Wake Wood (2009 film)
Summary
"The dead should never be woken." The parents of a girl who was killed by a savage dog are granted the opportunity to spend three days with their deceased daughter.
Details
- Release Date: 2009
- Country/Language: Ireland/UK, English
- Genres/Technical: Horror (folk horror), Thriller
- Setting: Modern small-town UK (Wake Wood (town))
- Runtime: 1 hr 30 min
- Starring: Aidan Gillen, Eva Birthistle, Timothy Spall
- Director: David Keating
- Writer: Brendan McCarthy
- Producer/Production Co: Exclusive Film Distribution, Hammer Films, Vertigo Films
- View Trailer: (link)
- TVTropes: (link)
- IMDB Page: (link)
Ratings
MPAA Ratings
- Rated: R (Violence, Profanity, Sexual Situations, brief Nudity)
Tentacle Ratings
A rough measure of how "Lovecraftian" the work is:
- SS___ (Two Tentacles: Barely Lovecraftian; vaguely similar in tone)
A tale of ancient sorcery hidden in plain sight in a small, rural town in the UK, which causes a dead girl to come back wrong when when well-meaning locals try to help the parents by raising the dead... it's perhaps on the border of "Lovecraftian", having a bit more in common with writers inspired by Lovecraft (such as Stephen King).
Note: This rating is not intended as a measure of quality, merely of how closely related to Lovecraftian "Weird" fiction the work is.
Reviews
Review Links:
- Michael Allen at 28 Days Later Analysis, (link) - (7.5/10) "...While Wake Wood is not often scary, the film is an interesting look at fictional Pagan mythology and the consequences of breaking supernatural rules...."
- Richard Scheib at The Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror Film Review, (link) - (3.5/5 Stars) "...Here Wake Wood has undeniable similarities to the Stephen King adaptation Pet Semetary (1989) – although in one's opinion Wake Wood does a far better job of contrasting the child's innocence with the business of it having returned from the grave with something not right...."
- Andy Webb at The Movie Scene, (link) - (3/5 Stars) "...What this all boils down to is that Wake Wood probably will appeal to those who enjoy the old Hammer movies and can appreciate the update on them...."
Synopsis (SPOILERS)
Spoiler Section (Highlight to Read)
A couple still suffering from the grief of losing a child discover that the small town they have moved to harbors a secret: the town practices pagan magic, and can return the dead to life for three days, as long as the death took place no more than a year ago. The couple convince their neighbors to revive their daughter by lying about how long ago she died - the results are disastrous, as the thing that comes back in their daughter's form does not seem to be completely human....
Notes
Comments, Trivia, Dedication
Associated Mythos Elements
- TO DO
- film: compare to Pet Semetary (1989 franchise)
Keeper Notes
- An investigation into a series of murders in a small town reveal a well-meaning local "Mythos Cult", and the grisly consequences of their efforts to help the grieving family who recently moved into town. The investigators must stop the thing which the family has unleashed upon the world, deal with any interference from the grieving parents, and decide what to do about the mostly harmless "cult" and their eldritch knowledge....
