Awake (2021): A Familiar Dream in a Tired Genre

Buttonface laments the creative fatigue in post-apocalyptic cinema despite a capable cast and crew.

Written by Buttonface

Genres: Action, Drama, Mystery, Science Fiction, Thriller

A post-apocalyptic thriller where a mysterious global event wipes out humanity’s ability to sleep—plunging the world into chaos. As society unravels from sleep deprivation, a former soldier and troubled mother must protect her daughter, who may be the key to saving humanity.

Buttonface Says…

Awake is a new take on the same old story. I’m not sure if I’m in a jaded mood or if I live in a jaded world, but the new take isn’t enough for me to appreciate it. The movie is well acted and well written, but the harsh reality remains. This is a slightly new take on the same old stories. To be fair, I guess all stories are a new take on the Bible, or Shakespeare, or the Four Masterworks from China, or whatever else is out there. But this story is pretty much George A. Romero’s 1973 flick, The Crazies… that was remade in 2010, also as The Crazies.

Now, I totally understand. I, too, am on the search for new and exciting post-apocalyptic ideas and stories. It’s a great genre! It has some of the best “survival of the human spirit” stories, but perhaps it has run its course. What was the most recent end-of-the-world story that was new, awesome, and exciting? This is not a rhetorical question.

I try not to be such a downer in reviews; in fact, I don’t even like the term review. Instead of reviewer, I prefer the label of appreciationist. Most movies are better than any movie that I have ever made, which is none. So, I will be more positive here at the end. If I were making a movie, I would hire any of these people in the credits. The movie, on the whole, was well done. It’s just that the genre is stale. The genre either needs new life or to be put out to pasture for a few years while we forget some of the tropes. Then we can at least look at the genre again with fresh eyes.