Review: Dead Awake

(imdb.com)

When 2015's The Nightmare was released, sleep paralysis became a mainstream and well-talked about topic. So naturally, the horror industry, in a continual effort to provide new and exciting stories, would attempt to capitalize on fans' renewed interest. The most recent of these films, named Dead Awake is an unfortunate elaboration of the disorder. Like sleep paralysis, Dead Awake is a film trapped in its place - never really pushing itself in any direction.  Similar to Nightmare on Elm Street but without any of the campy fun or genuine scares, this movie will surely be forgotten.

Dead Awake stars Jocelin Donahue (The House of the Devil) as twins Beth and, more notably, Kate. Unfortunately for the young horror alumna, Donahue comes across as lackluster. Whether it's the jarringly plain plot or balancing two characters at once that throw her, Donahue's performance is nothing like her stellar turn in The House of the Devil. The cast is filled out with Lori Petty (A League of Their Own) as Dr. Sykes, Jesse Bradford (Flags of our Fathers) as Beth's boyfriend, Brea Grant (Dexter) and Jeffrey Reddick (creator of the Final Destination Franchise) as her friends, and Jesse Borrego (Con Air) as a mysterious outsider. They too are all relatively flat.

From the get go, Dead Awake is flimsily set up; sacrificing its potential for baseline storytelling and predictability. The film falls into place in perfect linearity. When Kate enters her birthday party, the camera pans to each of the potential victims and viewers can quickly figure out what's going to happen, in what order and with what retribution. They'll hope there will be some break away from the norm or even some entertaining death scenes and scares, but this film accepts its mediocrity and embraces it.

The film never really works to become a lovable indie release. It's got glossed over aspects that seem more similar to bigger releases, but even this isn't done well enough, and the mediocrity running through its vein and a host of lackluster jump scares only perpetuate a cycle of contrived storytelling. Dead Awake is far too pragmatic, shooting for complacency rather than excellence in a way that feels lazy, rather than daring.

Dead Awake plays too deeply into typical horror formulas - featuring everything from a kind, but ignorant psychologist to a mysterious foreigner, but it never compliments this plainness with anything joltingly terrifying or fun. It is a truly bland experience and by the time it's wrapped, if viewers haven't fell into a deep slumber, chances are they'll believe their time could have been better spent napping. 4 out 10.