The filmmaking trio collectively known as RKSS (François Simard, Anouk Whissell, and Yoann-Karl Whissell) tend to toggle between two distinct tones of horror: infectious, gory horror comedies and mean horror that packs a punch. With two features screening at Fantastic Fest, We Are Zombies showcased the directors’ playful side. At the opposite end of the spectrum lies Wake Up, RKSS’s delightfully mean-spirited slasher.
Six Gen Z activists hide in a labyrinthine big box furniture store, biding their time until it closes for business to deface the property in protest. Once the lights go out and the exits are locked, the group spreads across the massive maze-like layout to maximize the damage. Despite some adolescent tension, their plan begins without much of a hitch. That changes when newcomer Karim (Tom Gould) isn’t careful and catches the attention of drunk security guards Jack (Aidan O’Hare) and his volatile, psychologically disturbed brother Kevin (Turlough Convery). Fearing for their jobs, Jack wants to scare the teens away, but an accident pushes Kevin over the edge and sparks a harrowing night of survival for all.
Written by Alberto Marini (Summer Camp, Sleep Tight), based on an original idea by Martin Soudan, Wake Up adheres to a conventional first act that introduces its key players and what initially appears to be archetypical roles. Marini’s script and RKSS’ direction give subtle hints that there are more tricks up their sleeves, though. To start, everyone begins with some level of rage, a nod to the title’s plea to the audience. Kevin is the first to lose control of his violent rage, and this slasher villain doesn’t hide behind a mask, while his chosen prey does.
RKSS makes excellent use of the setting, offering plenty of hiding places for the cat-and-mouse thrills and endless tools at the characters’ disposal. Combined with Kevin’s particularly nasty skillset, RKSS keeps the slasher mayhem pumping at a breakneck pace once the first kill gets in the rearview. Most impressive is one climactic showstopper sequence that’s as stunning as intricately complex to stage, an inspired centerpiece from RKSS. Wake Up doesn’t exactly push the deaths into over-the-top territory in terms of gore, but RKSS compensates with details that really sell the brutality, like burst blood vessels in the eyes of a strangle victim.
All of this is bolstered by the unpredictable deaths and an unwillingness to treat the characters as less than intelligent. Mistakes are made for forward momentum, but the teens and their pursuing hunter frequently attempt to outsmart each other. That means that the standard slasher order of deaths by archetype gets tossed out the window straight away. It contributes to the overarching cruel streak that continues through the final coda.
RKSS applies the current state of unrest to a standard slasher. Wake Up doesn’t break the mold, but RKSS plays around enough with the formula to support its thesis and deliver plenty of thrilling surprises. In that way, Wake Up feels like a slasher of yesteryear with modern sensibilities, like a welcome injection of adrenaline made for and by horror fans.
It’s the undercurrent of unrestrained fury that boils over into merciless violence that takes precedence over characters and story here. The high-concept slasher doesn’t offer much in the way of story development or characterization, but it doesn’t need to. It’s a lean, mean – emphasis on mean- horror effort that scratches that slasher itch. RKSS ensures the violence is felt keenly and promises to make you think twice when venturing into a familiar Scandinavian ready-to-assemble furniture chain again.
Wake Up debuted at Fantastic Fest, with release TBD.
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