Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

The Awakening Blu-ray Movie Review

"There have been other sightings. The boys believe..."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown January 23, 2013

If an eerie sense of déjà vu haunts your viewing of The Awakening, you're not alone. The BBC Films period chiller shares more than a few striking similarities with Red Lights, writer/director Rodrigo Cortés' stylish but superficial psychic thriller. A clever professional skeptic, bound and determined to ferret out supernatural fraud wherever it rears its head. A case that forces said skeptic to question everything she believes, or rather doesn't believe. A series of terrific performances set against a beautifully chilling and atmospheric backdrop, a measured and intense build toward a shocking (but protracted) revelation, and a convoluted twist executed rather carelessly. Still, The Awakening explores its supernatural happenings with a bit more confidence and poise than Red Lights, and even pulls off a number of genuinely unnerving scares. It's a conventional haunted house genre pic, sure. But it's also a pretty good genre pic and, for once, I didn't so much mind all the convention.

1921. Despite her noblest efforts, career skeptic, controversial author and supernatural investigator Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall, The Town) has more than her share of enemies: con artists who prey on those in mourning, families whose hopes have been dashed by her investigations, and men and women she's never met, whose faith is challenged by her findings. Even when boarding school professor Robert Malory (Dominic West, The Wire) comes calling with a story of what he believes to be a legitimate haunting, she scoffs and denies his request... only to relent out of compassion. Traveling to the school to debunk whatever fraud is being perpetrated on the young, frightened boys in Malory's care, she soon bears witness to events and experiences beyond rational explanation, all of which force the once unshakable investigator to seriously question her own sanity and beliefs.

The Awakening is actually a much stronger, scarier film before it begins answering questions and solving mysteries, even though its first two acts ascribe to The Horror How-To Handbook rather than the lesser read Forging Original Frights. First time feature film director Nick Murphy isn't exactly versed in the mechanics of horror. Two episodes of Primeval hardly amount to proper genre training. Co-writer Stephen Volk brings a bit more clout to the project, having penned flaccid cult flops Gothic and The Kiss in the late '80s and having helmed fourteen episodes of Afterlife in 2005, but that isn't much help either. Apart from the pitch-perfect period dialogue, Volk and Murphy's screenplay isn't all that special. What is special is Eduard Grau's bleak but striking cinematography, Victoria Boydell's meticulous editing (the doll house scenes!), Daniel Pemberton's sinister score and the performances, most of which deserve a more innovative script and more seasoned director. Hall holds steady even when the film wobbles, mining far deeper and darker emotional depths than her character does on the page. West is outstanding, sliding into the roles of suspect, guardian, lover and tormented soul without slipping or stumbling for a second. Young Isaac Hempstead-Wright holds his own against Hall and West too, as do most of Murphy's grade school cast. Harry Potter's Imelda Staunton and her supporting castmates line up right behind them, and few falter, much less fail.

I can't believe I'm about to say it, but had The Awakening remained a generic haunted house chiller right through to its is she or isn't she end, I might have bought into the ghostly whodunit more wholeheartedly. Instead Murphy and Volt take a stab at a semi-unique little twist that's frankly much too cumbersome for its own good. A burdensome series of flashbacks, a handful of repressed memories, some old fashioned sleight of filmmaking hand and an ambiguous ending only complicate matters, as do shifting motivations, which particularly plague one of the school's mainstays. The result is a flawed but ominous surprise; an ordinary horror outing bolstered by arguably extraordinary haunts and hauntees. The question then isn't whether The Awakening is a sturdy, effective frightfest but rather does it deliver sturdy, effective frights? For me, the answer is yes. I followed Hall and West into the darkness without complaint. The hair on the back of my neck stood up more times than I care to admit. And The Awakening, in spite of its problems, earned a spot on my shelves. Now if only Boydell had been able to work more magic with Murphy's clunky third act...

The Awakening Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Awakening's 1080p/AVC-encoded transfer has the distinct look of a BBC digital video production despite being shot in 35mm, which wouldn't be an issue if it weren't for the noise that permeates the image. At times, it has the appearance of filmic grain. More often, though, it behaves erratically and to the detriment of fine detail. That said, it isn't a serious problem, and only distracts on occasion. Otherwise, all is as it should be. Almost every color, skintone and primary has been drained within an inch of life, yes, but the subsequent palette suits the tone and atmosphere of the film perfectly. Contrast is consistent and black levels are appropriately dusty and gloomy too, even if depth and delineation suffers somewhat. And overall detail? Edge definition is clean and satisfying on the whole (when specific stylistic decisions and inherent softness aren't at play), while fine textures and closeups are both refined and revealing. Moreover, significant artifacts, banding, aliasing and ringing are held at bay, and crush is the only minor eyesore that rises from its grave. Aside from the aforementioned noise, that is, which viewers would do well to anticipate going in.

The Awakening Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

No hesitation here. If The Awakening were being judged strictly on the effectiveness and immersiveness of its DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, it would be one of the best haunted house films in years. Between the creaking and groaning of the school floorboards, the pitter patter of ghostly feet, the ringing of distant bells, the muffled howling of outside winds, the shuffling of a ghastly spirit, the voices bleeding through the walls and Daniel Pemberton's eerie genre score, Murphy certainly delivers on the sonic front. Rear speaker activity is just as delightfully and frightfully passive-aggressive as a good horror soundfield should be, every interior and exterior environment is disquietingly enveloping, and directional effects are stealthy, jarring and precise. LFE output is just as sinister, lulling listeners into a trance before shocking them out of their seats with terrifying power and presence. All the while, dialogue is clear, intelligible and nestled within the world Murphy has forged; the quietest whisper and the most startling scream subject to the same carefully -- strike that -- masterfully prioritized rules of engagement. The Awakening may not be a perfect horror movie, but its lossless track provides a perfect horror mix.

The Awakening Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes with Introductions by Director Nick Murphy (SD, 28 minutes): Though the introductions are more substantial than the scenes themselves, the combination of explanations from Murphy and a glimpse at what didn't make the cut make it all worth watching. Scenes include "Florence in the Park," "Car Journey," "Meet Rev. Purslow," "The Doll's House," "Maud Distressed," "Maud Cross with Tom" and "The Lavish Room."
• A Time for Ghosts (HD, 25 minutes): British history, spiritualism and filmmaking mingle in this lengthy look into key elements of the story and its early 20th century setting.
• Behind the Scenes (HD, 36 minutes): An overview of the production comprised of behind-the-scenes footage and a long string of informative and candid interviews.
• Extended Interview with Nick Murphy (HD, 19 minutes): No commentary? No problem. Murphy still has plenty to say, and he rarely doubles back over material, at least not without coming at it from a different angle.
• Anatomy of a SCREAM (HD, 17 minutes): Not sure why "scream" is capitalized but I'll go with it. Key members of the cast and crew discuss their beliefs (or, in Murphy's case, the complete lack thereof) in the supernatural.
• Anatomy of a Scene: Florence and the Lake (HD, 15 minutes): A thorough dissection of the lake scene.
• My Scenes Bookmarking

The Awakening Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

The Awakening isn't going to rouse a tried and true horror aficionado any more than it will wake the dead. But as routine haunted house genre pics go, it's a decent one. Even better than decent I'd argue. Murphy and Volk struggle with the ending, but the cast and crew rally to rewarding ends to keep the film kicking, and do so as if the story is more poignant and meaningful than it actually is. Universal's Blu-ray release is even better, thanks to a solid video presentation, a fantastic (and flawless) DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track, and a generous selection of special features. The Awakening won't linger on the mind for long, but it will stir up a few good scares. All things considered, it at least deserves a rent.