In writer and director Alan Friel’s latest film, Woken, a pregnant woman, Anna (Erin Kellyman), awakens suffering from a strong bout of amnesia. She recognises neither the environment nor people around her, and has no recollection of how she got there. The young woman also has no memory of the child growing inside of her. Can she trust those around her, and will she ever uncover the truth about her origins?
Saying too much about the nature of Woken risks spoiling the experience. It is, however, suffice to say that the film ventures into a completely different direction than is perhaps initially teased. Friel has a mastery and majesty for weaving paranoia and unease into even the simplest of encounters. After awakening from an accident, Anna finds herself confronted by her neighbour Helen (Maxine Peake) and husband James (Ivanno Jeremiah). Every word from them feels like a lie, but is that the reality or a side effect of Anna’s trauma? The viewer aligns with Anna’s paranoia as, like her, they are kept firmly in the dark. With Anna being an unreliable narrator, the audience is placed firmly on the back foot, which makes for a richer viewing experience.
It isn’t long before some revelations are made clear about the island location upon which Anna resides. This is perhaps the easiest element to unpick. It is used as a jumping off point for everything else, and conjures up the idea that Woken might be the continuation of the military’s plan for women in 28 Days Later. However, that is not quite what is going on here. The truth is stranger than one can imagine, but simpler than one thinks, making for a clever surprise as Woken progresses. Friel is unafraid to embrace the darker aspects that his narrative requires and it is safe to say that some will be shocked and disturbed by just how bleak some moments are.
Erin Kellyman is superb as the frightened and distrustful Anna. She wears Anna’a fear on her face, but stuffs down the feelings so as to not slide into hysterical female stereotypes. Anna is also cunning, her intelligence ensuring that the audience warm to her rather than get frustrated by foolish decisions. Opposite her is the always remarkable Maxine Peake who is on top form as the overtly friendly Helen who may, or may not be, the villain Anna imagines her to be. The interplay between the women shapes some of Woken’s best moments and ensures it passes the Bechdel test.
The soundscape is another of Woken’s strengths. The isle upon which Anna is trapped is isolated and rural. This is echoed perfectly through the audio. Outside her stone walled house, the wind howls and the sea crashes. Woken uses music sparingly, instead allowing the rhythm of the waves to provide the aural accompaniments to the action. This helps create an eerie atmosphere, but also serves to further indoctrinate the viewer into the cold surroundings.
A film, like its protagonist, best ventured into cold, Woken is an exciting work of fiction. Friel’s work is confronting and well reasoned, and full of enough counterpoints and ideas to generate a healthy debate or twenty.
Woken
Summary
An affecting and immersive story, Woken is a superior chiller that thrills and unsettles in equal measure.
Woken was reviewed at Glasgow Film Festival 2024.
