only daughter in a rabid dog attack, the emotionally wrecked couple Patrick and Louise move to the small farmers' community of Wakewood, where he takes up his profession as a veterinary and she re-opens the local pharmacy. The town's patriarch Arthur informs Patrick and Louise that the entire town of Wakewood participates in a secluded and very secret Pagan ritual. Through the cadaver of a freshly deceased villager, Arthur can bring another dead person back to life for a period of three days, so that his/her family can spend some beautiful last moments together and properly prepare their goodbye. There are a few strict rules, however, including that the resurrected person's passing was less than one year ago and that he or she is forbidden to leave the town's perimeters. Blinded by their desire to be reunited with their daughter, the couple takes the risk of altering a few facts and convinces the town to bring back their beloved Alice. Needless to say horrible events ensue, as Alice doesn't exactly return as the cute and cherubic girl she once was… As said, "Wake Wood" clearly sought inspiration with some genuine classics, like "Pet Sematery" (bringing back a dead child), "The Wicker Man" (the entire town participating in the pagan ritual) and "Don't Look Now" (processing the tragic loss of child). This isn't a negative comment; however, as writer/director David Keating processes the subject matter in a respectable way and adds a modern and personal touch wherever possible. Arguably, the film is somewhat too slow-paced and pretentious in terms of editing (too many collages and brief insignificant flashbacks), but you can't really blame a film crew for trying to be stylish, now can you? The climax is a bit of a letdown, mainly because the events are too hectic, incoherent and also all of a sudden extremely cruel and sadist. There were some violent parts and grisly images throughout the entire film, like the harrowing dog attack at the beginning and the macabre Wakewood ritual, but the last ten minutes are really quite sick. It's a shame to let the movie end in such a negative and illogical way. Terrific acting performances here as well, particularly from the reliable Timothy Spall ("Sweeney Todd" and the "Harry Potter" franchise) as the town patriarch. Very much recommended, can't wait to see what Hammer does next.

yeah so this one is pretty boring. Basically little girl gets mauled by a German shepherd. Parents have the town folk do a ritual on a (conveniently) fresh dead body that allows the deceased to be brought back to life for 3 days. Girl pops out of dead body like some sort of cocoon. Supposedly the ritual is only good if the deceased have been dead for less than a year. Of course it's really longer than that because she starts killing farm animals and then people. Basically a touch of wicker man and pet cemetery set in Ireland. Mediocre at best. i would recommend avoiding this one. It isn't terrible but it isn't that great either. It deserves it's mediocre 5 on IMDb although I gave it a 4. Blah.

After the death of their beloved daughter Alice (Ella Connolly) by a savage dog, the veterinary Patrick (Aidan Gillen) and the pharmacist Louise (Eva Birthistle) move to Wake Wood, a small town in the countryside. Patrick befriends the local leader Arthur (Timothy Spall) and the couple grieves the death of Alice.

Sooner Louise witnesses part of a bloody ritual in the woods and they learn that the villagers practice a pagan ritual to bring back to life the beloved deceased one for three days for a better farewell within the first month of the casualty and within the village limits. Patrick and Louise accept the conditions and lie to Arthur about the date that Alice died. They succeed in resuscitating Alice but something goes deadly wrong.

"Wake Wood" is an interesting film that has a storyline very similar to "Pet Sematary" with desperate parents using a weird ritual to revive their beloved nine year-old daughter. The dramatic and creepy story is supported by good performances and worth watching this Hammer film. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Despertar dos Mortos" ("Awake of the Dead")

I wasn't very impressed by this film, however the basic story and acting were perfectly good. I liked the portrayal of the Irish town and I felt that the characters were believable Irish people. There is something within that world of farming in Ireland that is suitable for exploitation in a horror film.

For me the problems with this film lay in the direction, filming and editing. The whole film feels like a TV movie. Shots are not held long enough. The editing seems amateurish.

I think that this film could have had much more atmosphere and possibly should have contained fewer incidents and less gore. The gore itself is not particularly unpleasant in fact.

I understood the ending but I didn't think it was particularly well portrayed. There is something awkward about this whole film and it is a bit difficult for me to identify it closely.

I think it is a bit of a lost opportunity.

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.

Produced as one of a new wave of 'Hammer Horrors', WAKE WOOD is unfortunately an entirely derivative horror film that freely plunders modern classics as well as a couple of more obscure outings. It's the entire lack of originality that hits it the hardest; if it had been fresh and unique, I would have liked it a lot more, but sadly the source material is just too predictable for this to be enjoyable.

The plot involves a couple grieving the death of their only daughter, who has been savaged by a dog. They move to a small rural town which they soon discover is the home to a sinister pagan cult a la THE WICKER MAN, and they become involved in a conspiracy of resurrection. What soon transpires is a virtual page-by-page, or scene-by-scene, remake of PET SEMATARY, with so many similarities between the movies as to be far from coincidental.

Those two movies are the main sources of inspiration, but there are a few more all-too-familiar elements here, including a sex scene borrowed from DON'T LOOK NOW and a 'shock' ending copied from CARRIE. It's a pity this is so predictable, because the acting is particularly strong (Aiden Gillen in a rare sympathetic role for example, and Timothy Spall) and there are some decent moments of atmosphere built up along the way.It's just a shame that this is nothing we've not seen before.

"What goes on in Wake Wood is not for everyone."

This surprisingly gory little entry into the "evil kid" genre is a good one. In the Irish town of Wake Wood, the dead can return to life to see their loved ones...but only for three days, and only if a very specific set of rules have been followed. A recently arrived couple is so desperate for the return of their nine year old daughter, that they ignore some of the rules to have her back. And while she seems entirely normal at first, as the three days draw to a close, things start going horribly bad. 

Wake Wood takes a while to get going, but when it kicks into gear in the last 40 minutes or so, it's pretty epic. Very gory, as I mentioned before, but it also lays on the creepy atmosphere and thankfully keeps the jump scares to a relative minimum. I also liked how the story was kept simple and uncomplicated, there aren't any needless plot twists to muddy the movie. Any fan of horror should give it a shot.

This movie lacks a lot of things, at least. First of all it is irritating that all good acting went into the sewer along with the imbecile plot. Had this movie been created in the 20's it would have been different if nothing else. Like this, it is not even that. For almost two hours we are watching the silent agony of the unfortunate couple without any trace of suspense. Bringing her daughter back to life is kind of alchemical attraction, but that does not bring any rhythm to this sad movie. Few killings at the end of the movie did not make it any better. Even the murders were so expected that they are a complete waste. Simply bad and already seen many times with much better execution.

Pathetic ... Is this supposed to be a film ... It looked like a really cheap episode of some TV soap opera ... Emmerdale farm with witches/Pagans ... If this is all the new Hammer is capable of they might as well forget it ... Hammer turned out a few interesting films ... But they were just a name people remembered ... More for the fact that the actresses got their boobs out than anything else ... They are mostly remembered by teenagers for various actresses breasts ... Which is fine ... The films were fun ... But NEVER great films ... So people remember a name ... So What ... This was absolute drivel ... Pathetic and clueless The other Hammer film of recent time "The Resident" was also pretty clueless ... But at least it looked like a film rather than a piece of bad TV Hammer ... Forget it And the 2 out of ten is only cos its not even funny bad

one hell of frightener. this irish "little horror flick" is pretty original. it looks a little like that other horror movie about that murdering child out there but this one is much more disturbing. check the daisy chain or orphan but in my view this on is much more horrifying and disturbing. you don't see it coming until the end. this is the first Hammer "new one" that really feels like a Gothic horror again. the resident wasn't and let me in isn't because it's a remake. I hope Hammer willmake more like these in the future. not very high budget but worth every irish film counsel's penny. please check this one. you'lllike it i am sure!

Interesting ideas are not enough to make this a truly fantastic horror. It's too concerned with being a horror, than exploring its themes. Bringing loved ones back from the dead is great, we see many people enjoying a peaceful 3days. Yet this girl has to go mental, just because the film wants to scare. If it's a film about closure and moving on, then why does it jump about so much at the end? Seeing Spall play with an abacus after some fairly pointless questions just made the film seem so shallow in mythology. AT least set out some ground rules. The editing also betrays the budget. With nothing ever really shown, just a shot of a car, a dogs teeth, shocked reactions, dog on floor. Editing can disguise a budget, but the pale photography makes it more home-movie than horror movie. I'd heard great things, that equated this to a modern day Don't Look Now/Wicker-Man. All I really got was a fairly enjoyable movie with some good ideas, but a reluctance to avoid the obvious.

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.

As movies go, Wake Wood will never be a box-office hit but don't let any negative reviews put you off. The most interesting part of this movie for me is its possibility. Hmmmm! People profess adherence to different religions and go to churches of various denominations all over the world that preach and teach various forms of reincarnation and they actually believe them!! I don't intend to single out any particular religion but it would probably be true to say that at least half the world's population actually believe that, by some miraculous, magical and supernatural process at some time - whether it be immediately after their death or at some momentous event in the undetermined future - their decayed, cremated or devoured remains are going to come back to life - whether that life be one of eternal bliss or eternal torment dependent upon how they lived this one.

So, given that premise, is this movie actually a horror movie or simple a different manifestation of religious science fiction? Well, I suppose it has to be categorised as horror because of the gory bits - but then, on that premise, I guess Mel Gibson's "Passion of the Christ" also falls into the genre.

Put yourself into Patrick and Louise's position. If you had a beautiful little daughter savagely taken away from you without even the time to say goodbye and than met someone who told you that you COULD have that chance and spend an extra three whole days with her, wouldn't you be tempted?

Of course, in order for there to be a story (other than the "religius" fantasy itself) certain things have to go wrong - intentionally or otherwise. I won't spoil the plot by saying any more about that other than that they DO go wrong. As other reviewers have pointed out, Wake Wood isn't really an edge-of-your-seat movie in the horror genre but that doesn't mean it is without suspense either. The village "medicine man", Arthur (Spall) isn't at all spooky. In fact he's quite a pleasant, caring sort of chap - which, in itself, gets you suspicious. I thought Ella Connolly as Alice was very good in what must have been a pretty difficult part for a little girl with only one previous acting experience (she may be the British answer to Abigail Breslin!).

I loved the ending and wonder if it leaves Hammer Films with an opportunity to Make a sequel. All in all, as I say, not a blockbuster but well worth the hour-and-a-half.