As a kid, I wasn’t really into sci-fi movies and shows. It has grown on me over the years and I was looking forward to seeing AWAKE with Gina Rodriguez based on the story. That story is another flick about a worldwide issue that is threatening all mankind. Now that I think about it, did we really need something like this while we are going through a global pandemic? Hey, it’s not their fault. Let’s get to some of the details for this one.
Gina Rodriguez plays Jill, a mother of two who has seen her fair share of trouble in her life. On the way to her house after picking up the kids from their grandmother’s house, something happens that knocks out all of the power, including cars. It causes accidents all over the place as well as several fires and an airplane crash. As if that wasn’t enough, nobody is able to sleep. It’s not that everyone stays up because they no longer need sleep, they absolutely do need the sleep.
What happens when you don’t sleep? Your mind begins to play tricks on you and your body begins to shut down. Now, imagine that happening to everyone! It’s like going back to our 20’s and going to work after partying all night times infinite! The discovery is made that some people can still sleep. Jill’s daughter Matilda just happens to be one of them. Now there are scientists after her as well as religious fanatics that want to sacrifice her. Everything has gone crazy!
Here is my problem with AWAKE – it could have been so much more. The idea behind this movie is actually a pretty good one. Gina Rodriguez does a great job in her role and actually is the reason for much of my rating for this one. There are several plot holes in AWAKE and normally I am OK with that as I can plug some of them with my mind. If there is a secondary issue, it does not explore it nearly enough as I would have liked to have seen some more regarding her relationship with her kids. At right around 90 minutes, you won’t be wasting much time by checking this out on a rainy Saturday afternoon. I was never bored, but there were some parts when it felt like background noise.
The Verdict