Awake (2021 film)

Last updated
Awake
Awake (2021 film) Official Poster.jpg
Official release poster
Directed by Mark Raso
Screenplay by
  • Mark Raso
  • Joseph Raso
Story by Gregory Poirier
Produced by Paul Schiff
Starring
CinematographyAlan Poon
Edited byMichele Conroy
Music by Antonio Pinto
Production
companies
Distributed by Netflix
Release date
  • June 9, 2021 (2021-06-09)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Awake is a 2021 American apocalyptic science fiction thriller film, directed by Mark Raso, from a screenplay he wrote alongside Joseph Raso. It stars Gina Rodriguez, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Barry Pepper, Finn Jones, Shamier Anderson, Ariana Greenblatt, Frances Fisher, Elias Edraki, Lucius Hoyos and Gil Bellows. Rodriguez plays Jill (Rodriguez) who discovers her daughter (Greenblatt) may be immune to a disorder causing mass chronic sleep deprivation and attempts to bring her daughter to a laboratory to help develop a cure.

Contents

The film was released by Netflix on June 9, 2021, [1] [2] and received generally negative reviews from film critics who criticized the derivative plot and lack of tension. However, it reached number one worldwide on the platform when it was released. [3]

Plot

Former U.S. Army medic and recovering addict, Jill Adams, works as a security guard at a local college where she steals drugs from the research lab to sell. She has two children, Noah and Matilda.

While driving, their car loses power and is hit by another car, sending it into a lake. Matilda drowns but is revived by a police officer who reveals that everything that uses electricity is malfunctioning. At the hospital, they learn that coma patients have awoken. At home, the family is unable to sleep. On her way to work, Jill observes that the whole neighborhood is awake. Psychiatrist Dr. Murphy explains that people appear to be no longer able to fall asleep and they will soon suffer from sleep deprivation. The only known exception is an old woman who is being studied at a military base called The Hub, in hopes of finding a cure.

Jill remembers that Matilda appeared to be asleep that morning, and fears that she may be dead. She finds Matilda at church, where the churchgoers want to sacrifice her. After an officer opens fire, the ensuing chaos allows Jill to flee with her kids. Noah tells a reluctant Jill that they should bring Matilda to The Hub.

En route to The Hub, an escaped prisoner steals their car with Matilda in it. Jill and Noah are saved from the other hostile prisoners by the thief of their car, Dodge. Upon reaching The Hub, Jill has Dodge leave and enters The Hub alone. She finds the other woman who can sleep in ill condition. Murphy explains that there is no cure and lab workers have been using a drug that helps the brain function to keep them going. However, it is only temporary and causes neurological damage. The army confronts the family and Matilda tearfully admits that she can sleep.

Doctors decide to find what makes Matilda special. Matilda sees an ape in the lab that doesn't fall asleep when given anesthetic gas. The doctor reveals that chimps are the only animals besides humans that can't sleep due to their biological closeness to humans. They test the gas on Matilda and she falls asleep. Jill is handcuffed in a room where she experiences delirium.

Murphy explains to Jill that the sleep disorder was caused by the same solar flare that knocked out power, affecting humans' brains. Dodge is taken as a guard and given stimulants. The woman who can sleep goes into cardiac arrest and dies. Noah is taken away for experiments. As the soldiers start to go insane and kill each other, Jill rescues Matilda with the help of one of the doctors. Noah, hallucinating, electrocutes himself. Jill and Matilda try resuscitating him but suffer a mild electrocution from improperly using the defibrillator.

The next morning, Matilda notices that Noah was successfully revived and he awakens, saying that he was dreaming. As Jill is exhausted and dying, Matilda realizes the reason that she and Noah could sleep was because they had both temporarily died. They then drown Jill in a lake and attempt to resuscitate her. She awakens just as the camera cuts to the credits.

Cast

Production

In May 2019, it was announced Gina Rodriguez had joined the cast of the film, with Mark Raso directing from a screenplay by himself and Joseph Raso and with Netflix distributing. [4] In August 2019, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Barry Pepper, Finn Jones, Shamier Anderson, Ariana Greenblatt, Frances Fisher, Lucius Hoyos and Gil Bellows joined the cast of the film. [5]

Principal photography began in August 2019. [6] [7]

Reception

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes , 24% of 51 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 4.4/10.The website's consensus reads: "A scattered and shallow disaster flick, Awake will have audiences reaching for the snooze button." [8] Metacritic , which uses a weighted average , assigned the film a score of 35 out of 100, based on 13 critics, indicating "generally unfavorable" reviews. [9]

Nick Allen at The Playlist called it "abysmal" gave the film a "D". He wrote that the movie "proves it has no idea how to present its one original idea with visual thrills, and it foolishly underestimates how performance is key to horror like this." [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayley Raso</span> Australian soccer player (born 1994)

Hayley Emma Raso is an Australian professional soccer player who plays as a winger for Liga F club Real Madrid and the Australia women's national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gina Rodriguez</span> American actress

Gina Alexis Rodriguez is an American actress. She is known for her leading role as Jane Villanueva in The CW satirical romantic dramedy series Jane the Virgin (2014–2019), for which she received a Golden Globe Award in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Raso</span> Canadian filmmaker

Mark Raso is a Canadian narrative filmmaker and co-owner of the production company Fidelio Films. He is best known for writing and directing the feature-length film Copenhagen in 2014, directing Kodachrome starring Ed Harris, Jason Sudeikis and Elizabeth Olsen, and the Netflix original sci-fi film Awake in 2021, which was number one worldwide on the platform when it was released and his Student Academy Award–winning short film Under in 2012. His work has won numerous awards and has been seen by audiences worldwide.

<i>The One and Only Ivan</i> (film) 2020 American fantasy film

The One and Only Ivan is a 2020 American biographical fantasy drama film directed by Thea Sharrock from a screenplay written by Mike White based on the 2012 children's novel of the same name by Katherine Applegate. Inspired by the true story of Ivan the gorilla, the film stars the voices of Sam Rockwell as Ivan alongside Angelina Jolie, Danny DeVito, Helen Mirren, Brooklynn Prince, Chaka Khan, Ron Funches, Phillipa Soo, and Mike White, with the human characters portrayed by Ramón Rodríguez, Ariana Greenblatt, and Bryan Cranston.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariana DeBose</span> American actress (born 1991)

Ariana DeBose is an American actress. She has received various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Golden Globe Award, in addition to nominations for a Tony Award and a Primetime Emmy Award. In 2022, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

<i>Carmen Sandiego</i> (TV series) 2019 animated television series

Carmen Sandiego is an animated action-adventure television series with educational elements, based on the media franchise of the same name created by Broderbund. The series is produced by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt with WildBrain serving as the production company, and contains a "serialized look at Carmen's backstory that is told from her perspective". Serving as an origin story for the fictional thieving villain of the same name, it is the fourth Carmen Sandiego television show after the PBS game shows Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego? and Where in Time is Carmen Sandiego?, and the Fox animated series Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego?; it is also the first Carmen Sandiego related show since the end of Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego in 1999.

<i>Scoob!</i> 2020 film by Tony Cervone

Scoob! is a 2020 American animated mystery comedy film produced by the Warner Animation Group, and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures. It is a reboot of the theatrical Scooby-Doo film series and the third theatrical film based on the characters, following Scooby-Doo (2002) and Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed (2004). The film is directed by Tony Cervone from a screenplay by Adam Sztykiel, Jack Donaldson, Derek Elliott, and Matt Lieberman, and a story by Lieberman, Eyal Podell, and Jonathon E. Stewart. It stars the voices of Frank Welker, Will Forte, Gina Rodriguez, Zac Efron, and Amanda Seyfried. The film also features the voices of Mark Wahlberg, Jason Isaacs, Kiersey Clemons, Ken Jeong, and Tracy Morgan as other animated Hanna-Barbera characters. Set in a Hanna-Barbera animated shared universe, the film follows Mystery Incorporated working with the Blue Falcon to solve their most challenging mystery behind their mascot's secret legacy and a purpose, which connects with Dick Dastardly's evil plan to unleash Cerberus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeWanda Wise</span> American actress (born 1984)

DeWanda Wise is an American actress. She starred in Spike Lee's Netflix comedy-drama series She's Gotta Have It (2017–19), a contemporary adaptation of his 1986 film.

<i>Ratched</i> (TV series) 2020 American drama streaming television series

Ratched is an American psychological thriller television series created by Evan Romansky, developed by Ryan Murphy and starring Sarah Paulson in the title role of Nurse Mildred Ratched. A prequel to Miloš Forman's 1975 film One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, it depicts the life of Mildred Ratched prior to the events portrayed in the film, albeit in a different state. Ratched received a two-season series order. The first season premiered on Netflix on September 18, 2020. In August 2022, Paulson said she was unsure if the second season was still happening. In February 2024, Ratched was cancelled after one season, with Paulson also confirming the fate of the series.

<i>Someone Great</i> (film) 2019 film by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson

Someone Great is a 2019 American romantic comedy film written and directed by Jennifer Kaytin Robinson. The film stars Gina Rodriguez, Brittany Snow, DeWanda Wise, Lakeith Stanfield, and Peter Vack.

<i>Stowaway</i> (2021 film) 2021 film by Joe Penna

Stowaway is a 2021 sci-fi drama thriller film directed by Joe Penna, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ryan Morrison. It stars Anna Kendrick, Daniel Dae Kim, Shamier Anderson and Toni Collette. A co-production of the United States and Germany, it premiered on Netflix in select countries on April 22, 2021.

<i>Diary of a Future President</i> 2020 American comedy television series

Diary of a Future President is an American comedy-drama television series created by Ilana Peña for Disney+. Gina Rodriguez serves as an executive producer through her company I Can & I Will Productions, which produces the series in association with CBS Studios.

<i>Love and Monsters</i> (film) 2020 film by Michael Matthews

Love and Monsters is a 2020 American monster adventure film directed by Michael Matthews, with Shawn Levy and Dan Cohen serving as producers. It stars Dylan O'Brien, Jessica Henwick, Dan Ewing, Michael Rooker, and Ariana Greenblatt.

Jennifer Kaytin Robinson is an American director, producer, and writer. She is best known for creating the MTV show Sweet/Vicious, the Netflix film Someone Great (2019), and co-writing Marvel Studios's Thor: Love and Thunder alongside Taika Waititi. Robinson's film Do Revenge (2022) starring Camila Mendes and Maya Hawke, is described as "a subverted dark comedy".

<i>The Prom</i> (film) 2020 film, based on the musical of the same name, directed by Ryan Murphy

The Prom is a 2020 American musical comedy film directed by Ryan Murphy from a screenplay by Chad Beguelin and Bob Martin, based on the 2018 Broadway musical of the same name by Martin, Beguelin, and Matthew Sklar. The film stars Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Keegan-Michael Key, Andrew Rannells, Ariana DeBose, Tracey Ullman, Kevin Chamberlin, Mary Kay Place, and Kerry Washington, and introduces Jo Ellen Pellman in her film debut as Emma Nolan. Logan Riley Hassel, Sofia Deler, Nico Greetham, and Nathaniel J. Potvin also appear in supporting roles.

<i>The Platform</i> (film) 2019 Spanish social science fiction horror film

The Platform is a 2019 Spanish social science fiction horror film directed by Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia. The film is set in a large, tower-style "Vertical Self-Management Center." Its residents, who are switched every month between its many floors, are fed via a platform which, initially filled with food at the top floor, gradually descends through the tower's levels, stopping for a fixed amount of time on each. The system inevitably leads to conflict, as the residents at the top levels get to eat as much as they can, with each level only getting the leftovers from the previous ones.

<i>Borderlands</i> (film) Upcoming film by Eli Roth

Borderlands is an upcoming American science fiction action comedy film directed by Eli Roth, who co-wrote the screenplay with Joe Crombie, very loosely based on the video game series of the same name developed by Gearbox Software. Produced by Media Capital Technologies, Arad Productions, Picturestart, Gearbox Studios and 2K, and distributed by Lionsgate, it stars an ensemble cast featuring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Edgar Ramírez, Ariana Greenblatt, Bobby Lee, Florian Munteanu, Gina Gershon, and Jamie Lee Curtis, and follows Lillith, an infamous outlaw who returns to the place where she grew up, the chaotic planet Pandora, and forms an unexpected alliance with a team of misfits to find the missing daughter of the most powerful man in the universe.

<i>Ariana Grande: Excuse Me, I Love You</i> 2020 American film

Ariana Grande: Excuse Me, I Love You is a 2020 American concert film that follows Ariana Grande on-stage and behind the scenes of the Sweetener World Tour in 2019. The film was released on December 21, 2020, on Netflix, in commemoration of the first anniversary of the tour's conclusion. The release of the film was preceded by the live album K Bye for Now (2019), which was released a year prior and features audio recordings from said tour.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ariana Greenblatt</span> American actress (born 2007)

Ariana Greenblatt is an American actress. In 2023, she co-starred in the science-fiction film 65, appeared in Barbie, and in Ahsoka as young Ahsoka Tano. For Barbie, she earned a Critics' Choice Award nomination for Best Young Actor/Actress and a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Cast in a Motion Picture along with the film's ensemble.

Deep is a 2021 Thai mystery thriller film produced by Transformation Films and released on Netflix. The film was written and directed by a team of students from Bangkok University, with Transformation Films providing support.

References

  1. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (January 12, 2021). "Netflix Unveils A 2021 Film Slate With Bigger Volume & Star Wattage; Scott Stuber On The Escalating Film Ambition". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on January 12, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  2. ↑ Kroll, Justin (April 27, 2021). "Netflix Unveils Summer Movie Slate That Includes New 'Bob Ross' Documentary And Footage From Upcoming Films Like 'He's All That' And Kevin Hart's 'Fatherhoood'". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  3. ↑ "TOP 10 on Netflix in the World on June 11, 2021". Flixpatrol. June 11, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-09-08. Retrieved 2021-09-08.
  4. ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 30, 2019). "Gina Rodriguez To Star In Mark Raso-Directed 'Awake' For Netflix". Deadline Hollywood . Archived from the original on September 3, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  5. ↑ Kroll, Justin (August 21, 2019). "Gina Rodriguez's Sci-Fi Thriller 'Awake' Rounds Out Cast (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety . Archived from the original on September 13, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  6. ↑ Marc, Christopher (June 11, 2019). "EXCLUSIVE: Netflix Sci-Fi Flick 'Awake' Starring Gina Rodriguez Shoots August–September In Toronto and Adds 'Handmaid's Tale' Production Designer". HN Entertainment. Archived from the original on October 22, 2019. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  7. ↑ "Current Productions & News: Awake". toronto.ca. 7 August 2017. Archived from the original on March 20, 2018. Retrieved September 29, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Awake". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved 2023-01-11. OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  9. ↑ "Awake". Metacritic . Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 2023-01-11.
  10. ↑ "'Awake': The Apocalypse Has Rarely Been This Abysmal In Netflix's Lazy Thriller [Review]". theplaylist.net. Archived from the original on 2021-06-10. Retrieved 2021-06-10.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.