Movies
The Awakening
“Even the strong performances by Hall and West can’t overcome the dramatic finale that bloated with exposition and ZERO scares.”
*Implied Spoilers
One of the most buzzed about genre films at this year’s TIFF was Nick Murphy’s supernatural period piece, The Awakening, which stars “The Wire’s” Dominic West and the enchanting Rebecca Hall.
The movie opens in 1921 England, which is overwhelmed by the loss and grief of World War I. Hoax exposer Florence Cathcart (Hall) visits a boarding school to explain sightings of a child ghost. There she confronts a malicious ghost who is haunting both her and the children.
The strongest attribute of the film is the scope and stunning cinematography, both of which combine to make a surprisingly good-looking period piece. Unfortunately, the screenplay by Murphy and Stephen Volk is another in a long line of ghost stories that end with a whimper.
Not only is the film’s twist incredibly lame, but the entire third act is an epilogue. They even go as far as to show the audience everything explained as if they couldn’t figure it out on their own. Even worse, the twist itself, when explained, negates ALL scares and even makes the red herring laughable (they kill the dude, bury him, and it’s a complete afterthought). To give you a clue, the big reveal is 12 years too late.
Even the strong performances by Hall and West can’t overcome the dramatic finale that bloated with exposition and ZERO scares. If anything, The Awakening is an atmospheric period dramatic thriller that shouldn’t be sold as a horror film.
A crime scene leads to horror in The Cycle, the latest from director Jordan Downey ( The Head Hunter, V/H/S/Beyond), and our exclusive first look introduces lead Deborah Ann Woll (“Daredevil: Born Again“, Escape Room) as she investigates the darkly personal case.
The Cycle will debut exclusively on Shudder on October 23, 2026.
The logline reads, “When the body of a man missing for thirty-six years is discovered at the scene of a horrific crime, it’s up to his estranged daughter to unravel his dark past.“
Also starring in The Cycle is Jeffrey Donovan (“Burn Notice“, Villains).
Jordan Downey wrote the screenplay with Kevin Stewart (The Head Hunter).
“We are so excited about The Cycle; Jordan has crafted such an original story that is gonna excite audiences. For us he has the ability to be the next great genre filmmaker and we can’t wait to make the movie,” said James Harris of production company Tea Shop (Obsession, 47 Meters Down). Peter Heller also produces.
Deborah Ann Woll rose to fame as the feisty vampire Jessica Hamby in HBO’s “True Blood” before becoming a fan favorite as Karen Page in Marvel’s “Daredevil” series. While horror fans recognize her from Escape Room and its sequel, Escape Room: Tournament of Champions, the versatile actress has captured gamers’ attention as Laufey, Kratos’ wife in God of War: Ragnarök. She’ll receive her solo spinoff game in the upcoming God of War: Laufey.
As for Jordan Downey, The Cycle will mark his long-awaited feature follow-up to the underseen gem, The Head Hunter, but the rising filmmaker also has sci-fi thriller Override on the way.
Stay tuned for more.