Due to the relatively low popcorn rating this film has received, I went in with no expectations but was pleasantly surprised by how well it was put together. I found the acting is admirable and engaging while the pacing was terrific; a perfect way to spend a lazy afternoon or evening.

I loved this movie - however I prefer slower-paced, gothic-infused movies. Just because a movie has a slower burn doesn't mean it can't be engaging. The somber setting, chilling music, believable story-line, and addictive performances by the Rebecca Hall and Dominic West kept me absorbed 100%. And the plot twist fit into the story-line perfectly - it didn't get plopped in nonsensically just for a cheap thrill. Gorgeous movie.

I enjoyed its eerie calmness and it is certainly beautifully made and acted. An interesting ghost story.

A decent film with the always reliable and competent Rebecca Hall in the lead role as a professional paranormal debunker who can't outrun the ghosts of her own past. Think "The Conjuring" meets "The Sixth Sense."

This movie about a sort of ghost debunker in post-WWI England starts off very strong with tons of atmosphere, a remote boarding school in a large country house, and a deepening mystery. The resolution can’t quite live up to all this scene setting, unfortunately, but it is a meritorious effort nonetheless.

Old fashioned ghost story set in a creepy English manor with a twist at the end. Viewers who want gore and blood will be disappointed and find it slow paced.

What starts out as a stylish if slowly paced old-fashioned ghost story unfortunately becomes muddled and incoherent with way too many plot twists that come across a little too clever for their own good. That's a shame, because there's a lot of good here, particularly a compelling lead performance by the underrated Hall. There's nothing particularly scary or goosebump-inducing here, but the first half does a good job of setting up the story. I think this could have been a family friendly scary film like POLTERGEIST were it not for a couple scenes toward the end and a totally needless moment of nudity. Neither earth shatteringly brilliant nor mind numbingly horrible, this is a perfect rainy Saturday afternoon film when you can't find anything else worth watching.

Such mixed emotions seeing Imelda Staunton play a kind and caring housekeeper when she left a mark on an entire generation as Dolores Umbridge. The Awakening is an interesting horror premise, a period supernatural fakebuster using antiquated gadgetry to investigate a haunting. It all takes place in an English country estate, and the setting, set decoration, and cinematography all come together really well to create a convincing boy's boarding school. While the buildup is relatively solid the conclusion ultimately falls flat, and Dominic West's character feels bizarrely out of place once the narrative starts to tie together. Apart from a somewhat tired ending that feels rather neatly tied up, the two biggest weaknesses in The Awakening are subplots that fizzle out without relevance or power, and the lack of any real scares in the film; there's not enough of a creep factor at play to sell the ghost story element totally convincingly. Decent performances, very nice visuals, and a few creative spooks (the use of the dollhouse was fun) aren't enough to bring this film together convincingly even though it's definitely made of good components. (2.5/5)

I watched this movie for the first time recently and really enjoyed it. Emotionally resonant, haunting imagery and an excellent performance from Rebecca Hall. Makes this a very underrated film. That I highly recommend for anyone who are fan of films such as the others.

I hate it when movie makers tint the film. In this case, it's done to make everything look like an old 1920's photograph and add to the spookiness. It's a silly affectation, and it does nothing but annoy the viewer. Aside from that gripe, "The Awakening" is a typical ghost story, in the tradition of "The Haunting" and several others. It contains few big scares, and its slow, deliberate progression in the first hour will undoubtedly challenge impatient viewers. Rebecca Hall is Florence, a famous ghost skeptic who is called to an English boys' school where one of the boys apparently died from fright, and other boys claim to have seen the ghost of a long-dead student. She proves that the whole thing was a hoax, but then supernatural things start happening. After all, if the ghost skeptics in these movies were always right, there would be no story. The 1921 period stuff is realistic, and the boys' school, of course, is like something out Dickens or Hawthorne, with hidden stairways, labyrinthine hallways, and remote, creepy rooms. As the supernatural happenings continue, Florence has an affair with Robert (Dominic West), the teacher at the school who was sent to solicit her for the job. We learn something from their relationship: British people in the 1920's wore so much elaborate clothing, it took a while to disrobe and have sex. The last third of the movie kicks into high gear, and things get moving. Some might say it goes off the rails. I'll leave that to you. The entire story is pretty absurd. But have you ever read a ghost story that wasn't?

This film felt rushed and unfortunately hollow. The emotional turning points the main character faces seem to lack substance, and the romance is out of place. There is absolutely no sense of unease for the viewer, just one of curiosity which I'd argue is disproportionate to the explanation provided. All in all, a nice way to spend the afternoon, but nothing more than that.

Too creepy for a simple thriller but not scary enough for a horror, this movie is unsure of its direction; thankfully, Hall and Stauton's performances are more than enough to keep audiences entertained.

Questo film nasce e muore con le rivelazioni finali che scombinano tutto ciò che si è visto o si credeva fino a quel momento. Se il primo impatto è quello di sgomento e totale sorpresa, non appena ci si ferma a pensare, ci si accorge di come per renderlo possibile siano state fatte delle estreme forzature al contesto (praticamente l'istituto è gestito solo da persone con gravi disturbi mentali).

Absolutely LOVEDDD IT!!! Excellent storyline and a good ghostly thrill! Wicked twists and turns too! Most certainly recommend!!

Fantastic film to make you squirm whilst you think!! Just saw this at an advance preview and it is fantastic. If you like your a fan of Spanish horror like The Orphanage of Hierro then you will love this. Delibrately hiding key facts throughout the film to keep you guessing so ignore the reviews here trying to compare this to Paranormal Activity 3. This is a film where you have to use your brain, you have to concentrate and let the film take you on a journey and if you do then you will be justly rewarded with a scary ghost story. It builds and builds to an excellent ending , you just need a little bit of patience and a little bit of brain power to get you there.

Sorry, but laaaaaame!

A unique ghost story this thriller is a nice and simple movie that is not long.

I found THE AWAKENING to seem very British, with much of the subtler acting moments a solid display of cultural nuances. I also enjoyed the ambiguity of the acting, most of which led us to believe one thing about the story when another thing was true. This story is full of twists, most of which the creators pulled off successfully. Unfortunately, not all twists were pulled off smoothly, which left some jarring transitions that a second viewing might smooth out a little. But then that's the thing, they seemed to focus almost too much on the story twists, which really downplayed much of the suspense and watered down much of the haunted elements. And I don't need jump scares to enjoy a haunted horror piece, but a horror movie at least has to feel like something ominous is just out of sight.

Well, when I first started to watch the film, it did give me some hopes... Decent cinematography, waredore, however, once the story is developing, it doesn't make a single sense... I feel I have wasted a good two hours of my time even the streaming is free

This film even though it has some intense build ups to scenes they never pay off. It is all hype no delivery. The twist in the film is complicated and not explained enough and what I got from the twist in my opinion was done better in other films. The Story of this film starts with a normal ghost hunting story which I'm on board with as they can be fun when done right but after about an hour the story gets complicated with twists that just make this film confusing. Even though this film has some negatives it does have positives, firstly, this film has stellar performances from Rebbaca Hall and Dominic West and a really good acting from side characters. This film as I said also has really good build ups which build intensity. Overall if you have some time to kill I recommend this as even though it has an over complicated plot it is worth it for some great performances and amazing build ups to scenes.