Wake Wood (2010)

The parents of a girl who was killed by a savage dog are granted the opportunity to spend three days with their deceased daughter.

Director:

David Keating

Writers:

Brendan McCarthy (story), Brendan McCarthy (screenplay),

Stars:

Aidan Gillen, Eva Birthistle, Timothy Spall

1 win & 4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Aidan Gillen	...	Patrick
Eva Birthistle	...	Louise
Timothy Spall	...	Arthur
Ella Connolly	...	Alice
Ruth McCabe	...	Peggy O'Shea
Brian Gleeson	...	Martin O'Shea (as Briain Gleeson)
Amelia Crowley	...	Mary Brogan
Dan Gordon	...	Mick O'Shea
Tommy McArdle	...	Tommy
John McArdle	...	Ben
Aoife Meagher	...	Deirdre
Siobhán O'Brien	...	Pharmacy Customer
Alice McCrea	...	Lady Customer
Johnny Fortune	...	Mechanic
John Hand	...	Arthur's Helper 1

Storyline

Still grieving the death of nine-year-old Alice - their only child - at the jaws of a crazed dog, vet Patrick and pharmacist Louise relocate to the remote town of Wake Wood where they learn of a pagan ritual that will allow them three more days with Alice. The couple find the idea disturbing and exciting in equal measure, but once they agree terms with Arthur, the village's leader, a far bigger question looms - what will they do when it's time for Alice to go back?

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Plot Keywords:

ritual | pagan | resurrection | grief | death of child

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Taglines:

The Dead Should Never Be Woken

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for bloody violence including disturbing images, and brief sexuality

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

Ireland UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

25 March 2011 (Ireland)

Also Known As:

Suma Budjenja

Filming Locations:

Ireland

Company Credits

Production Co:

Fantastic Films, Hammer Film Productions, Solid Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

Featured in Breakfast: Episode dated 24 March 2011 (2011)

User Reviews

This movie is a cross between "Pet Sematary", "The Village of the Damned" and "The Omen".

Patrick (Gillen) and Louise (Birthistle) are a happy couple with a daughter named Alice (Connolly). One morning, on her way to school, she stops by her dad's office (her father is a veterinarian) and is viciously attacked by a dog, killing her. Marriage strained, Patrick and Louise move away -- to a town called Wakewood. It's a nice enough town... Patrick finds work in the veterinary field via Arthur (Spall) and Louise opens her own drugstore in town. You can tell that they are both unhappy, though -- it's the price you pay when you suffer such tragedy, I suppose. Sick of it all, Patrick drives Louise to the station so she can run away on her own, but their car breaks down, so they hoof it to Arthur's house and stumble upon some strange Pagan ritual. All of this happens within the first 5 minutes of screen time and that's where the movie begins...

Seems there is more than meets the eye to Arthur and his cronies. They apparently can bring a loved one back from the dead... but only for three days. Isn't that always the way? When will science discover a more permanent solution to this silly little thing called death? As always with Pagan rituals and weird Irish townsfolk, there are certain rules and stipulations that must be followed to the 't'. Patrick and Louise don't really care too much about rules... they just want to see their daughter again. Who could blame them? I think the townspeople of Wakewood might have something to say about that.

The movie was filmed in Ireland and the town, scenery and cast just add to the overall creepiness. No single performance is better or worse than one another, even the newcomer Ella Connolly as Alice did a nice job. She didn't overdo her part and wasn't very annoying at all, which surprised me.

Sure, the story isn't that original once you get right down to it. Hollywood has had many movies where someone dies and gets resurrected and then complications set in, some more comical than others, sure, but you see what I'm saying. However, Wake Wood does it in such a way that it's not cheesy or over-the-top and it keeps you interested enough that you'll want to find out how it all ends. It's a very satisfying film with a nifty little twist at the end that makes use of foreshadowing, which seems to be a lost art these days. More reviews at www.soveryterry.com Final Grade: B-