Start a free trial Thousands of TV series and movies to watch instantly. Already a member?

Reviews > Movie Reviews > The Awakening…

The Awakening Review
04 Nov 2011
Critics rating: 4 stars out of 5
Reviewed by Andy Gibbons , LOVEFiLM
The Awakening

Recently our screens have endured a glut of gruesome franchises and silly paranormal CCTV footage films.

But director Nick Murphy and co-writer Stephen Volk (the man behind the BBC’s controversial Ghostwatch) have taken a step back to a simpler age when horror wasn’t about how much blood could be shed onscreen; The Awakening is much cleverer than that.

It's set just after WW1 and a deadly outbreak of flu, at a time when a grieving generation was desperate for news of the dear departed. Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall) is a debunker of all things supernatural, exposing sham séances and dismissing apparitions as figments of over active imaginations. So when a teacher (Dominic West) from a remote Cumbrian boarding school asks her to look into the recent tragic death of a pupil, which occurred amidst tales of ghostly sightings, she packs her equipment and heads north. However her investigation may not be as straight forward as it first seems.

Director Nick Murphy is obviously a fan of chiller classics such like The Innocents and The Shining, as The Awakening is more about what you don’t see than what you do and is much better for it.

Rebecca Hall

For the first 80 minutes or so, Murphy is all about fleeting glimpses or brief reflections that hint at spooky goings on. A suitably submissive score adds to the tension as Florence starts to uncover the remote school’s secrets, as wooden floors creak and bow underfoot. Meanwhile a series of strategically placed doll’s houses create a disturbing and creepy vibe. And an interesting twist means there’s no simple answers or standard Hollywood cop-out ending; this is a film that could well be worth a second viewing as, once things become clear, earlier events begin to carry more significance.

The Awakening is the sort of movie that will give you chills without really trying.

Hall is great as the stoic but anguished Cathcart who is struggling to reconnect with the living after losing her fiancé in the war while West offers solid support as Mallory, a man haunted just as much by his past in the trenches as he is by events at the school. Imelda Staunton and Isaac Hempstead Wright round out what is largely a four-handed cast for the majority of the film as the house’s long-serving Matron and a schoolboy left behind for half-term.

Tense, unsettling and sometimes jump-out-of-your-seat scary, The Awakening is the sort of movie that will give you chills without really trying. And when it does try, boy is it effective; this is the stuff true nightmares are made of.

The Awakening Reviews

loading loading...

 

Agree or disagree? Write your own review

Review title:

Close

Tips for writing helpful reviews

  • Only review titles you've actually seen!
  • Talk about what you liked and disliked
  • Compare this title with other similar titles
  • Provide plenty of detail - at least 20 words
  • Space things out - use blank lines between paragraphs.
  • Be appropriate - no adult content, libellous statements or naughty words
  • Don't SPAM! No promoting of other websites or services
  • Don't plaguerise! Your submission must be your own original work
  • Don't talk about LOVEFiLM by name

Close

Tips for an eye catching title

  • Don't just repeat the name of the title you're reviewing
  • Don't summarise your entire review in one word - a minimum of 2 words please.
  • Give people a reason to read your full review - create a sense of intrigue or curiosity!
 Keep me anonymous This review contains spoilers (or might spoil it for someone who hasn't seen it yet)
By clicking Preview review you agree to our Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy

Sign up to our free newsletter

Get a weekly dose of love film

Our weekly newsletter is packed full of news, reviews and opinions, and handily delivered straight to your inbox.

Sign up now
Take a gamble on LOVEFiLM competitions and win prizes every week Competitions

News, Reviews & Interviews

Want to watch something right now?

Start your FREE trial now

LOVEFiLM - An Amazon company

Follow LOVEFiLM on

Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | EULA | Affiliates | Jobs | Inside LOVEFiLM Blog | About Us | Contact Us

International sites UK DK DE SE NO

LOVEFiLM, the LOVEFiLM logo and all other LOVEFiLM product or service names are trade marks of LOVEFiLM International Ltd. or its affiliates.

© 2012 LOVEFiLM UK Ltd. or its affiliates. All Rights Reserved.