While the Rebecca Hall and Dominic West-led “The Awakening” has been rolling out in theaters across the world for some time now, the fright show is only just receiving a Stateside release in limited run theaters next week. While buzz on the film hasn’t exactly been deafening, one of our writers found it to be “flawed, but also kind of a blast,” and the film’s trailer certainly gave off a distinct atmosphere of true horror.
Well, for those trying to make up their mind as to whether the film is worth checking out this weekend, the first 10 minutes of "The Awakening" have hit the web, along with a couple of clips to whet your appetite. Set in 1921, while England is overwhelmed with grief following World War I, professional hoax-exposer Florence Cathcart (Rebecca Hall) is intent on explaining the haunting of a child ghost at a boarding school. As you would imagine, her position is challenged, and all that she believes in begins to slip away as the haunting becomes real. The 10-minute clip shows off the film’s spooky atmospherics, but also its sense of humor, as Cathcart blows the lid on a supposed séance.
The next clip from Entertainment Tonight is a little more low key as Cathcart is introduced to the all-boys school where much of the film is set, and comes into contact with an actual witness of the haunting. With the clip from Shock Til You Drop showing Cathcart searching for the spirit in an “Exorcist”-like fashion, it hopefully shows that the film isn’t looking to rely on rote jump scares.
With any luck, “The Awakening” could be a vintage chiller in the vein of the Daniel Radcliffe-starring “The Woman In Black” from earlier this year, which had its share of screams and fun even if it was all a bit familiar. "The Awakening" will begin its rollout August 17, and you can watch all the clips below. [Collider / Entertainment Tonight / Shock Til You Drop]