After an event, no person on Earth can sleep. Everyone remains awake, except for a few. This is the intriguing premise of the Netflix Original Awake. Unfortunately, Netflix fails to maintain the idea in a compelling and engaging manner.
Jill (Gina Rodriguez) finds herself in a car with her children, and suddenly, the vehicle becomes unresponsive, just like all the other cars around her. In a flash, it happened—a kind of electromagnetic shock. The result: no one can sleep anymore, except for a few exceptions, and one of those exceptions is Jill’s daughter, Matilda.
The world quickly learns about the situation, and chaos ensues. Sleep deprivation causes people to lose their minds rapidly, leading to horrifying actions. All hell breaks loose. In this new world, Jill and her children strive to survive and get Matilda to a hub for scientific research.
Netflix, stay awake!
The concept of a thriller exploring what humanity would do without sleep is intriguing. However, the execution falls a bit short. Films like A Quiet Place, where silence is essential, and Bird Box, where eyes must always be covered, are comparable. All three delve into extreme circumstances under which humanity must suddenly survive. The significant difference? A Quiet Place and Bird Box are better executed.
The cast of Awake includes some familiar faces, with Gina Rodriguez (Jane The Virgin) in the lead role and Jennifer Jason Leigh (The Hateful Eight, Atypical) portraying a sleep expert. However, despite these talented actresses, they fail to elevate the film.
Where many similar thrillers take their time to provide explanations, Awake does the opposite. The pace is too high. In no time, everyone is aware of a global lack of sleep, and conversations and events unfold too rapidly. Unfortunately, with Awake, Netflix doesn’t fully realize the potential of the idea.
Awake – Netflix
After a devastating global event wiped out all electronics and eliminated people’s ability to sleep, a former soldier may have found a solution with her daughter.
Cast: Gina Rodriguez, Jennifer Jason Leigh, Ariana Greenblatt, Lucius Hoyos, e.a.
Director: Mark Raso
Writers: Joseph Raso & Mark Raso
Studio: Netflix
