Between 1914 and 1919, one million people lost their lives to influenza. Society was more ignorant back then. Science and rational thinking were not then the forces they are today. People were open to anything, including the possibility of ghosts. Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall) stands out in the London of the twenties for being a free-thinker and a debunker of the supernatural. A boarding school teacher (Dominic West) implores her to visit his school following the death of a pupil, where unexplained sightings are being reported. Florence isn't a total sceptic. She leaves some room for belief, which caused me to note she is agnostic towards ghosts. Essentially, there are two stories. One is concerning the death of the pupil. The other is more interesting and distinguishes it from a deluge of other horror films which have vanished from my mind as quickly as the ghostly apparitions in them. It focuses on Florence herself, and I shall say no more as I will not spoil it for you. This is not a scary film; there are several portents but few frights. What there is plenty of, however, is suspense. Nick Murphy, in his feature-length debut, also manages to sustain a melancholy mood, crucial for his story. It's no surprise that Rebecca is the daughter of Peter Hall, founder of the Royal Shakespeare Company. She commands the screen in a way which would cause many of her peers to blush with envy. Her character is a difficult one to personify. Dominic West, he with the simian countenance from the groundbreaking crime series 'The Wire', is very good as the guilt-ridden soldier-turned-teacher. Imelda Staunton is effective as the school matron. She has that look in her eye which is trying to tell us something. I'm calling this a grown-up film because the spiritual element becomes auxiliary. Guilt and loneliness take over as leading themes. Murphy has the acuity to drop the ghost story – because otherwise it would be a simulacrum of other period chillers – and focuses on a story of locked emotion. The denouement is clever and original. The penultimate revelation would have been a superb ending on its own, so having a double-twist is all the more impressive.

source: The Awakening

There's plenty of bumps and jumps on offer in this chilling British horror flick that stands as tall as The Woman In Black and The Others. Like those two movies, The Awakening (awesome title) boasts a spectacular and equally mind blowing twist end that will stay on your mind, and the other two twists will leave you shivering and feeling cold when they reveal themselves. I think any film that leaves a lasting impression whether it be the whole way through or just at the end is an effective one. It's an intriguing horror movie that despite a few lousy boo scares and inconsistency with tension, it's nicely shot, packed with great performances, especially Rebecca Hall and pays off with a marvellous ending that will satisfy viewers.

This was the best horror movie I have seen for several years! It has got everything: a solid plot, a shocking twist near the end, a creepy feeling followed with several real jumps, suspense, good psychology, good acting... It is getting the atmosphere both of the period (shortly after World War I), and of a boarding school just right. There is also a strong and masculine attractive man, a believable love story and some hot sex in it..! :-) "The Awakening" has a lot in common both with "The Others" and "The Orphanage", so if you loved those this is a must-see!

This movie is well filmed and is a pleasure to watch. The story is involving also and it draws you in from start to finish. There are some good old fashioned scary scenes and near the end there is a plot twist that you never see coming. Dominic West plays his part well as Robert Mallory, an employee of the school who asks Florence (Rebecca Hall) to help find a child ghost who haunts the school. As I said earlier there is a huge twist that I didn't see coming. I don't want to say much more because I don't want to spoil it for those who haven't seen it yet. If you like a good scare and enjoy being surprised, then you need to see this movie. I highly recommend it. I give it a solid 8 out of 10.

There are several very good performances in this film... and then there is Rebecca Hall.. bit.ly/13cMI26 .. Say what you will, without her the production goes nowhere, she is the essential reason it works. Consistent and believable throughout... in a storyline that is extremely challenging, maintaining any semblance of realism is something extraordinary... and the mark of an outstanding actor. Besides being 'model-gorgeous' she's extremely talented, and has been in some really exceptional productions (look up her credits on IMDb). And you want to see what an awesome real life person she is, watch this interview.. bit.ly/11B0rmj .. you can't not love this woman, she is something truly special.

I have just watched this film and, after many trials, I feel I have found a decent ghost story with a satisfying denouement - in among all the pap out there at the moment. Bucking the trend (a la the dreadful re-working of Robert Wise's The Haunting) special effects are kept to a minimum, allowing the characters - especially the exquisite Rebecca Hall - to shine through. A hint of 'The Turn of the Screw' at times, but that is no bad thing.

Before watching, I had read other user reviews. My expectations were not through the roof, but I was indeed looking forward to something "Clever and Intelligent". This sadly turned out to be nothing more than another ghost tale. The cinematography does a great job in setting the dark mood for the story. And although the direction was excellent, accompanied with superb performances from the actors, the whole surprise of the story fall woefully short. Within the first half of the film, I had figured out the "mystery". Yes, some of the ending details were amusing, but thats is about it. I can only offer up a sad "6" for this effort. Call me old fashioned!

This is NOT a haunting like it leads you to believe, it's more about psychosis. It really goes off the rails in the third act and some of the elements of the story were completely at odds with what the movie was trying to portray. Frustrating.

When i got the chance to watch this movie.. I was really excited to it and then, it didn't disappoint me.. The movie was great and actually scary with some part.. The acting is great and how the story twisted is also amazing.. The movie will also make you bit confused but then will make you relief. The effects were great, scary when you internalized it.. It also has great location which is really appealing in the eyes.. And I'm amazed how the movie delivers some creepy scene which actually make you more into the movie.. The movie also has something that will make you truly appreciate the story of it. It is really a must-see film..