Wake Wood (2011)

(57%) A better than most family based horror from the new hands of Hammer horror. The great Tim Spall in a fairly decent in terms of screen time support role elevates the film by some margin, and even though the main line up isn't quite up to his standard I still found this to be a stronger film than I was first expecting. What this also has over many films of this type is quite a high level of blood and gore, plus it's entertaining, not that badly made considering the all too clear lowish budget. Overall the gore is there, it's watchable, it's not over-long, there's plenty fun to be had, and of course there's Mr Spall making this a better film than first assumed.

I wasn't very impressed by this film, however the basic story and acting were perfectly good. I liked the portrayal of the Irish town and I felt that the characters were believable Irish people. There is something within that world of farming in Ireland that is suitable for exploitation in a horror film.For me the problems with this film lay in the direction, filming and editing. The whole film feels like a TV movie. Shots are not held long enough. The editing seems amateurish.I think that this film could have had much more atmosphere and possibly should have contained fewer incidents and less gore. The gore itself is not particularly unpleasant in fact.I understood the ending but I didn't think it was particularly well portrayed. There is something awkward about this whole film and it is a bit difficult for me to identify it closely.I think it is a bit of a lost opportunity.

This was an engaging throwback to the well-paced, intentionally shot, classic horror films from the '70s. Some of my very favorite horror films came out of the '70s and '80s, and I always enjoy seeing contemporary films created in a similar vein. The setting was superb, the emotional reactions were believable (I mean, it's a horror film with a supernatural-mystical plot, so a suspension of disbelief is necessary, as it always is with films like this), and the pacing was good.This film reminded me of movies like 1989's Pet Sematary, during which the viewer is forced to question what they would do in a similar situation. If you had a loved one die, be it a person or pet, would you try to bring him or her back? Would you use any means necessary to go about doing so, even if you were unsure of the ultimate consequences? What was it that we were taught in school? Each action has an equal and opposition reaction, and each choice has a consequence. Films like this remind viewers of these consequences in graphic, horrifying ways.Oh, and who doesn't love movies with creepy children in them? Creepy, evil children are like an assault on our concept of innocence, and a not-so-subtle reminder that what we see is not always what we get. Beneath still waters... you get my drift.

I was happy when I heard that Hammer studios was back in business. So far they delivered 2 flicks, The Resident (2011) and this one. Wake Wood leans more towards the Hammer style then The Resident although both do have their own thing. Wake Wood has more red stuff. But that doesn't make a flick. My only point of negativity is the use of CGI. There is one scene that I didn't like, when they make a close-up of the child's neck and we see her wounds disappear. It was done 100% CGI and I hated it. I guess one shot is also CGI, when blood sputters out of a neck. But luckily the film has a good atmosphere. It takes place in Ireland and let that be the country of Paganism and Witchcraft. And that is what it's all about. Bringing back the death by old rituals. As I stated it do contain a lot of blood but it never becomes too gory. It was David Keating his first attempt to make a real horror. And he succeeded. Some shots were typical seventies style , even hammer style and the way it was edited was also a return to the seventies. The acting was okay. Only Eva Birthistle we knew from the horror The Children (2008). She even has a small nudity in Wake Wood.If I must choose which one, Wake Wood or The Resident, leans most to the old Hammer I would say wake Wood. Gore 2/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 3/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5