Blu-ray Movie Reviews

"Awake" is a psychological thriller about a common occurrence called "anesthetic awareness"; a horrifying phenomenon wherein a patient's failed anesthesia leaves him fully conscious but physically paralyzed during surgery. The patient's charming new wife is forced to struggle with her own demons as a terrifying drama unfolds around the couple.

I don’t even remember seeing this one hit theaters so honestly I wasn’t expecting much. Most straight to video fare is straight to video for a reason. Thankfully this one ended up being quite the thriller. I thought the film was going to go in one direction with its themes and turn into a bit of a psychological horror film, but the twists are abundant in this one. If you love a good twisted thriller, definitely give this one a look.

The HD video presentation is strong with a very natural film look to it. Contrast levels are excellent with deep blacks and shadow detail and I was impressed with the depth of the imagery. Colors are slightly stylized but lended to the atmosphere of the film. Fine detail was solid but some of the longer shots were slightly soft compared to some of the better HD movies I’ve seen.

The soundtrack does a great job of balancing the mood of the film with the visual story. The score provides a very involving soundstage and surrounds do an effect job with subtle cues of environment. The dialogue of the film is balanced nicely within the mix and timbre is quite natural. The soundtrack is not very dynamic overall though it has some occasional moments.

Extras include a feature commentary with the film’s director along with a couple deleted scenes. You also get a short production feature complete with behind the scenes footage and interviews and a storyboard to film comparison. The trailer is also included.

Awake exceeded my expectations as a story and ended up being a very effective thriller. The A/V presentation is solid making this is a great recommendation for fans of the genre.