Directing team RKSS (currently made up of Anouk Whissell and Yoann-Karl Whissell) is known for their gonzo cinematic creations that blend genres and spill buckets of blood, whether in their debut Turbo Kid or their horror-comedy We Are Zombies. But with their most recent film Wake Up, RKSS takes a slightly different approach, eschewing their typical sense of humor for a surprisingly harrowing tale that feels like Saw meets The Most Dangerous Game.
Wake Up begins with a group of young animal-rights activists preparing to vandalize big-box furniture store Home Idea (a pretty obvious analog for IKEA, even down to the store’s design). Their plan? To hide in the store until it closes, then go wild with spray paint and paintball guns to make some sort of statement, all while livestreaming it on social media. They want to shock and awe with their antics, despite being rebels without a true cause.
Meanwhile, brothers Jack (Aidan O’Hare) and Kevin (Turlough Convery) are about to get off their shift as security guards at Home Idea. But, at the last minute, they’re roped into working the entire weekend, meaning Kevin must cancel the hunting trip he’s been planning for months. Already and obviously full of rage, this last-minute cancellation almost pushes Kevin over the edge, bubbling like a roiling cauldron of bloodlust.
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So, as soon as the group of teens trip the alarms and alert the brothers to their presence, Kevin escalates the situation to extremely violent lengths, to the point that he sets up traps around the store to stab, skewer, and dismember those pesky teens. The once cocky youths are suddenly filled with terror as no matter where they turn, Kevin waits with a new terrifying weapon.
As soon as the violence starts, Wake Up never slows down until its final moments. It’s a non-stop gory nightmare as each teen is hunted like a prized antelope. Kevin isn’t some Paul Blart, Mall Cop type—he’s a feral creature that’s tapped into his primal side to the point of no return. There is no mercy, making this a shockingly dour film that has no qualms about killing its darlings. It’s a lean, mean, activist-slaughtering machine in a unique setting, perfect for a single-location slasher.
Our activists Ethan (Benny O. Arthur), Yasmin (Jacqueline Moré), Karim (Tom Gould), Grace (Alessia Yoko Fontana), and Emily (Charlotte Stoiber) are a balance of empathetic kids looking for a way to save the world and shallow teens just looking for attention. Their intentions seem good in terms of making a statement, but their dedication to the cause is questionable at best. RKSS is starting an interesting conversation about the complexity of modern activism in the age of social media, but I only wish they had gone a little deeper. The film is already making a political statement, so why not dig more into what this means in a world where fascism is on the rise?
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Regardless, RKSS achieves a lot with a little, using the single location to perfection as they construct their own version of Saw XI where Jigsaw is a rabid wild man with a thirst for the blood of disrespectful teenagers. They know how to craft disturbing kills that stick with you even after the movie ends. And the kills in Wake Up pack a particularly effective punch as Kevin’s cruelty knows no bounds. What starts as a satirical look at modern activism morphs into a tragedy as these naive yet mostly undeserving young folks meet increasingly nasty ends.
Convery, in particular, shines as Kevin, imbuing the hulking villain with so much anger that he ensures his performance never veers into slapstick. He is truly terrifying, a wall of a man who doesn’t care how old you are—you ruined his night, and he’s out for blood. Quite literally. Convery uses his eyes to convey a man’s mental breakdown, telling a story with just a wide-eyed stare.
Ultimately, RKSS crafts a contemporary slasher that feels fresh in setting and characters yet familiar in approach. They’re playing with slasher tropes in a more modern setting and context, with their foot pressed down on the gas, unafraid to tear open flesh and pierce organs. RKSS only continues to impress with their gnarly approach to familiar genre tropes. If you’re looking for a good, ol’ fashioned slaughterfest, Wake Up is the perfect film for you.
Summary
With ‘Wake Up’, RKSS play with slasher tropes in a more modern setting and context, with their foot pressed down on the gas, unafraid to tear open flesh and pierce organs.
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