Review: Awaken the Shadowman

(imdb.com)

Ever walk into a horror movie, not expecting much but leaving pleasantly surprised? It's a rare occurrence, but one that is welcome. So often, horror movies are harshly criticized on for their tell-all trailers and poor unraveling. But sometimes, there's more to appreciate as a viewer than critics would suggest. Awaken the Shadowman isn't one of these cases. While the intent is there, the recently released Awaken the Shadowman isn't the most offensive film, but it'll surprise no one in its simplistic and underwhelming unraveling.

Awaken the Shadowman follows a couple who return home after the husband's mother disappears. A drunk and lonely woman with a suspiciously connected support group, the man's mother is somewhat of an enigma; collecting random trinkets and making odd decisions. She's the type of character that could have been used much more effectively in what becomes a rather typical cult film. The film stars Jean Smart (The Accountant), who makes a strong effort in her dead role as the substance-abusing mother of Jake and Adam, played by Skyler Caleb (Waking) and James Zimbardi (Watertown), respectively. Adam's wife, Beth, is played by lily Somers (Reboot).


Like many poorly laid out movies featuring mediocre B-horror conventions, Awaken the Shadowman is incredibly slow and makes some incredibly blatant mistakes. Throughout there are an array of inklings of hope; off-center characters and some built in suspense, but a tacky soundtrack and some audibly painful dialogue make what could have been an average film about a cult, something far less. Themes observing the bereavement process, as well as substance abuse are problematic and never progressing, and even when there's a jump toward some sort of symbolism, the movie decides to backtrack into flat mediocrity.


It'd be a lie to say that the filmmakers don't have some inspired tense scenes and scares, but nothing about these moments feel new or groundbreaking. Similar ploys have been done better in less original films, but they are at least well-rounded. The scattershot horror of Awaken the Shadowman makes the film watchable, but certainly not worthwhile. It's a film that makes effort to impress but falls short at every turn.


Awaken the Shadowman isn't a disaster, but it isn't great. It's the type of horror movie that is best overlooked, but on the chance you're viewing list has run dry, it's not the most painful endeavor. In the world of dentistry, Awaken the Shadowman is more a cavity than a wisdom tooth extraction, but it's definitely not a routine cleaning or polish. 4 out of 10.