Wake Up
has a vaguely interesting core concept with pretty visuals, but the film is ultimately a shallow exercise in both horror and activism. As far as indie films go, Wake Up appears to be a more polished effort, putting the more budget-friendly genre to good effect. However, this can’t fully save it from wooden performances, inconsistent story beats, and a lack of strong storytelling.
Wake Up follows a group of animal rights activists who choose to target a large furniture store due to its impact on the environment. However, what was intended as a night of frivolous protests devolves into a literal bloodbath when a hunting-obsessed night guard begins to unleash his rage on the kids. It’s bloody, it’s messy, there is some charm, but ultimately, it feels a little confused.
Wake Up Has The Visuals Down
In general, horror movies tend to get away with a lot. There is no need to spend extraordinary sums of money on special effects and practical details can bring authenticity and grit to a film. Wake Up does a lot with limited resources and some genuinely clever elements stand out in the film. This gives it a sense of personal style and generally improves the viewing experience.
There is no need to spend extraordinary sums of money for special effects, and practical details can bring authenticity and grit to a film.
There are also scenes that come off as genuinely tense and terrifying, what with the killer on the loose and the kids trying desperately to come up with a plan to stay alive. Across the board, the aesthetic of the film delivers. It’s clean and thoroughly planned out. And yet, it’s hard to fully engage with the plot when the story is so thin.
For instance, the killer fails to come across as a real evil force, as opposed to someone confused, angry, and in the wrong circumstances. This somewhat takes the film out of its intended horror genre and into the world of thrillers, as the killer is more unfortunate and pitiable than genuinely terrifying. Meanwhile, the kids are set up as hero activists, but they lack a following and influence, so their introduction — defacing private property and trying to intimidate and scare others — doesn’t position them as being entirely wholesome.
Wake Up Appears To Be Confused About The Story It’s Telling
Including topics like social activism, animal rights, exploitation, and corporate greed can be wonderful anchors for a film. Bringing these themes into the horror genre to evoke a sense of fear about the outcome, and hope for the heroes to survive, had the potential to be great. But the movie falls short of its goals and delivers something that is half-baked.
Wake Up had the chance to be clever, with the title invoking both the killer to embrace his animal instincts, and the audience about the harm caused by large-scale deforestation to wildlife.
The acting is largely wooden, and had there been some more time spent on the story, refining how, why, and when things happen, it could have come across in a much stronger and more positive light. Unfortunately, the actors seem as lost as the story is, plummeting the quality. Despite stunning visuals, the story and performances bring down the film, resulting in a hollow viewing experience.
Wake Up had the chance to be clever, with the title a reference to both the killer embracing his animal instincts and imploring the audience to pay attention to the harm caused by large-scale deforestation to wildlife. Instead, it struggles through the short hour and 20 minutes until the end, which, again, feels like the movie didn’t know where to stop. While Wake Up had potential and a strong visual identity, it wasn’t enough to make up for the lackluster product that came out as a result.